Crisis Management
ISO 22361 is an international standard titled “Security and Resilience — Crisis Management — Guidelines.” It provides practical guidance for organizations on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises—events that can seriously disrupt operations, damage reputation, or threaten people, assets, and strategic objectives.
ISO 22361 focuses on the strategic and leadership aspects of crisis management, rather than day-to-day operational incidents. It outlines good practices for:
- Anticipating and preparing for crises, including risk awareness and readiness
- Establishing crisis management structures, roles, and responsibilities
- Decision-making under pressure, when information is incomplete or rapidly changing
- Communication and coordination, both internally and with external stakeholders
- Learning and improvement after a crisis to strengthen future resilience
The standard is guidance-based, not certifiable, and is designed to work alongside other resilience standards such as ISO 22301 (Business Continuity Management).
ISO 22361 is important because it helps organizations:
- Protect people, reputation, and value during high-impact, low-probability events
- Improve leadership confidence and clarity in chaotic situations
- Reduce confusion and delays by defining clear governance and escalation paths
- Strengthen organizational resilience, not just operational recovery
- Align crisis response with strategic objectives, even under extreme pressure
In a world of increasing uncertainty—cyber incidents, geopolitical events, pandemics, and reputational crises, ISO 22361 gives organizations a structured, internationally recognized approach to managing crises effectively and emerging stronger afterward.
PECB certified training courses available:
ISO 22361 Lead Crisis Manager 5 days