When performing a risk assessment of a new service to support a core business process, which of the following should be done FIRST to ensure continuity of operations?

Defining metrics for restoring availability, such as RTO/RPO, is a critical step but can only be effectively done after identifying what disruptions might occur and their potential impact.

To ensure continuity, the fundamental first step is to understand what can cause the service to fail. Identifying conditions that may cause disruptions (threats and vulnerabilities) provides a comprehensive overview of potential failure points, which then informs further analysis like probability, impact, and recovery planning.

Reviewing incident response procedures is part of planning for continuity, but the adequacy of these procedures depends on first understanding the range of potential disruptions.

Evaluating the probability of risk events is a crucial component of a risk assessment, but it logically follows the initial identification of the specific events or conditions themselves.