Method of Eliminating Interdependencies of Essential Services Raising the Risk of Loss of Business Continuity

The article examines the interdependencies of the essential services (ES) determined by the operators used to provide the ES. The research problem stems from the limited knowledge of ES operators on identifying ES interdependencies. Contemporary legislation and scientific discussion suggest the need to consider ES interdependence in the context of ES security management. More detailed scientific research and practical tools are needed to identify and analyze ES interdependencies in this area. The research gap mainly concerns the need for more transparent procedures to enable ES operators to understand the interdependencies between operators, hamper effective risk management. The article aims to develop a method for identifying and eliminating ES interdependencies. The method is intended to detect ES interdependencies that threaten the continuity of operation of more than one ES. The author applies Gorbatov Characterization Principle, which makes it possible to create graph models of interdependence and identify so-called forbidden figures or undesirable patterns of interdependence. By analyzing such patterns, it is possible to identify places where there are potential risks and propose structural changes that will eliminate them. In the context of the available research work on considering ES interdependencies and their impact on business continuity risk, the author’s proposed method fills the research gap on the analysis of the static structure of ES interdependencies, in terms of looking for structural defects.