Final answer:
a) Contingency planning
Contingency planning is the development of alternative strategies for unexpected disturbances in normal business operations, serving as an important safeguard mechanism and ensuring resilience.
Step-by-step explanation:
Developing alternative courses of action to be taken if there is a disruption in normal business operations is referred to as contingency planning. This involves creating strategies to manage unexpected events that can negatively impact the organization. Such plans act as a "break glass in case of emergency" safeguard, in line with the concept of asymmetric risk. By planning for potential catastrophic threats, organizations can mitigate the risk even if the probability of occurrence is low. If such a threat becomes real and no plan exists, the consequences could be devastating, akin to a "game over" scenario. Hence, contingency planning is critical for ensuring the resilience of critical national infrastructure and implementing effective civil defense and emergency preparedness measures, which may include anti-terrorism legislation.