RTO, or Recovery Time Objective, is a key concept in disaster recovery and business continuity planning. It refers to the maximum acceptable amount of time that a system, application, or process can be down after a disruption occurs. Organizations set RTOs to ensure they can resume operations quickly and minimize the impact of downtime on their business. Establishing an RTO involves assessing the criticality of different systems and determining how long they can be offline without causing significant harm. This helps businesses prioritize their recovery efforts and allocate resources effectively during emergencies, ensuring a smoother return to normal operations.