Emergency Preparedness Checklist

How to Create an Incident Response Plan

Introduction

A proactive approach to cybersecurity is the way to keep your company safe. Letting things happen, without a plan, keeps you always on the defensive. It’s time to take action—by creating an Incident Response Plan (IR).

You can’t eliminate all the risks. But, an Incident Response Plan (IR) is a “must-have” when it comes to smart cybersecurity.

What is an Incident Response Plan?

An IR is a document that answers the following question, “If there’s an incident, how will you respond?”

As a Business Owner or Manager, you are the first person employees and clients will turn to when a cyberattack occurs. Statistics show that there is a victim  every 11 seconds. And breaches happen to businesses regardless of size or industry.

How Do I Create an Incident Response Plan?

First, creating an IR plan is not a one-time event. It is a “living” document, to be  reviewed and updated.

Second, Identify the key players, including strategic vendors. This will give you a list of people and vendors at the ready when you need them. Time is critical during a disaster. The quicker you get things going, the quicker your recovery.

Third, identify critical roles, and the employees responsible. Make sure you have their full personal and business contact information. It is also a good idea to identify backup personnel in case the primary person is unreachable. 

Fourth,  identify a “point-person” who will respond to inquiries. Script out what they should or should not say. This will keep your message on-point.

Fifth, document likely breach scenarios and their courses of action. Occurrences outside of those scripted, should be immediately addressed by the manager-in-charge. Make sure to incorporate learnings into the IR for future incidents.

Last, test, test, test. Make sure everyone is prepared and ready to act as soon as a breach occurs.

Preparation is Key

As President John F. Kennedy once said, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” Be prepared and always ready to act when a situation arises. Your clients are watching. If you falter, they’ll take their business elsewhere.

Additionally, make sure you have an IT Backup & Disaster Recovery system in place. A complete recovery is impossible if you lose access to your data.

XSolutions is an IT Services Provider serving New York (NY), New Jersey (NJ), and Connecticut (CT). We provide Managed IT Services | Managed IT Security | Backup & Disaster Recovery| Cloud Data Protection | Security Awareness Training. Call (845) 362-9675 for a free consultation.