A Cyber Incident Response Plan isn’t just an IT checklist. It’s a whole-business plan to minimise damage, reduce downtime, and make sure everyone knows what to do when a cyber attack happens. And if you work in a regulated sector like finance, it’s becoming a non-negotiable. Whether it’s ransomware or a third-party breach, how you respond in the first hour can make or break your recovery.
Special thanks to our experts Mark Dennis and Matt Carney for their insights and contributions to this piece.
The Reality of Cyber Attacks
Most organisations think they’ll know what to do when an incident hits. The reality? In our experience, many waste the first one to two hours working out what’s happened and who should be doing what – critical time you can’t get back.
A strong response plan cuts through that chaos by having clear roles, responsibilities, and processes ready to go. The faster you act, the less damage you take. Simple.
What Makes a Good Cyber Incident Response Plan?
A good CIRP isn’t a 50-page document that gathers dust. It’s a practical, actionable plan that works when the pressure is on. Here’s what matters:
- Assemble the Right Team You need a defined Incident Response Team (IRT) with clear leadership. And no – it shouldn’t just be your IT team. Your IRT should include people from HR, Finance, Communications, and other key areas. The lead should know the business inside out and have the authority to make decisions fast.
- Map System Dependencies What systems and third-party providers do you rely on? If a key supplier goes down, how does that affect you? A System Dependency Register helps you identify weak spots and decide where to focus your efforts.
- Define Roles and Responsibilities Everyone on the team needs to know their job. From containing the technical side to updating staff and regulators, clear ownership is everything. And don’t forget deputies – people get sick, go on holiday, or leave. Cover your bases.
- Communication is Key If your usual systems go down (hello, Microsoft 365 outage), how will you stay connected? Back-up communication channels like SMS services, Everbridge, or WhatsApp should be in your plan. Without clear comms, things fall apart quickly.
- Pre-Approved Decision-Making Time kills in a crisis. Waiting for board-level sign-off wastes hours you don’t have. Decide in advance who can make key calls – shutting down systems, notifying regulators, or dealing with ransom demands. And yes, be clear on your ransomware payment stance. Are you paying or not?
Test, Test, and Test Again
A CIRP that isn’t tested is just wishful thinking. Regular tabletop exercises keep your team sharp and expose weak spots. The best plans evolve as your business and threats change.
We’ve run hundreds of these exercises, and the lesson is always the same: no plan survives first contact unchanged. Every test uncovers something new.
What’s Next?
If you already have a Cyber Incident Response Plan, good start. But if you’ve only done Exercise in a Box, you’re barely scratching the surface. Bespoke tabletop exercises tailored to your systems, people, and business model deliver real value. They find the gaps no off-the-shelf solution will.
When a cyber incident hits, the clock is ticking. A prepared organisation takes control, contains the damage, and owns the narrative. An unprepared one? It scrambles and risks long-term fallout.
Which one will you be?
If you want to build or test your Cyber Incident Response Plan, get in touch. We’ve seen first-hand how the right preparation can make all the difference when it matters most.
Contact us on 01748 905 002 or email info@evolvenorth.com