When a cyber incident strikes your organization, the clock starts immediately. The first 24 hours often determine the extent of damage. Your job isn’t to fix the technical issue; it’s to ensure the right people are engaged, the correct steps are followed, and communication is clear from the start.
Why the First 24 Hours Matter
Speed and coordination decide the outcome. Incident response teams with tested plans saved an average of $1.49 million USD, per IBM’s 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report. Regulators require prompt notification; many sectors are required to provide it within 72 hours. Delays raise legal risk and erode trust.
What Leaders Should Focus On
- Activate your tested Incident Response Plan: Ensure roles are clear and involve IT, Legal, Communications, business units, and leadership.
- Containment and Assessment: The IT team will work to contain the incident and assess its scope; your role is to ensure they can act quickly with the necessary authority, resources, and support.
- Communication: Communications must be timely, deliberate, early, and coordinated. Internal staff should be aware of what’s happening and what they can & can’t say. The organization must be prepared to engage with customers, regulators, cyberinsurance providers, investors, law enforcement, other government agencies, and the public, as poor communication can cause more harm than the incident itself.
- Decision-Making: Your role will often involve making critical choices, such as whether to take systems offline, involve outside experts, or prepare internal/external/regulatory notifications. Your senior leadership also needs to be ready to make decisions with technical input.
- Documentation: To reinforce the decisions above, clearly document every action to support regulatory reporting, legal defense, and lessons learned.
- External Expertise: Even if you have a strong in-house IT team, many incidents require outside help, such as digital forensics, breach counsel, or specialized negotiators. Most cyberinsurance carriers also provide access to vetted partners. Confirm early on that the right external experts are engaged and coordinated.
- Preserve Evidence: While your team’s first approach is often to address the incident ASAP, this can destroy logs or other data needed for forensics, legal defense, and law enforcement. Emphasize preserving evidence from the start, ensuring that the IT team captures and protects logs, system images, and communications.
Executive Takeaways
- Have a current and tested Incident Response Plan in place.
- Ensure Activation Procedures involve IT, Legal, Communications, and Senior Leadership.
- Ensure your organization has a clear communication strategy that encompasses all relevant stakeholders, including customers, regulators, cyber insurance providers, investors, law enforcement agencies, other government agencies, and the public.
- Be prepared to make rapid business decisions while considering technical guidance.
- Ensure your team documents thoroughly from the start.
- Ensure the right external experts are quickly engaged.
- Preserve evidence to support forensics, legal defense, and law enforcement investigations.
The Bottom Line
The first 24 hours shape the aftermath. You don’t need technical expertise, but you must ensure teams coordinate, keep stakeholders informed, and respond quickly. Strong leadership limits damage, builds trust, and speeds recovery.