The Business Playbook for Cyber Incident Response

When a cyber incident strikes, every minute counts. Whether it’s ransomware, a phishing attack, or a data breach, how a business responds in the first 24 hours can determine whether it recovers smoothly or suffers lasting damage. A clear and practiced cyber incident response playbook helps minimize disruption, protect sensitive data, and restore trust.

This guide outlines the essential steps small and midsized businesses should take when facing a cybersecurity event.

1. Identify and Contain the Threat 

The first step is to confirm that an incident has occurred and identify its scope. Signs may include suspicious login attempts, unusual network activity, or missing data. Once detected, act quickly to contain the breach. Disconnect affected systems from the network, disable compromised accounts, and block malicious IP addresses to stop the spread of the attack.

Tip: Avoid shutting down devices immediately, as doing so could erase valuable forensic evidence. Instead, isolate them and preserve system logs for investigation.

2. Notify Your Incident Response Team

Every organization should have a designated incident response team that includes IT staff, management, legal counsel, and communication leads. If the business partners with a managed service provider (MSP) or cybersecurity firm, alert them immediately. Their expertise in threat identification, malware removal, and recovery can make a major difference in preventing additional damage.

3. Assess the Impact

Once containment is achieved, assess what data, systems, or users were affected. Determine whether personal, financial, or client information was exposed. This step helps prioritize remediation efforts and ensures compliance with reporting obligations under laws such as HIPAA, the FTC Safeguards Rule, or state data breach notification regulations.

Key questions to ask:

• What type of data was accessed or stolen?
• How did the attacker gain entry?
• Which systems remain at risk?
• Are there backups available and verified?

4. Eradicate the Threat and Restore Systems

After the breach is contained and analyzed, remove any malware, backdoors, or compromised accounts. Change all passwords and review permissions across the organization. Once systems are secure, restore data from clean, verified backups and closely monitor for signs of re-infection or lingering vulnerabilities.

Tip: Never restore from backups until you’re certain they haven’t been compromised.

5. Communicate and Report Responsibly

Transparent communication is essential. Notify stakeholders, clients, or partners as required by law or company policy. Public statements should be coordinated to avoid spreading misinformation and to maintain customer confidence. If regulated data was affected, report the incident to relevant authorities within the required timeframe.

6. Review and Strengthen Security Measures

Once operations return to normal, conduct a full post-incident review. Identify what worked, what failed, and where the response can be improved. This is the time to enhance employee training, apply software updates, enforce stronger authentication, and update security policies. The goal is to reduce the likelihood and impact of future incidents.

7. Practice Your Response Plan Regularly

A playbook is only effective if teams know how to use it. Schedule regular tabletop exercises that simulate cyber incidents to test communication flow, technical procedures, and decision-making. Frequent drills ensure employees can respond quickly and confidently under pressure.

Protect Your Business Before and After a Breach

Cyber incidents are no longer a matter of “if” but “when.” A strong response plan can mean the difference between a minor disruption and a major crisis.

Business Information Solutions (BIS) helps organizations across the Gulf Coast prepare for, respond to, and recover from cyber attacks. With managed cybersecurity, compliance support, and 24/7 monitoring, BIS provides the protection and expertise your business needs to stay resilient in the face of evolving threats.