How to create a cyber incident response plan for your startup

Cybercriminals are a real threat to businesses of all sizes and in all industries.

A strong incident response plan should identify threats, mitigate them quickly and prepare the company for future hazards.

Create a response team

A cyber threat can affect your entire company. For that reason, you should have someone from every department on your IR team, including legal, communications, IT and human resources.

Identify potential threats

Always assume your cybersecurity efforts have vulnerabilities and try to identify them. Additionally, consider every possible threat to operations or data security, including system shutdowns, power outages and hacking. Prioritize threats so your team knows what to address first.

Designate resources

A small startup may not have a robust IT department or extensive legal team. You should have a list of professionals you can contact should you face any serious data security problems. Legal representatives can ensure you remain compliant with federal regulations and industry standards. IT experts can help you mitigate the threats.

Set up a communications web

Your written IR strategy should include a communications web that shows everyone who to contact should a cybersecurity threat occur. Include individuals, their roles in the company and the incident response and their contact information.

Test your response plan annually

As technology evolves, cybercriminals will have access to new types of malware and will change their methods to become more sophisticated hackers. Your IR plan will need updates to remain relevant.

Prevention is the first line of defense in stopping a cyber attack. However, a strong IR plan addresses the threats that break through vulnerabilities.