How to Rapidly and Effectively Respond to a Suspected to a Data Breach

Ideally, organizations will have a breach response plan in place that they regularly practice and refine, based on emerging types of attacks and risk management strategies. (See part one of this series: To Survive a Data Breach, Create a Response Playbook.)

“In terms of preparedness, companies have progressed in a good and thoughtful way in recent years,” says attorney Nicole Friedlander, a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, where she’s a member of the firm’s criminal defense and investigations group and co-heads its cybersecurity practice. “They have moved from a largely reactive stance - acting only if and when a breach occurred - to a world in which they appreciate preparedness matters. It affects how well they are able to respond and recover from the breach and can reduce the likelihood of follow-on criticism from regulators or the public.”

Here are eight incident response essentials for any organization that suffers a security incident.