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If you aren’t planning on how your company will bounce back from a potential cyber attack, your IT security is incomplete. The tactics that cyber criminals use continue to evolve, reaching more people and businesses every year. From ransomware to phishing attacks, companies face risks that can halt operations overnight. The key to protecting your business is beyond strong cybersecurity – it’s having comprehensive plans in place to prepare, respond and recover.
The following four plans would help your company develop the resilience needed to recover from an attack and reduce the negative impact on your business.
Read: Crafting 3 Core IT Plans with Thriveon
1. Incident Response Plan (IRP)
Someone just discovered a breach. Now what do you do?
This is when your incident response plan (IRP) kicks into action. The objective is to stop or contain the downtime and damage by outlining how your team detects, contains and eliminates the threat. Time is your most valuable asset, and an IRP ensures that your team acts quickly and decisively.
A well-structured IRP should:
- Define roles and responsibilities
- Establish detection and monitoring processes
- Provide clear steps for containment and eradication
- Include post-incident reviews to strengthen defenses
2. Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)
You stopped the attack. Now what do you do?
While an IRP focuses on addressing security breaches, a disaster recovery plan (DRP) covers broader disruptions, like hardware failures, power outages or natural disasters. This plan ensures that your systems and data are restored quickly so your business can resume operations without losing productivity and revenue.
A strong DRP should:
- Identify mission-critical systems and data
- Include backup and replication systems
- Define recovery time objectives and recovery points objectives (RTO and RPO)
- Be tested regularly to confirm effectiveness
Read: The 6 Types of Disaster Recovery Plan Solutions
3. Communication Plan
People have found out about the breach. Now what do you do?
During a security incident, clear, concise and timely communication is vital; transparency and consistency are crucial to maintaining trust and managing reputational damage during a crisis. A communication plan outlines who needs to be informed, what information needs to b shared and through which channels. It ensures employees, customers, partners and stakeholders are kept informed without adding confusion or risking misinformation.
A robust communication plan should:
- Designate spokespersons for internal and external messaging
- Define communication channels (email, phone, messaging apps, etc.)
- Provide pre-approved templates for crisis updates
- Establish escalation protocols for sensitive information
4. Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
Your business continuity plan (BCP) is the overarching strategy that ties everything together. It ensures that no matter what happens, your organization can continue operating during and after a crisis. It considers the people, processes and technology needed to keep the business running. Essentially, the BCP is about ensuring your company can continue to deliver value, even when facing significant challenges.
A BCP should:
- Identify critical business functions
- Provide alternative workflows if systems go down
- Address remote work capabilities
- Include coordination with vendors and third parties
Thriveon Can Help with Your IT Security Strategy
Building and implementing these IT security strategies takes expertise and foresight. At Thriveon, we specialize in proactive IT management and cybersecurity services to help businesses prepare for the unexpected. Our Fractional CIO can work with you to create comprehensive plans that prevent and mitigate risks.
Don’t wait until a crisis hits. Schedule a meeting with us now to discuss how these IT security strategies can help protect your company’s success.
