Why This Problem Lands on Your Desk

When a cyber incident hits your company, the first call usually goes to IT. But very quickly, the responsibility shifts to you and your leadership team. Regulators, insurers, customers, and even the media don’t just care about whether the systems are back online. They want to know what your company did to prepare, how you are responding, and whether you can show evidence of good decision making.

This is why a comprehensive incident response plan is not optional anymore. Without one, small mistakes like not having current contact information for those impacted or sending mixed messages to the public can snowball into lawsuits, denied insurance claims, and reputational damage that lingers for years.

Technology Alone Won’t Save You

Many executives still think cybersecurity is an IT problem. The truth is, technology can only go so far. Firewalls, backups, monitoring, and detection tools are critical, but they can’t answer questions like:

  • Who has the authority to talk to customers or regulators?
  • How will we notify people if we don’t even have their updated contact information?
  • Who can make the call to bring in outside legal or alert the insurance carrier?
  • What proof will we need to keep to protect an insurance claim later on?

These are leadership decisions. If you don’t have playbooks to guide your team, you’re leaving your company vulnerable to mistakes that have nothing to do with IT.

The Cost of Simple Mistakes

The companies that make headlines don’t usually fail because their IT team didn’t act. They fail because the business side stumbled.

Here are the mistakes that turn an incident into a crisis:

  • Notification delays that lead to regulatory fines.
  • Mixed messages that cause customers to lose trust.
  • Missing documentation that gives insurers an excuse to deny coverage.
  • Leadership paralysis where no one wants to make the hard calls.

Every one of these is preventable with a solid plan and tested playbooks. Without them, they become expensive lessons learned the hard way.

What a Real Incident Response Plan Looks Like

A strong incident response plan isn’t a binder on a shelf. It’s a living guide that your team has practiced. It should include:

  1. Roles and responsibilities. Who calls the incident, who leads the response, who communicates publicly, and who makes financial decisions.
  2. Communication playbooks. Pre-approved templates for employees, customers, regulators, and partners so you aren’t writing them in the middle of a crisis.
  3. Verified contact lists. Up-to-date information on everyone who may need to be notified.
  4. Decision guidelines. Rules for when to escalate sensitive issues like ransom payments or regulatory reporting.
  5. Evidence collection steps. Clear instructions on how to preserve logs and records so you can prove compliance.

Testing these plans through tabletop exercises ensures your leaders know exactly how to respond when the pressure is on.

The Advantage of Having Playbooks

When you have real playbooks, you give your leadership team confidence. Instead of scrambling, they know who speaks, what gets said, and what steps must be taken to protect the business.

Your customers and partners see consistency. Regulators see that you are in control. Insurers see that you acted responsibly. Most importantly, you avoid the small mistakes that turn into big, expensive problems.

One Final Thought

Cyber incidents are not just IT problems anymore. They are business problems, and the responsibility sits squarely on executive leadership. Without a tested plan and clear playbooks, you are leaving your company exposed to risk that can wipe out years of hard work.

The good news is that you don’t have to figure it all out yourself. You can get the structure, the playbooks, and the tools you need to protect your business.

Learn more here: Cyber Liability Essentials