A business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) plan is a business fundamental. Without it, you’re left vulnerable to a multitude of threats, from natural disasters to cyber-attacks. This is why implementing a cyber incident response in your BCDR plan is a smart move.
A cyber incident response plan will encompass your cybersecurity needs and help protect your data from a cyber-attack. Cybersecurity is vital to protect your digital assets from cybercriminals looking for vulnerable IT environments to attack.
What do you need to know about including a cyber incident response in your BCDR plan
What is a cyber incident response?
Firstly, it is a set of detailed instructions to help employees detect, respond to and recover from network security incidents. They address the problems of cybercrime, data loss and other threats to daily operations.
Understand the impact it will have on your business
Firstly, understand the damaging impact a cyber-attack can have on your business and the consequences that will follow.
There are various types of cyber-attacks, and each can impact your business in multiple ways. For example, in a phishing attack, if your team accidentally opens a file corrupted with malware through a phishing email, your data could be breached, and confidential information compromised just from a click of a button.
These attacks can cause significant downtime, which can be crippling and seriously impact your organisation.
The differences between Disaster Recovery and cyber incident response
Disaster recovery (DR) and cyber incident response are two different concepts with different purposes, hence the importance of a cyber incident response plan.
| Disaster Recovery Plan | Cyber Incident Response | |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | To ensure business continuity after a natural disaster or human error causes disruption. | To protect your data after a data breach or cyber-attack. |
| Response requirements | Stakeholders are informed, and the main focus is on data recovery. | A comprehensive approach collecting and preserving evidence and root cause analysis. |
| Plan managements | A selected team dedicated to finding best practise solutions and note the lessons learned from previous DR experiences. | A selected team is dedicated to remaining up to date with the latest cybersecurity threats, and the current plan is modified accordingly. |
How do you implement a cyber incident response in your BCDR plan?
We have narrowed down why you need a cyber incident response in your BCDR plan, but how do you implement it into your current solution?
1. Identify what you want to protect
Now you understand the devastating impact a cyber-attack could have on your business, identifying what content needs to be protected is crucial. This should include all confidential data, client information and digital assets that could be used for ransom.
2. Plan for select threats
Planning for multiple outcomes is essential. Cyber-attacks come in different forms, and therefore, will have different damaging effects on your business. Creating backup strategies that have a specific threat in mind can help ensure business operations will resume rapidly when disruption happens.
3. Highlight recovery needs
When a cyber incident occurs, it is vital to layout various outcomes and the solutions that will be needed to help your systems recover. Therefore, your road to recovery needs careful attention to the multiple consequences possible and damage inflicted by these results.
4. Seek constant improvement
Your plan will never be perfect; it will need to be continuously updated. The digital landscape is evolving every day, and so are cyber-threats. The more you regularly that you review and update your plan, the better and stronger it will be to combat these issues and ensure business operations can resume swiftly.
Next Steps
If you are unsure of how to start implementing a cyber incident response or creating a BCDR plan, we can help. Our BCDR eBook will give you all the essential information you need to set up a plan that will rival your competitors and keep your business protected from future threats.
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