How to Create an Incident Response Plan for Your Business
What an SME incident response plan must contain, how to write it, and how to make sure it actually works under pressure.
An incident response plan is not paperwork. It is the difference between an operator that loses half a day and one that loses a fortnight. Most SMEs do not have one, and most that do have a plan that was written once and never tested.
What an incident response plan must contain
Named roles, decision-making authorities, contact lists, communication templates, technical playbooks for the most likely incidents, and out-of-band communications so the plan still works when your primary systems are down.
How to identify the incidents that matter
Pick the two or three scenarios that would hurt you most. For most operational SMEs that means ransomware, business email compromise and serious data loss. Build the plan around those.
Roles and authorities
Decide in advance who can declare an incident, who speaks to customers, who speaks to the ICO, who authorises spend, and who can stop production. The middle of a crisis is the wrong time to find that out.
Out-of-band communications
If email is down, what do you use? A WhatsApp group is not enough. We typically recommend a pre-agreed comms channel, plus printed contact lists for the senior team.
Testing the plan
A plan that has never been tested is a plan that will fail. Run at least one realistic tabletop exercise a year. Debrief honestly. Update the plan with what you learn.
Frequently asked questions
How long should the plan be?+
Long enough to be useful, short enough to be read in a crisis. Most SME plans land between 15 and 40 pages.
Who should own the plan?+
A named individual on the leadership team. IT can maintain the technical playbooks. The plan itself needs business ownership.
How often should we revisit it?+
At least annually, and any time you change a major system, supplier or office location.
Next step
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