Theoretical vs. Actionable IRPs: Are You Really Prepared?

When it comes to cybersecurity, preparation is everything. The ability to recover quickly from a cyber incident — or not — often hinges on how well-prepared your organization truly is. Unfortunately, many companies misunderstand what “being prepared” really means and this lack of clarity can have significant financial, operational and reputational consequences.

The Reality of Many IRPs

Too often, I encounter organizations who feel confident in their readiness because they have an incident response plan (IRP). These plans are often lengthy, dense documents packed with industry jargon, policies and theoretical guidance. While they may look impressive on the surface, many lack the actionable steps needed to address a real-life crisis.

From the outside, these plans appear comprehensive. They include goals, objectives, roles and responsibilities and information about the various phases of incident response — preparation, eradication, recovery and lessons learned. But what these plans often fail to do is offer clarity. When its crunch time, teams need immediate, actionable guidance, not dense pages of theory.

Here’s how a truly actionable IRP differs from a theoretical one and what your organization can do to ensure its plan works when it matters most.

Preparation — Building a Foundation That Works

Preparation isn’t just about checking a box to say you have a plan, it’s about putting in the work to anticipate problems and proactively mitigate risks. Effective preparation focuses on IT infrastructure, legal considerations and communications. Each of these areas must be addressed in detail.

1. IT Readiness

IT preparation goes beyond maintaining software patches and cybersecurity tools. It includes conducting regular penetration testing, training employees on identifying phishing attempts and creating protocols for isolating and containing threats. Additionally, it’s essential to ensure critical systems and data are backed up securely and backups are stored offline, reducing the risk of compromise during a ransomware attack.

2. Legal Preparedness

Your legal team must be looped into your IRP development from day one. This includes reviewing regulatory requirements for breach notifications, ensuring compliance with data protection laws like GDPR or CCPA and drafting templates for immediate legal responses. If your organization operates in multiple regions or countries, your IRP should include a jurisdiction-specific matrix for legal obligations to save time during a crisis.

3. Communications Strategy

Far too many organizations underestimate the role of communications during a cyber incident. A strong IRP must assign clear roles and responsibilities, identify spokespersons and include pre-drafted communications. These communications should be tailored for different audiences, such as employees, customers, stakeholders and media. For example:

  • Internal communications: Employee updates, FAQs and talking points to maintain morale and minimize misinformation.
  • External communications: Customer notifications, regulatory disclosures and media statements crafted to protect your brand’s reputation.
  • Stakeholder engagement: Clear, concise updates for the Board of Directors and key investors, ensuring transparency without oversharing.

Scenario-Specific Playbooks — The Heart of an Actionable IRP

A generic IRP isn’t enough. Each organization faces unique risks and your plan must reflect these risks. Scenario-specific playbooks are the cornerstone of an actionable IRP. These playbooks simulate real-world scenarios your organization is most likely to face, such as:

  • Ransomware attacks
  • Data breaches involving sensitive customer information
  • Severe weather impacting operations
  • Workplace violence or active shooter events
  • Social media crises or reputational attacks

What Does a Playbook Include?

Each playbook should contain step-by-step instructions tailored to the scenario. For example, a ransomware playbook may include:

  • Immediate isolation protocols — Disconnect affected systems from the network.
  • Communication pathways — Pre-determined channels for internal and external updates, avoiding encrypted systems.
  • Third-party engagement — Contacting forensic experts, legal counsel and communications specialists.
  • Customer outreach — Pre-written communications to affected customers explaining the situation and steps being taken.

Having these resources prepared and pre-approved saves critical time when every minute counts. Additionally, by involving experts during the playbook creation process, your organization benefits from specialized insights which can make your response faster and more effective.

Testing and Maintaining Your IRP

Even the best IRP will fail if it isn’t tested or kept up to date. Regular testing and maintenance are essential to ensure your plan remains effective.

1. Tabletop Exercises

Conducting regular tabletop exercises is one of the best ways to test your plan. These exercises simulate real-world scenarios and allow your team to practice their response in a low-stress environment. During these exercises, you can identify gaps in your plan, refine processes and improve coordination among departments.

2. Quarterly Reviews

Roles and responsibilities within the IRP must be reviewed quarterly to ensure the right people are still in the right positions. For example, if someone listed as a key contact has left the company or moved to a different role, the plan needs to reflect the change.

3. Offsite Storage

Storing your IRP solely on your company network leaves you vulnerable to a cyber event, especially ransomware. Ensure your plan is stored securely offsite, both digitally and in hard copy, so it’s accessible even if your systems are compromised.

Engaging the Right Experts

A successful incident response often relies on third-party experts, including:

  • Legal counsel, also known as a Breach Coach will manage the incident response.
  • Forensic specialists to investigate the breach and determine its scope and remediation.
  • Crisis communications professionals to manage your message and protect your reputation.

Establishing relationships with these experts in advance can save precious time. Consider setting up on-call agreements or retainers with trusted providers, so they are ready to act when needed.

The Financial and Reputational Stakes

A poorly handled cyber incident can cost your organization more than just money. Beyond ransoms, fines, legal fees and operational downtime, your company’s reputation is at risk. Customers may lose trust, employees may feel unsupported and stakeholders may begin to doubt your leadership. Investing in a comprehensive, actionable IRP is a small price to pay compared to the potential fallout of an unprepared response.

What are you Waiting For?

In today’s world, having a theoretical IRP isn’t enough. You need a plan that translates into immediate action, tailored to your organization’s unique risks and needs.

Take the time now to invest in preparation, scenario-specific playbooks and proactive engagement with experts. The effort you put in today could save your business tomorrow — financially, operationally and reputationally.

-Dave Smolensky
dave.smolensky@resolutestrategicservices.com