When you suffer a data breach, you feel violated. Your most important info, maybe even your most precious memories, have been compromised. Every single organization that stores, processes or transmits personal data will need a step-by-step data breach response plan.
Here are some steps to ensure that a data breach doesn’t destroy you and your company.
– IDENTIFY WHAT IS A DATA INCIDENT TO YOU: Defining how your organization sees a data breach is key. Do you have access to personal identifiable info? Are there legal records? Health care data? Every company is different, so your staff needs to understand what constitutes a data incident in order to effectively respond in the future.
– DEFINE THE RESPONSIBILITIES AMONG THE OFFICE: Once a data incident is acknowledged, there are a number of responsibilities that need to be fulfilled before chaos erupts. Search for team leaders in departments such as IT Security, HR, Account Executives, Legal, etc.
– THE PROCESS OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ESCALATION: When a crisis occurs on your network, you need a process for escalating the incident up through your organization. When one of your employees in a department notices an abnormality, they should know immediately who they can bring their concerns to. You also need to include an external escalation process in your data crisis response plan. Knowing when to bring in outside help can make a major difference. You might even want to consider hiring an outside consultant for emergencies like this.
– RUN SCENARIOS: Your office should run regular data breach response hypotheticals. Conducting these type of exercises are a great way to refresh those involved on their duties and obligations. This practice scenario should be done individually, as well as a team. Everyone will know their role in the process, when to notify specific organizations or individuals outside of the company, and understand that panicking isn’t an option.
