The pace of cyberattacks is unlikely to slow down any time soon. And if you’re a business, you’re a target. Whether it's a data breach, a ransomware attack, or any other form of cyber threat, an effective response plan could be the difference between a big hassle, and a complete collapse.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework gives businesses a comprehensive guide to managing, mitigating, and surviving cybersecurity risks. Among its five core functions—Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover—the "Respond" function is uniquely crucial in ensuring you’re able to minimize the impact of cybersecurity incidents.
Because small and mid-sized businesses typically don’t have the bottomless budgets and specialized staff that larger companies do, they’re more likely to see prolonged downtime and big financial losses in the event of a cyber incident. That means understanding and implementing the strategies and tactics in the Respond function is particularly important for smaller organizations.
Let’s take a closer look at the Respond function, its key components, and why it’s vital for your business.
This area of the Cybersecurity Framework focuses on planning and practicing a series of actions your organization will take when a cybersecurity incident occurs. The goal is to ensure you’re equipped to contain the impact of the incident, mitigate its effects, and ultimately return to normal operations as quickly and efficiently as possible.
We can break the Respond function into five categories:
A robust response plan is particularly critical for smaller companies that typically have fewer resources, a smaller (or no) IT team, and less experience with cybersecurity incidents. For these businesses, a well-defined and practiced response plan can be the difference between a minor disruption and a major business crisis. Here’s a look at some of the biggest benefits of being prepared.
When business screeches to a halt because of a cybersecurity incident, the consequences can be devastating. Every minute you can’t operate normally can mean lost revenue, damaged customer relationships, and a tarnished reputation. The Respond function can help minimize downtime by giving you a clear roadmap for addressing incidents quickly and effectively. With a solid response plan in place, you’re better able to get back up and running as soon as possible, while also minimizing the longer-term financial and reputational impacts.
Your customer information, payment details, and proprietary business data are some of your company’s most valuable assets. A cybersecurity incident that compromises those assets can lead to severe legal and financial repercussions, while significantly damaging customer relationships. The Respond function's emphasis on containment and mitigation is key to protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access or exposure. When you can swiftly respond to an incident, you can limit the amount of data that’s compromised and reduce the eventual damage.
If your customers feel their personal information isn’t safe with you, they may take their business elsewhere. The Respond function includes communication strategies that can help ensure your customers are informed and reassured, both during and after an incident. Transparent and timely communication can help protect customer trust, even in the face of a cybersecurity challenge.
Just like big companies, smaller organizations are often subject to regulatory requirements related to data security and privacy. Failing to respond appropriately to a cybersecurity incident can result in hefty penalties, fines, and even legal action. The Respond function can help you comply with any applicable regulatory requirements by ensuring you have a structured, documented approach to incident response. This not only helps avoid penalties, but also shows you’re committed to cybersecurity, which can reassure customers and even be beneficial in regulatory audits and assessments.
Learning from past incidents is crucial to strengthening your overall cybersecurity posture. This category encourages you to review your response efforts, identify gaps and weaknesses, and make necessary adjustments. Continuous reviews can help you become more resilient over time and reduce both the likelihood and impact of future incidents.
For many smaller businesses, implementing the recommendations in the Respond function may feel a bit daunting. That’s especially true for those with limited cybersecurity expertise. Breaking the process down into manageable parts can help. Let’s look at some practical steps for building an effective response capability:
The Respond function of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework is a critical component of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, especially for small and mid-sized businesses. By focusing on response planning, communication, analysis, mitigation, and continuous improvement, you can minimize the impact of cybersecurity incidents, and protect your business operations, data, and reputation.
In the next installment of our Cybersecurity Webinar Series based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, we’ll go into even more detail on the Respond function. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear CompassMSP CEO Ari Santiago and VP of Sales Matt Tomlinson provide real-world examples of a robust response strategy, and actionable insights that can help you ensure your organization is fully prepared to protect your most valuable assets, and your entire operation.
You're invited to join us on September 26th at 1:00 PM EDT for "Respond: How to Ensure Business Continuity with Effective Incident Response".