Recovering from a cyberattack is a complex and time-sensitive process that requires careful planning and coordination across multiple teams and stakeholders. The steps below outline a structured approach to respond, recover, and strengthen your defenses for the future.
Identify the attack
As soon as a cyberattack is detected, determine the type of attack (e.g., ransomware, data breach, denial-of-service). The faster you can pinpoint the nature of the incident, the quicker you can begin effective mitigation.
Assess the impact
Determine the scope of the attack by assessing which systems, data, and networks are compromised. This helps you prioritize recovery actions and understand potential business impact.
Isolate infected systems
To prevent the attack from spreading, disconnect affected systems from the network (e.g., compromised machines, servers, or devices).
Block malicious activity
Work with your IT and security teams to block active malicious behavior. This may involve isolating specific user accounts, blocking IP addresses, or shutting down compromised applications and services.
Activate your incident response plan
If you have an incident response (IR) plan, this is the time to use it. Follow the predefined steps for the specific category of attack you’re facing.
Internal communication
Inform internal teams (IT, security, legal, management, HR, communications/PR) about the incident and provide clear instructions on what to do and what to avoid (e.g., not turning off certain systems, not deleting logs).
External communication
When appropriate, notify external stakeholders (customers, clients, partners) once you understand the scope and impact. Being transparent and timely can help reduce reputational damage.
Legal and regulatory reporting
Depending on the nature and location of the incident, you may be legally required to notify regulators or affected individuals (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, state breach notification laws). Coordinate closely with legal counsel.
Remove malicious code
Run thorough scans and investigations to remove malware, viruses, and backdoors introduced by the attackers.
Check backups and restore
Validate that your backups are recent, secure, and uncompromised. Only then restore systems to a point-in-time before the attack.
Change credentials
Reset passwords and rotate keys, especially for systems or accounts that were targeted or have elevated privileges (administrative accounts, email, VPN, and access to sensitive data).
Prioritize critical systems
Bring back essential services first—systems required for core business functions such as email, finance, production, and customer support.
Test before going live
Before fully restoring access, test the integrity and performance of recovered systems to ensure they are free of malware and functioning correctly.
Restore remaining systems
Once critical services are stable and secure, begin restoring less critical systems and applications in a controlled, staged manner.
Root cause analysis
Investigate how the attackers got in, which vulnerabilities they exploited, and whether any other systems are still at risk. This analysis is essential to prevent a repeat incident.
Update security measures
Patch known vulnerabilities and update configurations. Review and enhance controls such as firewalls, endpoint protection, multi-factor authentication, and intrusion detection/prevention systems.
Reinforce employee training
Many attacks start with human error (e.g., phishing emails, weak passwords). Conduct security awareness refreshers and targeted training for high-risk roles.
Enhance monitoring
Improve your monitoring and alerting capabilities to detect suspicious activity earlier. This may include upgrading or tuning SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) solutions and adding additional threat detection tools.
Document everything
Maintain a detailed record of the incident timeline, actions taken, decisions made, and lessons learned. This documentation helps with internal learning, audits, and any required reporting to clients or authorities.
Evaluate your incident response
Review how the incident was handled: what worked well, what caused delays, and where the team or tooling fell short. Use these insights to refine your incident response playbooks.
Improve DR and BCP
Update your Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity Plans (BCP) based on what you learned, so future incidents can be handled more efficiently with less disruption.
Consult legal counsel
Work with internal or external legal advisors to ensure compliance with data protection and breach notification laws. They can also help assess liabilities, potential claims, and contractual obligations.
Notify affected parties
If sensitive data (customer, employee, patient, or partner data) was exposed, notify affected individuals or organizations as required by applicable laws and regulations.
Customer and stakeholder communication
Be honest about what happened, what data may be affected, how you are addressing the issue, and what steps you’re taking to prevent future incidents. Clear, consistent communication can help preserve trust.
Public relations
Prepare and follow a crisis communication plan for media and public inquiries. Designate a spokesperson, provide accurate updates, and show that leadership is engaged and accountable.
Continuous improvement
Treat the incident as a learning opportunity. Continuously improve your security controls, monitoring, incident response procedures, and recovery plans based on the lessons learned.
Recovering from a cyberattack is not just about getting systems back online—it’s about emerging stronger, more resilient, and better prepared for the next incident. Prevention will always be the best defense, but a well-practiced recovery strategy is essential to limiting damage and restoring operations as quickly and safely as possible.