Cyber resilience

Be proactive, not reactive

Cyber resilience begins with preparation. Ask your IT team the following questions.

• Do we have an up-to-date incident response plan? 
  Ensure the plan includes clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and key contacts.
• Have we assessed our key third-party suppliers?
  Use recognised cyber frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001) to evaluate supplier risk.
• Have we recently tested our incident response procedures?
  Regular simulations and tabletop exercises are essential to validate readiness.
• What proactive threat intelligence do we perform?
  Understand how your organisation gathers and uses threat intelligence to anticipate risks.
• What communication channels are in place?
  Confirm that internal and external communication protocols are established for crisis scenarios.
• Are we monitoring for unusual activity?
  Continuous monitoring of both internal and external networks is vital for early detection.
• What is our cyber security strategy?
  Collaborate with IT to establish a realistic and proportionate strategy to improve resilience in the immediate, medium and long-term.

When a cyber incident occurs

Preparation must translate into action when an incident strikes. Ask:

• Have we identified our key systems?
  Know which systems are critical and how quickly they can be restored.
• What are our backup processes?
  Clarify how backups are performed, where they are stored, and how quickly they can be accessed.
• What have we done to triage the incident?
  Determine the nature of the incident (e.g. ransomware, phishing, insider threat, data breach), how and when it was first detected and whether the incident is ongoing or has it been contained.
• Has any sensitive or personal data been compromised?
  Understand what types of data could have been compromised, e.g. customer, employee or financial.
• If yes, have we contacted relevant regulators?
  If data has been compromised, liaise with your legal advisors to determine whether reporting to relevant regulators is necessary, e.g. the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Strengthening your cyber resilience strategy

These questions are not just for IT — they’re for leadership. Cyber resilience is a shared responsibility across the organisation. By fostering open dialogue and accountability, you can build a culture that prioritises security and preparedness.

Need support?

Crowe offers expert guidance in cyber security, forensic services, and counter fraud. Contact us for a free, no-obligation conversation about your organisation’s cyber resilience.