Every 39 seconds, a cyber attack occurs with an estimated 30,000 websites globally attacked every day. Cybersecurity threats can quickly become a reality and if this happens, your organization needs to be prepared with an incident response plan, or IRP.

When it comes to disaster recovery, planning is essential. In reality, however, each emergency situation can differ. No matter how organized the plan may be, it is not always possible for an organization to cover each and every variable or extended outlier during an attack.

Cyber incidents now routinely impact operations, revenue, safety, and reputation across all sectors, from financial services to critical infrastructure. NIST’s updated incident response guidance emphasizes that organizations must integrate incident response into overall cyber risk management rather than treat it as a standalone activity.

CISA and NIST both stress that effective preparedness requires clear governance, defined roles, and repeatable processes for detecting, responding to, and recovering from incidents. This is especially critical in regulated industries, where failure to respond effectively can trigger regulatory penalties and legal exposure.

Cyber attacks are now a routine business risk, not an edge case. Recent industry reporting shows the global average cost of a data breach reached about $4.45 million dollars in 2023, a roughly 15% increase since 2020, with the United States averaging close to $9.5 million dollars per incident. At the same time, many organizations continue to underinvest in cybersecurity, often spending only a few hundred dollars a year on basic protections, while remaining attractive targets for attackers.