What Every Board Should Do in the First 24 Hours of a Cyberattack
Why You Should Read This Article:
Because when ransomware hits, the board doesn’t have time to Google what to do. This guide gives you a step-by-step leadership response—clear, practical, and pressure-tested. It’s written for decision-makers who need clarity, not complexity.
Most ransomware attacks don’t begin with headlines. They start quietly—an error message here, a failed login there—until someone realises key systems aren’t responding. A few minutes later, there’s a note on the screen and operations grind to a halt.
By the time it reaches the board’s attention, the business is already in the middle of a crisis. Teams are unsure what to do, customers may be affected, and leadership is expected to have answers.
This guide isn’t about fear or technical deep dives. It’s a clear, practical framework to help senior decision-makers respond effectively when ransomware strikes. Because in those early hours, what matters most is having a plan—and the presence of mind to follow it. This guide delivers a 5-phase framework every business leader must know, drawn from AKATI Sekurity’s frontline experience in ransomware response, digital forensics, and crisis containment. Designed for rapid reading and decision-making, this is your pocket guide to navigating ransomware—not just surviving it.
Phase 1: Prepare
“Governance before crisis.”
Preparation is the foundation of all effective responses. It’s also the step most boards regret skipping.
Key Executive Actions:
Establish and fund a Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT).
Define roles, responsibilities, and escalation protocols.
Conduct annual tabletop exercises to test the response plan.
Ensure response readiness includes legal, comms, HR, and IT leadership.
Allocate budget for endpoint protection, secure backups, and third-party support.
Board Insight: Regulators expect incident response capabilities to be pre-approved, documented, and regularly tested.
Phase 2: Detect
“You cannot contain what you cannot see.”
The speed of detection defines the scale of the damage. Yet many SMEs and even mid-sized enterprises may not have a full SOC or expensive SIEM platforms.
What If You Can’t Afford a SOC or SIEM?
Even without a formal SOC, leaders must:
Ensure endpoint detection tools (like EDR or XDR) are deployed and monitored.
Designate an internal incident handler or contract a third-party MSSP (Managed Security Service Provider).
Establish a basic alerting and logging process using open-source or cost-effective solutions.
Invest in cloud-based detection platforms that offer AI-driven alerts without full SOC staffing.
AKATI Tip: We offer hybrid and on-demand monitoring solutions tailored for organizations without in-house SOC capabilities.
Phase 3: Contain
“Limit the blast radius—fast.”
Time is now your enemy. Containment must be swift, surgical, and systematic.
Enhanced Containment Measures:
Immediately isolate affected systems—physically and virtually.
Use SOAR platforms (where available) to automate isolation and workflows.
Deploy next-gen, AI-powered endpoint protection software (e.g., SentinelOne, CrowdStrike, or Microsoft Defender for Business). These tools offer real-time containment, behavioral analysis, and rollback features.
Prevent lateral movement with microsegmentation and identity access reviews.
Avoidable Mistake: Do not wipe or reformat systems until forensic evidence is preserved. It jeopardizes recovery and legal standing.
Phase 4: Eradicate
“Don’t just treat the symptoms—remove the root.”
The attacker may be gone—but the doors they opened may still be wide open.
Key Executive Actions:
Direct forensic teams to analyze Indicators of Compromise (IoCs).
Patch all vulnerable systems, revoke stolen credentials, and enforce password resets.
Ensure admin accounts and third-party integrations are reviewed for unauthorized changes.
Begin documentation and evidence gathering for compliance and insurance purposes.
Leadership Insight: Eradication isn’t complete until the root vector is closed across the entire ecosystem—not just where the fire started.
Phase 5: Recover
“Don’t just restore — re-secure.”
Recovery is more than restoration. It's a reputational rebuilding phase that must be handled transparently and methodically.
Key Executive Actions:
Restore from verified clean backups (not the latest backups) —test before go-live.
Communicate clearly with all affected stakeholders, including regulators, clients, and partners.
Conduct internal and external vulnerability scans before reactivation.
Launch a post-incident review to inform long-term improvements.
Final Steps: Forensics and Compromise Assessment
Why Computer Forensics is Essential
Even after recovery, leadership must commission Computer Forensic Investigations to:
Identify how the attacker got in and what was accessed or exfiltrated.
Determine potential legal and regulatory exposure (PDPA, GDPR, PCI DSS, etc.).
Preserve digital evidence for potential law enforcement, legal defense, or insurance claims.
AKATI Expertise: Our certified Digital Forensic Investigators conduct discreet, court-admissible evidence collection and analysis.
Why You Must Perform a Compromise Assessment
A Compromise Assessment is your organization’s equivalent of a full-body scan after a heart attack.
It helps:
Detect any remaining footholds attackers may have left (e.g., hidden backdoors).
Identify undiscovered lateral movement across systems.
Validate the integrity of systems not directly affected by the visible attack.
Even if systems are back online, the threat actor may still be present. A Compromise Assessment offers peace of mind, audit defensibility, and proof of diligence.
AKATI Sekurity: Your Partner in Resilience
Ransomware is traumatic—but it doesn’t have to be terminal.
AKATI Sekurity offers:
Need Help Now?
If your organization is under attack or just recovering, speak with us immediately.
📧 help@akati.com
🌐 www.akati.com
Don't just survive the crisis—lead through it.
