Here’s What a Company’s Data Breach Game Plan Looks Like

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Companies should know who to call in law enforcement and which data is most valuable before a breach occurs, the Chamber of Commerce says.

Companies should get to know the law enforcement office they plan to call after a data breach or ransomware attack before that attack occurs, according to advice from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In some cases, the best law enforcement contact will be the cyber division of a city police department, according to the Chamber white paper. In other cases, it will be a state or local office of the FBI or the U.S. Secret Service, the white paper states.

The white paper also recommends joining cyber information sharing groups like the FBI’s InfraGard. The Homeland Security Department also offers an Automated Indicator Sharing program.

According to the white paper, companies should also:

  • Identify their most important digital data in advance of a cyber strike and determine how to protect it. In some cases, those digital “crown jewels” will be intellectual property or trade secrets. In other cases, it will be customers’ personal information.
  • Develop a cyber incident response plan and test it out with regular drills.
  • Ensure the company’s lawyers or outside legal advisors understand their responsibilities during a data breach or other cyber strike and that they’re part of the incident response plan.