This article appeared in Cybersecurity Law & Strategy, an ALM publication for privacy and security professionals, Chief Information Security Officers, Chief Information Officers, Chief Technology Officers, Corporate Counsel, Internet and Tech Practitioners, In-House Counsel. Visit the website to learn more.

Due in part to the COVID-19 disruption and fast-tracked adoption of digital solutions associated with a remote workforce, the continued proliferation of targeted ransomware attacks, and an unprecedented supply chain attack of a widely used IT performance management software, 2020 witnessed extraordinary activity in the cybersecurity arena. As companies confront the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape, Alston & Bird has outlined seven practical tips for incident response in 2021.

1. Act Swiftly and Be Nimble

Companies are expected to respond swiftly to cybersecurity incidents — they are often crisis events. A company subject to a cyber-attack should be ready to assemble its team and stand up its incident response structure immediately so that the response team can quickly begin executing its investigation, containment, and remediation strategies. Team participants — including third-party forensics, outside counsel, and communications — should be identified and known to key internal incident response participants in advance. All team members should understand and be prepared to respond within the expected timeframes.