Your intake queue is already full with security incidents. A funder report is due. Then someone says, “I think we’ve had a security breach.”
In the first hour of a suspected cyber attack, leaders feel the squeeze. Facts are partial. People want instant answers. The wrong “quick fix” can do more damage than the attacker, by wiping evidence, corrupting backups, or triggering the wrong notification.
This executive incident response checklist is about decisions, not technical steps. It’s built for senior management, including CEOs, EDs, COOs, CFOs, and board-facing leaders who need calm, defensible action.
By “first hour,” I mean the first 60 minutes from the first credible indicators and precursors (alert, ransom note, vendor call, staff report) to an active response huddle. “Decision quality” means speed with clarity, and evidence preserved for what comes next.
Key takeaways, the first hour is about decisions, not perfect answers
- Assign roles fast for the incident response team, one leader drives, one leader approves high-risk moves.
- Contain the blast radius, but don’t destroy proof you’ll need later.
- Protect backups early, attackers often go after backup and restore points.
- Lock down the highest-risk identities first, admins and remote access.
- Decide what critical services must stay running to avoid mission harm and safety risk.
- Control communications with a communication plan, one spokesperson, no speculation, fewer rumors.
- Write everything down in a single time-stamped decision log.
For deeper public guidance on incident response structure and threat detection, CISA’s Cybersecurity Incident Response resources are a solid reference point.
Executive Incident Response Checklist, the 10 Decisions Leaders Must Make in the First Hour
This executive incident response checklist offers a proven incident handling framework for the intense first hour of security incidents. It guides leaders through the 10 critical decisions to stabilize, contain, recover, and communicate effectively.
Decisions that stabilize the situation, confirm, lead, log, and contain
1) Is this likely a real incident, and are we escalating now?
What you’re deciding: treat as incident or “watch and wait.”
Why it matters: delay increases spread, panic increases mistakes.
Next 10 minutes: perform initial detection and analysis by asking for three facts (what changed, when, where). Confirm if there’s business impact (outage, strange logins, data exposure); check SIEM systems as a key data source.
Owner: CEO or ED, with IT lead providing facts.
2) Who is Incident Commander, and who is the executive approver?
What you’re deciding: one person runs the response, one person approves risky moves (shutdowns, vendor spend, notifications).
Why it matters: ambiguity creates parallel efforts and bad calls.
Next 10 minutes: name both roles, set a 15-minute update cadence.
Owner: CEO or ED names roles, COO often serves as commander.
3) How will we document decisions and evidence?
What you’re deciding: one log, one scribe, one “source of truth.”
Why it matters: you’ll need a clean record for counsel, insurer, board, and lessons learned.
Next 10 minutes: appoint a scribe, start a time-stamped log, capture who said what and what you approved.
Owner: COO or Chief of Staff.
4) What’s our containment strategy: isolate, limit, or shut down?
What you’re deciding: contain the threat without wrecking recovery.
Why it matters: wiping, re-imaging, or rebooting can destroy forensic proof and even trigger ransomware attacks.
Next 10 minutes: approve targeted isolation (network segments, devices, accounts). Tell teams: “Contain first, preserve proof.”
Owner: Incident Commander, with CEO/ED as approver for outages.
Decisions that protect recovery and stop repeat access, backups, credentials, and priority systems
5) How do we protect backups and restore points right now?
What you’re deciding: prevent backup deletion or silent corruption.
Why it matters: data recovery depends on clean restore options.
Next 10 minutes: restrict backup admin access, pause risky sync jobs, confirm last known-good backup date and where it’s stored.
Owner: IT lead, with CFO aware of recovery cost impacts.
6) Which identities do we lock down first, and how far do we go?
What you’re deciding: targeted lockdown vs organization-wide reset.
Why it matters: attackers often use admin accounts, service accounts, and remote access. A full reset can stop mission operations.
Next 10 minutes: disable or rotate admin credentials, review remote access tools, enforce MFA where it’s already supported, and avoid “reset everyone” until priorities are clear.
Owner: IT lead, approved by Incident Commander.
7) What must keep running, and what can be isolated?
What you’re deciding: service continuity vs risk containment.
Why it matters: shutting the wrong system can harm clients, staff safety, payroll, or court deadlines.
Next 10 minutes: triage in this order: safety and sensitive data first, then revenue and service continuity. Identify 1 to 3 “must-run” systems and protect them tightly.
Owner: COO and program lead jointly, with IT confirming feasibility.
Decisions that reduce legal, trust, and reputation damage, counsel, notifications, and communication control
8) Do we engage breach counsel and an external forensics firm now?
What you’re deciding: bring in specialists under legal direction.
Why it matters: counsel can help preserve privilege, guide notifications, and reduce missteps. External firms with forensic tools speed root cause work and evidence handling; loop in the legal department early.
Next 10 minutes: call outside counsel (or your legal partner), then select a forensics path (insurer panel or pre-vetted firm).
Owner: CEO/ED and General Counsel (or outside counsel).
9) Who must be notified, and what’s our timing?
What you’re deciding: insurer, regulators, partners, funders, law enforcement, affected people.
Why it matters: timelines can be short, and wrong statements can create liability and trust damage.
Next 10 minutes: notify cyber insurer per policy terms, then let counsel guide the rest. Track deadlines in the decision log; align with key stakeholders.
Owner: CFO (insurer), counsel (legal notices), CEO/ED (stakeholder alignment). CISA’s Federal Government Cybersecurity Incident and Vulnerability Response Playbooks show how formal notification and coordination can be structured.
10) What’s our communication plan (internal, board, external)?
What you’re deciding: one voice, one message, no guessing.
Why it matters: rumors spread faster than facts, and staff will fill silence with fear.
Next 10 minutes: name a spokesperson, set “no speculation” rules, schedule a board chair briefing.
Internal message template (send as-is, then refine):
“We’re responding to a suspected security incident. We’re containing risk and preserving information so we can confirm facts. Please don’t discuss details externally; send any questions or observations to (incident email/phone) and we’ll share updates at (time).”
Owner: CEO/ED with comms lead, counsel reviews if needed.
Turn the first hour into a repeatable playbook, roles, ready-to-use templates, and a 24-hour plan
The first hour feels chaotic when your plan lives in someone’s head. The fix isn’t a thicker binder. It’s pre-made decisions.
Start by building a short, board-defensible playbook that not only guides immediate action but also enables a structured post-incident review for long-term improvement. Keep it practical: names, numbers, thresholds, and what you will not do under pressure. For vendor-driven incidents (email compromise, case system exposure, MSP breach), having a third-party plan ready matters as much as internal IT work, with clarity on roles helping to address attack vectors. A simple starting point is a vendor incident response plan maker that forces clarity on roles, contacts, and evidence handling to build your incident response plan.
Pre-stage these items now:
- Contact tree (key contacts: insurer, counsel, IT, vendors, board chair).
- Asset list (core systems, where sensitive organizational data lives).
- Backup map (what, where, who can access, last restore test date).
- Draft comms (staff note, board note, partner note).
- Decision log template including recovery steps (scribe, timestamps, approvals).
If your systems are already fragile, preparation takes longer but pays off faster. Naming the common tech challenges facing legal nonprofits helps you focus. A simple legal nonprofit technology roadmap overview can also tie incident readiness to the next 12 months of realistic fixes.
FAQs about the executive incident response checklist and the first hour
What should a CEO do first in a cyber incident?
Follow the incident response checklist: name an Incident Commander and a scribe, then approve a containment direction.
Should we shut systems down right away?
Not by default. Isolate first when possible, shutdowns can destroy evidence of a security breach and stop critical work.
When do we call cyber insurance?
In the first hour, as soon as you have a credible signal of a cyber attack, follow policy notice rules.
How do we avoid destroying evidence?
Don’t wipe devices or re-image servers early. Capture what you see, log actions, and let forensics guide.
Who talks to staff and the public?
Designate one spokesperson from the incident response team, with counsel support for external statements.
Conclusion
In the first hour, the incident response checklist’s calm structure beats panic. You don’t need perfect answers; you need clean decisions you can explain to staff, board, and community partners, with proof intact.
Save this checklist where you can reach it fast for security incidents. This week, do one small step: name an Incident Commander and a scribe, confirm insurer and counsel contacts, and verify who can protect backups.
If you want a second set of eyes and investigation resources on your first-hour decisions and where they’ll break under stress from attack vectors, schedule a call. Which single chokepoint, if fixed, would unlock the most capacity and trust in business continuity next quarter?