Organizations invest heavily in cybersecurity tools, firewalls, and endpoint detection systems. Yet many still encounter serious difficulties when an actual incident occurs. Incident response requires more than a plan on paper. It demands swift and effective execution under pressure. Most small and medium-sized enterprises hold only a basic notion of their actions in a crisis. Someone would contact the IT team and systems would be examined. In practice, a real incident arises amid uncertainty, high pressure, and incomplete information, often when staff are already occupied with daily tasks.[1]
The UK Government Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 reported that 43% of businesses had experienced a cyber security breach or attack in the previous 12 months. However, only 23% maintained a formal incident response plan, and just 32% had a business continuity plan that addressed cybersecurity. This leaves a substantial number of organizations facing genuine incidents without a clearly documented framework in place.
When alerts sound, and teams assemble from security, IT, operations, legal, and communications, critical questions often remain unanswered. Which systems require immediate isolation? Which data demands absolute protection? Which services must continue operating if parts of the network are taken offline? Knowledge of these priorities frequently exists in scattered, informal forms or depends on specific individuals being available.
Organizations focus intently on improving detection capabilities but often neglect the human and organizational processes required once a threat is identified. The genuine shortfall lies not in spotting the threat but in converting the technical alert into coordinated business action. Escalation paths stored in spreadsheets, overly broad criticality definitions, and annual tabletop exercises treated as formalities contribute to delays.
The US DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) advises organizations to identify and prioritize critical systems and data for restoration, maintain communications plans, and regularly exercise incident response and resilience measures rather than simply filing documents. In a recent incident in Minnesota, a cyber-attack disrupted essential county systems and digital services. Governor Tim Walz authorized support from the Minnesota National Guard after the incident impaired the delivery of emergency and municipal services. The event demonstrated how a technical breach quickly affects broader operations when standard decision-making and communication channels falter.
Organizations can address the gap through three focused actions. First, establish continuous information control by clearly mapping vital data, services, dependencies, and communication paths before any incident occurs. Second, conduct smaller, more frequent exercises to reduce hesitation during compressed decision-making. Third, integrate continuity communications into response design so employees, partners, and leaders know safe contact methods in advance.
The future distinction in cybersecurity maturity will separate organizations able to act decisively under pressure from those still determining priorities while the incident unfolds. Detection technology has advanced considerably. The sharper challenge now centers on readiness to convert alerts into effective action at the heart of the business itself.
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Red Sky Alliance is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization. We provide indicators of compromise information (CTI) via a notification/Tier I analysis service (RedXray) or an analysis service (CTAC). For questions, comments, or assistance, please contact the office directly at 1-844-492-7225 or feedback@redskyalliance.com
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[1] https://www.cybersecurityintelligence.com/blog/cyber-security-incident-response-often-fails-even-after-detection-9452.html
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