You've Been Breached: The 72-Hour Incident Response Guide for Small Business Owners

Your hands are shaking. Something is wrong.

Maybe it's a ransomware screen. Maybe a customer called about fraudulent charges. Maybe an employee clicked something they shouldn't have.

The decisions you make in the next few hours will determine how bad this gets.

This guide was written by a cybersecurity executive with nearly 30 years of experience across financial services, healthcare, and defense — specifically for business owners who don't have an IT department to call.

What's inside:

✔ A 5-phase, time-stamped response protocol (Hour 1 → 72 hours) so you always know exactly what to do right now

✔ The single most important thing NOT to do in the first hour (most business owners get this wrong)

✔ How to assess what data was actually accessed — before you call anyone

✔ Who to notify, in what order, and what NOT to say (the wrong words create legal liability)

✔ How to meet mandatory breach notification deadlines across state and federal regulations

✔ A printable one-page checklist — fill it out now and keep it in your desk before you ever need it

✔ 3 ready-to-send email templates: customer notification, vendor notification, and employee communication

What you get:

→ The 72-Hour Incident Response Guide (PDF)

→ The Breach Response Checklist (printable PDF)

→ 3 Email Swipe Files (included in the guide)

This is not a theoretical textbook. It is an emergency protocol designed to be opened in a crisis and followed immediately — even if you've never dealt with a breach before.

Not legal advice. Consult your attorney and cyber insurer for guidance specific to your situation.