Responding to a Data Breach Step by Step
When a breach happens, calm and methodical action limits the harm and demonstrates that you take your responsibilities seriously. Having a plan beforehand makes all the difference.
This is general guidance on a sensible response sequence.
Immediate Steps
- Contain the breach — stop the leak or lock the account.
- Assess what data and how many people are affected.
- Record the facts, timeline and your decisions.
- Judge the risk to the people involved.
- Notify the ICO within 72 hours if the risk warrants it.
Telling Affected People
Where there is a high risk to individuals, contact them directly, explain plainly what happened and tell them how to protect themselves — for example by changing passwords.
Learning From It
Once the dust settles, review how the breach occurred and fix the underlying cause. A breach you learn from is far less likely to recur.
| Timeframe | Action |
|---|---|
| Hour 0–1 | Contain and assess |
| Within 72 hours | Notify ICO if reportable |
| Without delay | Tell individuals if high risk |
| After | Root-cause review and fixes |
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.