SMB Incident Response Playbook: What to Do When an Attack Happens
Actionable incident response for small and medium businesses
Gain confidence to respond effectively to cyber incidents with practical templates, step-by-step playbooks, and clear communication strategies tailored for SMB realities.
At a Glance
Who it's for
- SMB owners and key decision-makers
- IT staff in small businesses
- Managers responsible for business continuity
- Anyone overseeing incident response planning
Course Details
Course Overview
This practical 16-hour course prepares SMB owners, IT staff, and decision-makers to respond confidently and effectively when a cyber incident occurs. You'll learn simple, actionable steps for detecting, containing, recovering from, and communicating about security incidents—without complex forensic analysis or enterprise-grade tools. Through template-driven exercises, you'll build your organisation's customised incident response playbook covering ransomware, data breaches, phishing compromises, and system intrusions. The course emphasises real-world SMB scenarios including notification obligations under Australian privacy law, working with external responders, managing reputation, and recovering operations quickly with limited resources.
What You'll Learn
Course Curriculum
Module 1: Incident Detection and Classification
2.5 hours- Recognising signs of a security incident
- Common incident types: ransomware, data breach, phishing compromise, system intrusion
- Severity classification for SMB incidents
- When to escalate and seek external help
- Initial assessment and scoping
- Logging and evidence preservation basics
Module 2: Immediate Containment Actions
3 hours- Isolating affected systems safely
- Stopping the spread of ransomware and malware
- Disabling compromised accounts and credentials
- Securing backup systems and data
- Network segmentation for SMBs
- Making critical containment decisions under pressure
- Documenting containment actions
Module 3: Communication and Notification
3 hours- Internal communication during incidents
- Notifying affected customers and stakeholders
- Australian Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme requirements
- When and how to notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
- Working with law enforcement (Australian Federal Police, state police)
- Media and public relations considerations
- Template communications and notification letters
Module 4: Recovery and Business Continuity
3.5 hours- Data recovery from backups
- Rebuilding compromised systems safely
- Business continuity strategies with limited resources
- Prioritising recovery based on business impact
- Testing recovered systems before returning to operation
- Managing downtime and alternative work arrangements
- Should you pay a ransom? Considerations and guidance
Module 5: Working with External Responders
2 hours- When to engage external incident response services
- Working effectively with IT providers and MSPs
- Engaging cyber insurance and understanding coverage
- Coordinating with the ACSC and ReportCyber
- Legal considerations and engaging lawyers
- Managing costs and budgets during incident response
Module 6: Post-Incident Review and Improvement
1.5 hours- Conducting a post-incident lessons learned review
- Identifying security gaps and improvement opportunities
- Updating security controls and procedures
- Employee re-training after incidents
- Documentation and record-keeping requirements
- Building resilience for future incidents
Module 7: Building Your Incident Response Playbook
0.5 hours- Customising incident response templates for your business
- Creating contact lists and escalation procedures
- Documenting roles and responsibilities
- Testing your playbook through tabletop exercises
- Maintaining and updating your incident response plan
Who Should Attend
- SMB owners and directors
- IT staff and system administrators in small businesses
- Business continuity and operations managers
- Anyone responsible for incident response decisions
- External IT consultants supporting SMB clients
- Business managers overseeing risk and compliance
Prerequisites
Before enrolling, please ensure you meet these requirements:
- • Basic understanding of cybersecurity threats and defences
- • Recommended: Completion of SMB Cybersecurity Essentials or equivalent knowledge
- • Familiarity with your organisation's systems and operations
- • Authority to make incident response decisions
Delivery, Format and Logistics
Delivery Mode
Live webinar or self-paced online modules
Maximum 20 participants for hands-on exercises
What You'll Need
- Basic understanding of cybersecurity concepts (or completion of SMB Cybersecurity Essentials)
- Computer with internet access
- Authority to implement incident response procedures
- Access to your organisation's systems and contacts (for planning exercises)
What You'll Receive
- 16 hours of actionable instruction
- Customisable incident response playbook templates
- Notification letter templates for Australian privacy law compliance
- Tabletop exercise scenarios for practice
- Contact lists and escalation procedure templates
- Post-incident review checklist
- Access to recorded sessions for 12 months
- Certificate of completion
- Email and phone support for 60 days post-course
Frequently Asked Questions
Not Ready to Enrol?
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Next Intake
September 2026 — register your interest at educ4te.com
Format
Live webinar or self-paced online modules
Group & Enterprise Options
Discounted rates available for teams of 3+ delegates. Contact us for in-house delivery options.
What's Included
- 16 hours of actionable instruction
- Customisable incident response playbook templates
- Notification letter templates for Australian privacy law compliance
- Tabletop exercise scenarios for practice
- Contact lists and escalation procedure templates
- Post-incident review checklist
- Access to recorded sessions for 12 months
- Certificate of completion
- Email and phone support for 60 days post-course
Have questions about this course?