Cyber Prepared
← Incident Response
Version 2.3Updated Aug 14, 2026

Ransomware Response Protocol

This operator-focused protocol turns the first chaotic hours of a ransomware event into a controlled sequence of decisions. It defines incident roles, containment thresholds, evidence handling, communications, recovery gates, and the questions leaders must answer before restoring service.

ransomwarecontainmentforensicsrecovery
Inside the document
  1. 01Activation criteria and severity model
  2. 02First-hour command checklist
  3. 03Containment decision tree
  4. 04Evidence preservation protocol
  5. 05Recovery gates and executive brief

Built for the first hard decisions

The protocol starts at declaration—not discovery—and helps the incident lead establish scope, authority, and a defensible containment strategy before operational pressure takes over.

What your team can use immediately

  • A role-based first-hour checklist
  • Containment thresholds for identity, endpoints, networks, and backups
  • Evidence handling and decision-log templates
  • Recovery criteria that keep reinfection risk visible