A cyber crisis doesn’t unfold in slow motion, it’s fast, messy, and unforgiving. When it strikes, businesses must navigate a maze of legal, technical, operational, and reputational challenges, all under intense pressure and public scrutiny. In our most recent seminar, “Stepping into A Cyber Event,” Dr. Nimrod Kozlovski, Founder & CEO of Cytactic, dove into cyber crisis management through a simulation. He was joined by Meredith Eaton, PR and communications expert from Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, an international tech PR and marketing agency. 

Here’s what every organization should understand about navigating a cyber crisis when the stakes are highest.

Leadership Makes the Big Calls

When it comes to cyber crisis management, an organization can have the best cyber insurance policy and top-tier incident response vendors, but ultimately, the critical decision-making lies with the leadership team. Outside experts can guide and advise, but they cannot shoulder accountability. In a real crisis, executives must be prepared to lead decisively, in alignment with company values, legal obligations, and business realities.

The First 24 hours are Crucial

In the early hours of cyber crisis management, facts are scarce, and stakes are high. Forensic teams need time to assess the extent of the breach. Meanwhile, the board, regulators, customers, and media may all demand answers. This period of uncertainty is where poor decisions often occur. Having a clear chain of command and a practiced escalation plan is essential to avoid paralysis or chaos.

Internal Alignment is Just as Critical as External Communication

The biggest communication failures in cyber crisis management don’t start with a press release, they start within the organization. Legal wants to limit liability, IT wants to regain control, PR wants to protect the brand, and Risk wants to follow the playbook. Without alignment across these functions, organizations send mixed messages to the public, regulators, and even their own staff.

Cyber Preparedness Isn’t Just an IT Issue

Too often, cybersecurity is treated as an IT problem. But when a breach happens, it becomes everyone’s problem — from HR and legal to finance and customer service. True cyber resilience means rehearsing leadership roles, clarifying legal obligations, and building organizational “muscle memory” for rapid decision-making. It means understanding how to prioritize when every option carries risk, and how to act when there’s no perfect answer.

All in all, organizations shouldn’t wait for an incident to test their cyber crisis management. They should run tabletop exercises, simulate decision-making under pressure, and test their teams.

To run through a full simulation, watch the seminar!