The First 72 Hours After a Breach: A Timeline SMBs Should Know

When most businesses think about cybersecurity incidents, the focus is usually on prevention or detection. Firewalls, endpoint protection, and monitoring tools get the attention. What is rarely discussed is what happens next. The reality is that for small and mid-sized businesses, the first 72 hours after a breach are often the difference between a contained incident and a full-scale business crisis.

Unfortunately, many SMBs enter those first critical hours without a plan. Decisions are made under pressure, communication breaks down, and mistakes compound quickly. Understanding what should happen during the first three days after a breach gives business owners clarity, confidence, and control during one of the most stressful moments they may face.

Hour 0 to 24: Containment, Clarity, and Control

The moment a breach is suspected or confirmed, the priority shifts from normal operations to containment. This does not mean shutting everything down blindly. It means acting quickly but deliberately.

The first step is to confirm the incident. Alerts from security tools, unusual system behavior, ransom notes, or reports from employees all need to be evaluated to determine what is actually happening. False positives waste valuable time, but hesitation can be far more costly.

Once confirmed, containment begins. Affected systems may need to be isolated from the network to prevent further spread. Compromised user accounts should be disabled. Remote access tools, VPNs, or administrative credentials may need to be temporarily restricted.

At the same time, evidence must be preserved. Logs, alerts, and system snapshots are critical for understanding how the breach occurred and what was accessed. One of the most common mistakes SMBs make is rebooting or wiping systems too early, which destroys forensic data that could be essential later.

During this first 24-hour window, internal communication is also critical. Leadership, IT, and legal stakeholders should be aligned on what is known, what is unknown, and who is responsible for next steps. Employees should be given clear guidance on what to do and what not to do to avoid spreading misinformation or worsening the situation.

Hour 24 to 48: Investigation and Impact Assessment

Once immediate containment is underway, the focus shifts to understanding the scope and impact of the breach. This phase is where many SMBs realize the situation is more complex than expected.

Forensic analysis begins to determine how the attacker gained access. Was it phishing, stolen credentials, an unpatched system, or a third-party vendor? Understanding the entry point is critical to preventing reinfection or repeat attacks.

Next comes impact assessment. Businesses need to identify what systems were accessed, what data may have been exposed, and whether the attacker still has a presence in the environment. This includes reviewing email activity, file access, backups, and cloud platforms such as Microsoft 365.

This is also the phase where compliance and legal considerations start to surface. Depending on the type of data involved, businesses may have regulatory or contractual obligations to notify customers, partners, or authorities. Without accurate information, those notifications can be delayed or mishandled, increasing legal and reputational risk.

For many SMBs, this is the point where they realize internal IT resources are stretched thin. Incident response is not a normal IT task. It requires specialized expertise, tools, and experience that most in-house teams do not have.

Hour 48 to 72: Remediation, Communication, and Recovery Planning

By the third day, the emphasis shifts toward remediation and recovery. Vulnerabilities that enabled the breach must be addressed. This may include resetting credentials, applying patches, reconfiguring security controls, or rebuilding compromised systems.

If backups are involved, they need to be validated carefully before restoration. Restoring from an infected or incomplete backup can reintroduce the threat and undo containment efforts.

External communication also becomes critical during this phase. Customers, vendors, and partners may need to be notified in a clear, accurate, and timely manner. Poor communication can damage trust more than the breach itself. Saying too much or too little can both have serious consequences.

Internally, leadership should begin evaluating business continuity impacts. Downtime, lost productivity, reputational harm, and recovery costs all need to be considered. This is also when insurance providers may need to be engaged, if cyber insurance is in place.

Most importantly, the organization should begin documenting lessons learned. What worked, what failed, and what gaps were exposed. These insights form the foundation of a stronger security posture going forward.

Why SMBs Struggle During These 72 Hours

The biggest challenge SMBs face during a breach is not technology. It is preparation. Without a predefined incident response plan, every decision feels urgent and unclear. Time is lost debating next steps instead of executing them.

Many businesses assume they can figure it out when it happens. Unfortunately, attackers move faster than unprepared organizations. The first 72 hours are not the time to build a plan from scratch.

This is why incident response retainers and breach response planning matter. They provide immediate access to experienced professionals who know exactly what to do, in what order, and why.

Planning Before a Breach Happens

The best time to think about the first 72 hours after a breach is before one ever occurs. A breach response plan outlines roles, responsibilities, communication paths, and technical steps in advance. It removes guesswork and reduces panic when every minute counts.

With the right planning, businesses move from reactive to controlled. Instead of scrambling, they execute.

If your business experienced a breach tomorrow, would you know exactly what to do in the first 72 hours? If the answer is no, it is time to prepare. Schedule a Cybersecurity Assessment with TotalBC to ensure your business has a clear, tested incident response strategy and access to expert cybersecurity support when it matters most.

Preparation does not prevent every breach, but it can prevent a bad situation from becoming a business-ending one. Contact TotalBC at 866-673-8682 or visit www.totalbc.com to learn more.