Why Most Cyber Incidents Become Business Crises (Hint: It’s Not the Hack)
Most cyber incidents don’t become crises because of the technical failure.
They become crises because of confusion.
Confusion over:
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Who is in charge
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Who makes decisions
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Who speaks to insurers, regulators, or clients
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Who carries accountability
The Incident Nobody Prepares For
Many organisations have incident response plans.
Very few have:
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Clear decision authority
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Pre-agreed risk ownership
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Board-level escalation clarity
As a result, incidents spiral:
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Delays in response
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Conflicting priorities
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Poor communication
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Personal blame replacing structured accountability
The Hidden Cost of Ambiguity
After an incident, the hardest questions are rarely technical:
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Why wasn’t this risk addressed earlier?
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Who signed off this exposure?
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Why didn’t the board know?
If those questions can’t be answered, trust erodes fast, internally and externally.
Prevention Isn’t Just Technology
True incident readiness isn’t about perfection.
It’s about:
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Knowing who owns cyber risk
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Ensuring they have authority
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Making decisions visible and defensible
That’s what turns incidents into manageable events - not existential threats.
