No two data breaches are the same. Each has its own scale and poses its own challenges. But if you studied the most effective responses, you would find they have something in common: Little time is wasted in the first 48 hours after a breach is discovered. These hours are critical. Inaction or missteps early on can be hard to recover from.

It’s not easy to get a response exactly right, of course. And no step-by-step directions can be applied to every incident. But effective responses typically involve quick and decisive action.