The Critical First Hours

The initial response to a social engineering incident often determines the ultimate impact. Unlike technical breaches that may go undetected for months, social engineering attacks often reveal themselves quickly through unusual requests fulfilled, funds transferred, or credentials compromised. Speed and precision in response are essential.

Immediate Response Priorities:

Containment: Stop ongoing damage by isolating affected systems, disabling compromised accounts, and blocking attacker access. In financial fraud cases, immediately contact banks to freeze transfers. For credential compromise, force password resets and terminate active sessions.

Assessment: Quickly determine the scope of compromise. What information was accessed? Which systems were affected? Who else might be targeted? This initial assessment guides subsequent response actions.

Preservation: Secure evidence before it disappears. This includes email headers, call logs, chat transcripts, and system logs. Employee memories fade quickly, so capture statements immediately.

Communication: Activate the incident response team and notify appropriate stakeholders. Clear, factual communication prevents panic while ensuring coordinated response.