Incident Response Policy 
The Incident Response Policy provides a comprehensive framework for managing and resolving information security and data protection incidents. This policy helps businesses respond quickly and effectively to minimise disruption, protect personal data, and maintain compliance with UK data protection and cybersecurity laws.
What Does this Incident Response Policy Do?
This policy sets out a clear, structured approach for detecting, reporting, assessing, and managing all types of IT and data security incidents. It ensures coordination between technical, legal, and management teams, helping organisations contain threats, preserve evidence, and recover systems efficiently.
Designed in line with the UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, and Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018, this document provides the governance foundation for a lawful and auditable incident response process.
It also includes a detailed record-keeping framework and retention schedule to ensure that all actions and findings are properly documented and available for regulatory, legal, or internal audit purposes.
Who Is This Policy For?
This document is suitable for:
- Businesses that store or process personal or operational data;
- Organisations required to comply with UK data protection or cybersecurity laws;
- IT, compliance, and data protection teams responsible for managing incident response;
- Consultants, service providers, and contractors operating under data-handling agreements.
What Are the Key Features of this Incident Response Policy?
- Comprehensive Legal Framework: Covers all major UK cybersecurity and data protection laws.
- Incident Classification Table: Defines severity levels and examples to guide response priorities.
- Response Procedure: Provides a complete workflow from detection and containment through to review and improvement.
- Record Retention Schedule: Details retention periods for investigation logs, reports, and communications.
- Confidentiality and Coordination: Designed to work seamlessly with other policies in the suite for unified response management.
This policy is part of the Cyber & IT Policy Suite, a collection of templates designed to help businesses strengthen their cybersecurity resilience, meet compliance obligations, and respond effectively to digital threats.
The Incident Response Policy forms the central governance layer in the Simply-Docs Cyber & IT Policy Suite.
It integrates with the:
- Cyberattack Response Policy – for managing specific types of cyberattacks and technical breaches;
- Malware Response Policy – for identifying, containing, and eradicating malicious software;
- Ransomware Response Policy – for handling extortion or encryption-based cyber threats; and
- Phishing Response Policy – for responding to social engineering and credential compromise incidents.
Together, these documents establish a comprehensive incident management system, ensuring businesses can respond effectively and lawfully to all forms of IT security threats.
This Incident Response Policy contains the following sections:
1. Introduction
2. Scope
3. Legal and Regulatory Context
4. Objectives of this Policy
5. Incident Classification
6. Response Procedure
7. Record Keeping
8. Confidentiality
9. Cross-Reference and Integration
10. Implementation of Policy
Optional phrases / clauses are enclosed in square brackets. These should be read carefully and selected so as to be compatible with one another. Unused options should be removed from the document.
This Incident Response Policy is unlocked and in .docx format. Either enter the requisite details in the highlighted fields or adjust the wording to suit your purposes.
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