Something went wrong
Something has gone wrong. What to do first
A mailbox taken over, money sent to the wrong account, ransomware, personal data lost or sent to the wrong person, or a request for someone's data. The first step for each, and the deadlines that start.
The first step
- Somebody typed a password into a fake page. Treat the account as taken: reset the password, sign the account out everywhere, and check its two-step sign-in methods and forwarding rules. In order.
- A payment went to a changed bank account. Ring your bank's fraud team now and ask it to stop or recall the payment, then report it at your local Garda station. The NCSC says most money is unrecoverable if it is not flagged within the first few hours. The rest.
- Files are encrypted and there is a ransom note. Disconnect the infected devices from the network, Wi-Fi included, unplug any backup drive, do not pay and do not reply. The first hour.
- Personal data was lost, stolen or sent to the wrong person. Write down when you became aware of it. That starts the GDPR's clock. The first 72 hours.
- Somebody asked for a copy of their data. Note the day it arrived and confirm who is asking. What you owe, and by when.
The deadlines
- A personal data breach: report it to the Data Protection Commission without undue delay and, where feasible, within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, unless it is unlikely to result in a risk to people. Record it either way.
- A request for someone's data: answer within one month of receiving it. Complex or numerous requests can be extended by two further months, if you tell the person within the first month.
- A fraud or a ransomware attack: report it to An Garda Síochána at your local station, and keep the emails, logs and transaction details.
What we do
Protect, from €3,450 up to 10 staff
Afterwards, we close the way in: two-step sign-in on every account, email protection that stops forged email in your name, backups with a tested restore, and a written incident plan practised once with the people it names. Each is proven with a second scan or a dated document.
The full steps, case by case
Start here
The free compliance check looks at your website and email from outside while you answer a few questions, and keeps the result as your compliance record. Or tell us what you have been asked, and we tell you what to do first.