Mike Tyson’s famous saying, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” captures the chaos of facing the unexpected. In the world of IT, a Technical Incident Response Plan (TIRP) is the critical preparation that keeps organizations standing when disruptions (cyberattacks, natural disasters, or hardware failures) deliver a blow.
A TIRP is a structured framework for identifying, responding to, and recovering from technical incidents. These events range from data breaches and ransomware to power outages, server crashes, or natural disasters like floods or earthquakes. Without a Response Plan, organizations not only risk financial losses due to productivity loss and cleanup requirements, but they may be held to account by regulators and cyber-liability insurers.
The underlying message of the quote is that plans are tested in crisis. Like Tyson’s unprepared fighter, businesses without a TIRP flounder under pressure. A 2023 IBM report demonstrated that organizations with a tested TIRP recovered 40% faster and faced 25% lower costs than those without. A TIRP defines roles, communication channels, and recovery steps, ensuring a coordinated response whether the incident is the result of malicious intent or a general failure of infrastructure. This readiness minimizes chaos and speeds up recovery.
As Tyson’s wisdom suggests, it’s not about dodging the punch, but instead being prepared to take it and remain standing. Guardian Information Technologies offers its expertise in threat detection, disaster recovery, and operational continuity, to help organizations develop and continually refine a Technical Incident Response Plan that works for them.
Not sure you need a TIRP, or don’t know where to start? Let’s schedule a discussion to review your organization’s business model and technical needs.