Today’s businesses face the constant threat of scams, costing them resources and dipping into profits every year — the average cost of a data breach was $4.88 million in 2024. While smaller organizations may see less of an impact, the costs can still add up. Having a plan in place reduces the expense and gets the business back up and running quickly so it doesn't suffer from lost business.

Steps to Build a Scam Response Plan for Leaders

There are some things professionals can do to respond to scams and protect their organizations. Ideally, the pre-response tactics will be so ingrained that no one falls prey to a successful breach. However, companies also must prepare for the worst and know what to do should cybercriminals find success.

1. Employ Strong Security Tactics

Most IT professionals already know they need a stringent set of security measures to prevent cyberattacks. However, modern hackers now employ the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to try to find database vulnerabilities and launch attacks.

Companies should start by tapping into the power of AI in real-time attack tracking. Scammers often rely on someone clicking on an email link or popup and being fooled into sharing sensitive information. However, if the system watches for unusual logins from countries outside the normal usage or new machines, IT can stop them before they enter the system.

2. Train Employees

Phishing is one of the most common ways scammers obtain sensitive information. A pop-up ad might seem as though it is from a legitimate company, such as Microsoft or Google, when in reality, it is a fraudulent attempt to access the company's secrets. 

Teaching employees to recognize phishing can be complex as hackers come up with new tricks all the time, such as pretending to be the person’s boss. With advances in AI, a cybercriminal might even use a computer-generated voice or video pretending to be an authority figure. 

Leaders should keep employees updated about common phishing scams as new ones appear. Businesses should also use simulations so workers can practice their security skills.

3. Set Up Reporting Procedures

The faster breaches get reported, the quicker the response can be to mitigate damage. Companies should create a culture where employees want to report issues or if they mistakenly share sensitive data. Create a non-punitive policy to foster communication.

Department leaders should start with a point of contact for phishing attempts or suspected breaches. A team leader who is in charge can get the ball rolling. When that person is off work, the department should have a backup person in command.

Another idea is for leadership to lay out guidelines for how and when to report so there isn't any question. Some employees may still fear retribution, so the company should also provide an anonymous way to report suspected issues.

4. Ensure Compliance

Companies have responsibilities when there is a data breach. Prepare customized statements that can be sent to stakeholders and customers about what information was accessed, when it was accessed and the steps the business is taking to rectify the problem.

Creating forms ahead of time allows the legal team to go over them and tweak anything that doesn’t fall within the guidelines of what various data privacy policies call for.

In addition, any relevant law enforcement must be notified of the breach. Depending on the source, companies might involve the local police or the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the process. It’s crucial to report scams immediately so authorities can prevent the same thing happening to others.

5. Study Zero-Trust Architecture

Increases in remote work and cloud computing make companies more vulnerable to attacks than ever before. Zero-trust architecture's foundational principles demand that people prove they are who they say they are.

With zero-trust models, the entire architecture of the network gets drilled down into segments to isolate any threats to a small portion of the whole system. With the average cost of data breaches rising 15%, IT departments are wise to limit how much damage can occur from one scammer entering the network illegally.

The IT department will have greater control over the network and can see threats the minute they occur. With a fast response, damage can be reduced and systems can get back up and running quickly, preventing lost revenue from downtime.

6. Know the Response Strategy

Companies should have a clear response plan in place so that each employee knows what to do during an incident to protect assets.

Assign tasks to certain roles on the team. For example, leadership might task IT with the technical aspect of getting any foreign players out of the system. Human resources can inform employees or let them know if there will be an immediate need to reset passwords. Customer service can notify affected customers. The legal department should be notified so they can review the company's responsibilities and minimize financial damage.

Staff should know each step in the process, who implements it and how to follow up. Before a breach occurs, IT should test the plan to make sure everyone understands their roles and things work smoothly to minimize harm.

After the Incident

Data breaches occur even in the most stringent organizations. Once the security team eliminates the threat, it should take time to review plans and see where the failures occurred. Then, it should make changes as needed and notify the involved parties. 

The final step after experiencing a scam is to rebuild trust with those impacted. A free subscription to an identity monitoring service and news about any pertinent changes to prevent breaches in the future goes a long way to rebuilding the relationship.