October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a timely reminder that cyber risk has become a business risk, a legal risk, and, increasingly, a boardroom issue.
For Israeli companies operating internationally, particularly those with U.S. customers, investors, employees, or business partners, cybersecurity incidents can create far-reaching consequences. A successful phishing attack, compromised cloud account, ransomware incident, or lost device can expose sensitive company information, disrupt operations, trigger regulatory obligations across multiple jurisdictions, and damage hard-earned customer trust.
This challenge is particularly relevant for Israeli technology companies. Many have grown from local startups into global businesses, serving customers across the U.S., Europe, and beyond. As companies scale internationally, so do their cybersecurity responsibilities. Organizations are increasingly expected to take reasonable measures to protect confidential information, intellectual property, and personal data. Yet even the most sophisticated cybersecurity programs cannot eliminate risk entirely.
Throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Greenspoon Marder LLP’s Technology, Privacy & Data Security team will examine practical cybersecurity and data protection issues affecting companies operating in today’s global marketplace. We begin with a fundamental question that every organization should ask itself: what happens when something goes wrong?
Having an incident response plan before a breach occurs can make the difference between a manageable event and a business crisis. When an organization discovers a cybersecurity incident, it must quickly determine what happened, what information may have been affected, who needs to be notified, and which legal and regulatory requirements apply. Delays, confusion, or poor communication during the first hours of an incident can significantly increase legal, operational, and reputational risk.
Now is an ideal time to review, test, or update your incident response plan. The reality facing organizations today is not simply whether a cyber incident could occur, but whether the organization is prepared to respond effectively when it does.
A sound response plan should include:
- Procedures for immediate containment, including the ability to locate, lock, and wipe compromised devices.
- A process for investigating the incident and identifying internal stakeholders and outside cybersecurity experts who can assist.
- A framework for stakeholder communications, including customers, clients, employees, business partners, and investors.
- An assessment of applicable data breach notification obligations under U.S., Israeli, European, and other relevant laws.
- Procedures for notifying cyber insurance carriers and other key advisors.
- Employee training, tabletop exercises, and post-incident reviews to strengthen future response efforts.
Our team will continue to provide updates and practical guidance on emerging cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection developments affecting businesses in an increasingly complex risk environment.
This publication is provided by Greenspoon Marder LLP is issued for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed or used as general legal advice nor a solicitation of any type. Please contact the author(s) or your Greenspoon Marder LLP contact if you have any questions regarding the currency of this information. The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision. Before you decide, ask for written information about the lawyer’s legal qualifications and experience.
