Cybersecurity Check-In: What to Do After a Suspicious Click
Cyber threats evolve fast, so cybersecurity for SMEs must be practical and repeatable. When someone clicks a dodgy link, the difference between a near-miss and a breach is often your incident response policy—clear steps everyone can follow without panic. Social engineering remains a leading cause of breaches, which makes preparation essential for smaller firms with limited resources.
First: Take These Step-by-Step Actions
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Report immediately to your IT/security team. Do not delete the email yet; preserve it for analysis. Ireland’s National Cyber Security Centre advises reporting suspicious emails and then removing them—train staff to make reporting the reflex.
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Stop further interaction. Do not enter credentials or download files.
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Follow containment instructions. Your team may isolate the device, run an antivirus scan, and reset affected passwords, prioritizing accounts reused elsewhere.
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Document what happened. Note the time, the email sender, and anything you clicked. This evidence speeds triage and, if needed, law-enforcement reports.
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Review and learn. After the threat is handled, hold a brief “lessons learned” review to update playbooks and training. ENISA promotes pragmatic, repeatable practices for cybersecurity for SMEs, including awareness and basic hygiene.
Why Policies and Governance Matter
An incident response policy (Digital Strategy) turns chaos into choreography. It defines who is notified, how to contain threats, and when to escalate. In Europe, the NIS2 Directive (NIS 2 Directive) raises the bar on governance by requiring risk-management measures such as incident handling, business continuity, and staff training. Even if your SME is not directly in scope, aligning to these expectations strengthens resilience and customer trust.
Build the Foundations That Prevent Repeat Incidents
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Formalize your playbooks. Write concise SOPs for phishing, ransomware, and account takeover, and tie them to your incident response policy. NIST’s (NIST Publications) widely used lifecycle—preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned—offers a clear structure to adapt.
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Train and test. Run quarterly phishing simulations and short refreshers. ENISA’s SME resources (ENISA) provide practical checklists and guidance to raise baseline defenses.
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Align to regulation. Track NIS2 (ncsc.gov.ie) implementation and adopt its good practices early—policies, oversight, reporting, and supplier due diligence—so you’re ready as national rules mature.
Bottom Line
Clicks happen. With clear steps, staff confidence, and governance aligned to European guidance, SMEs can contain damage quickly and come back stronger. Start by embedding reporting as muscle memory, codify your incident response policy, and use ENISA/NIS2 guidance to mature cybersecurity for SMEs without adding unnecessary complexity. Chat with us about our Security Awareness Training and Governance, Risk and Compliance.