5 Steps for Incident Communication Protocols

Effective incident communication can save time, money, and reputations. Here's how to build a robust communication system in 5 steps:

Set Incident Priority Levels: Define clear severity levels (e.g., critical, high, medium, low) and align them with specific response actions.
List Required Contacts: Maintain an up-to-date list of internal and external stakeholders, organized by priority and communication needs.
Choose Communication Tools: Use secure, real-time tools like Slack for internal updates and status pages for external transparency.
Write Standard Messages: Create clear templates tailored to different audiences (teams, customers, public) with consistent details like impact, actions, and next steps.
Practice and Review: Regularly test your protocols with realistic simulations and update them based on feedback and performance.

Why it matters: Poor communication can lead to delays, financial losses, and reputational damage. Following these steps ensures faster responses and better coordination during incidents.

Incident Response: Communication Plans

Step 1: Set Incident Priority Levels

Defining clear incident priority levels helps ensure a well-coordinated and effective response during disruptions.

Creating Priority Categories

To set priority levels, focus on two key factors: impact (the extent of damage) and urgency (how quickly it needs resolution). Use this framework to define these dimensions:

Impact Level	Business Effects
High	• Financial losses over $10,000 • Widespread customer disruption • Major reputational risks • Safety or injury concerns
Medium	• Financial losses between $1,000 and $10,000 • Moderate inconvenience to customers • Limited reputational exposure
Low	• Financial losses under $1,000 • Minimal customer impact • Internal inefficiencies only

Atlassian's three-tier model provides a helpful guide: SEV 1 incidents involve critical issues like customer data loss, security breaches, or complete service outages. SEV 2 incidents are major issues, such as disruptions affecting a subset of customers or essential functions. SEV 3 incidents are minor, with limited overall impact .

Aligning Response Actions with Priority Levels

Once priority categories are defined, assign specific actions and communication protocols for each level.

Priority	Response Time	Communication Protocol
P1 (Critical)	Immediate	• Notify executives right away • Activate emergency communication channels • Update public status page
P2 (High)	10 minutes	• Notify team leads • Use designated incident channels • Inform affected customers
P3 (Medium)	1 hour	• Log a standard ticket • Share updates in team channels • Provide a report by the next business day
P4 (Low)	4 hours	• Send email updates • Discuss during regular status meetings • Include in weekly reports

Be sure to document escalation triggers. For instance, a P3 incident should escalate to P2 if it impacts VIP customers or remains unresolved after four hours . This ensures critical issues receive the attention they need.

Step 2: List Required Contacts

Having a well-organized contact list ensures quick and effective communication during incidents. This step focuses on identifying key stakeholders and determining when to involve them.

Company Team Members

Internal stakeholders form the backbone of the incident response team.

Primary Response Team

Incident Manager: Oversees the response process.
Technical Lead: Handles technical troubleshooting and resolution.
Communication Lead: Updates stakeholders and ensures clear communication.
Service Desk Representatives: Provide frontline support.
Security Team Members: Address security-related concerns.

Support Functions

Legal Department: Advises on compliance and legal implications.
Public Relations: Manages external messaging and media inquiries.
Executive Leadership: Makes strategic decisions during critical incidents.
Human Resources: Handles employee-related matters.
Facilities Management: Assists with physical or environmental issues.

"During major incidents, it's crucial that all stakeholders are provided with the status updates they need. Those communications however need to be tailored to what the stakeholder actually needs, and provided in a streamlined format that works best for them." - xMatters

Next, identify the external contacts required for effective incident management.

Outside Contacts

External stakeholders vary depending on the type and urgency of the incident. Keep updated contact details for:

Stakeholder Category	Examples	Communication Channel
Customers	VIP Accounts, Affected Users	Status Page, Email
Vendors	Cloud Providers, Security Services	Direct Phone, Email
Regulatory Bodies	Data Protection Authorities	Official Channels
Media Relations	Industry Press, Local News	PR Department
Emergency Services	Police, Fire Department	Emergency Numbers

Contact Priority Matrix

This matrix helps align stakeholder communication with the incident's severity, ensuring the right people are informed at the right time:

Priority Level	Internal Contacts	External Contacts	Update Frequency
P1 (Critical)	All Response Teams + Executives	All Affected Parties	Every 30 mins
P2 (High)	Response Teams + Department Heads	Direct Stakeholders	Every 2 hours
P3 (Medium)	Primary Response Team	Affected Customers	Daily
P4 (Low)	Service Desk	None Required	As Needed

Tips for Effective Contact Management

Group alert recipients and confirm on-call schedules to avoid overloading team members with notifications.
Use your incident management tool to create stakeholder groups for faster, more organized communication .
Assign "Incident Watchers" who receive updates but aren’t directly involved in the response .

"This person [Communication Lead] is the public face of the incident response task force. Their duties most definitely include issuing periodic updates to the incident response team and stakeholders (usually via email), and may extend to tasks such as keeping the incident document accurate and up to date." - Google

Organizations that implement a structured contact priority system report a 60%+ reduction in Mean Time To Acknowledge (MTTA) and Mean Time To Resolve (MTTR) .

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Step 3: Choose Communication Tools

Handling incidents effectively requires fast, secure communication that meets data protection standards.

Team Communication Tools

Strong internal communication tools are a must during incident response. Look for tools that offer:

Feature Category	Key Features	Advantages
Real-time Collaboration	Chat, voice, video calls	Quick and efficient coordination
Security	End-to-end encryption, access controls	Keeps sensitive data secure
Integration Support	API connections, automation	Smooth and efficient workflows
Incident Tracking	Status updates, timeline logging	Clear visibility into progress

Slack is a popular choice, used by 80% of Fortune 100 companies for partner and customer communication through Slack Connect . Many users report improved productivity and time savings.

"Slack is built for bringing people and information together. Type things out. Talk things out. Invite external organizations into the conversation." - Slack

While internal communication tools are critical, external communication strategies require a different approach.

Public Communication Methods

For external communication, balancing transparency and security is key. Consider these options:

Status Page System
- Real-time updates for stakeholders
- Automated notifications
- Historical incident tracking
- Integration with monitoring tools
Out-of-Band Communication
- Secure backup options like external email, encrypted messaging, or satellite phones to stay connected if primary systems go down .

Anvil Labs Integration Example

Anvil Labs

Anvil Labs (https://anvil.so) can enhance incident communication, especially for industrial sites. It offers features like:

Visual data sharing and cross-device access
Integration with existing tools for communication and task management
Support for various data types, including 3D models, thermal imagery, and LiDAR
Up to 70% reduction in field inspection times

Set up automated alerts based on your contact priority matrix to ensure timely notifications are sent across all channels.

Step 4: Write Standard Messages

Once you've prioritized incidents and created contact lists, the next step is to craft clear, standardized messages for effective communication during incidents.

Key Components of Incident Messages

To ensure your messages are effective, include these key elements. Tailor them based on the severity of the incident:

Element	Major Incident	Minor Incident
Status Indicator	INVESTIGATING/RESOLVED (all caps)	Investigating/Resolved
Priority Level	HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW	Status only
Timing Details	Start time, ETA for resolution	Start time
Impact Description	Detailed service impact list	Brief impact summary
Action Items	Current actions, next steps	Basic update
Next Update	Specific timeframe	General timeframe

Use straightforward, jargon-free language to describe the issue. For instance, instead of saying, "cluster node failures causing quorum write issues", you could say, "Database problems are preventing customer purchases on the website. We're working with our cloud provider to restore service" .

Once you've defined these core components, customize your templates to suit the needs of different audiences, ensuring each group gets the information they require.

Tailoring Messages by Audience

Different groups require different levels of detail. Develop separate templates for each audience while keeping the core message consistent:

Internal Teams
Include detailed operational information, such as affected systems, technical impact, required resources, and action items with clear responsibilities.
External Stakeholders
Focus on business-related updates, including the scope of the impact, potential business disruption, mitigation steps, and estimated resolution time.
Public Communications
Keep these messages concise, with a simple problem description, customer impact, current status, and the timing for the next update.

Atlassian provides a great example of multi-channel communication. They post initial incident updates on their status page, share updates via Twitter, and display announcements on their Jira Service Management portal. All messages guide users back to the status page for detailed information .

For scheduled maintenance, include details about the work being done, the exact date and time (with timezone), the expected duration, and the services affected. Also, send reminders 24 hours before the maintenance begins.

Step 5: Practice and Review

Testing your incident communication protocols through practice scenarios is a great way to identify and fix any weak spots before an actual crisis occurs.

Run Practice Scenarios

Simulate incidents with tabletop exercises to test how communication flows and decisions are made under pressure.

Exercise Component	Description	Purpose
Scenario Script	A detailed timeline with key triggers	Evaluates initial response and escalation processes
Role Cards	Assigns specific tasks to participants	Ensures responsibilities are clear
Surprise Elements	Unexpected twists during the exercise	Tests adaptability and quick thinking
Evaluation Metrics	Tracks measurable outcomes	Provides an objective way to assess performance

Make sure all relevant teams participate to ensure your communication strategies are well-rounded. Use what you learn to fine-tune your protocols for better readiness.

"Practicing an Incident Response Plan […] in real-time is the only way to know that it will work. It's through these exercises that stakeholders can obtain the required understanding of the overall response strategy as well as the desired confidence in the organization's cyber resilience." - Billy Gouveia, Surefire Cyber

Update Based on Results

After running these exercises, review the results and make improvements based on measurable outcomes and feedback.

Evaluate Communication Metrics
- Measure how effective tools are and how quickly messages are acted upon.
- Note any technical glitches or slowdowns.
Gather Stakeholder Feedback
- Conduct surveys to uncover communication gaps or tool limitations.
- Pay attention to unclear instructions or areas where more training is needed.
Update Protocols
- Adjust message templates, contact lists, and escalation steps.
- Replace tools that aren’t working well and schedule extra training if necessary.

"We are constantly promoting preparedness and finding ways to engage our teams. Crisis preparedness is part of our DNA. You can't let your emergency plans sit and collect dust. Having an active program is essential to keeping employees safe." - Penny Neferis, JetBlue Airways

Conclusion

Summary of Steps

Effective incident communication relies on five key steps: defining priorities, maintaining updated contact lists, selecting the right tools, creating consistent message templates, and practicing regularly. Each of these plays a crucial role in building a strong response system.

Protocol Component	Purpose	Measurable Outcome
Priority Levels	Establish clear hierarchy	Faster response times
Contact Lists	Simplify coordination	Quicker team activation
Communication Tools	Improve information flow	Higher message delivery rate
Standard Messages	Ensure consistent messaging	Better stakeholder understanding
Practice Sessions	Boost preparedness	Increased exercise success

These steps lay the groundwork for continuous improvements.

Next Steps

Now that the protocols are outlined, it's time to refine them through testing and feedback.

Focus on these areas to strengthen your communication strategy:

Regular Testing: Conduct quarterly tabletop exercises and biannual full-scale drills to assess and improve how well your communication protocols work .
Ongoing Feedback: Host monthly feedback sessions to pinpoint and address any gaps in communication .
Protocol Updates: Regularly review and adjust protocols based on lessons learned from incidents and evolving organizational needs.

"When working to efficiently resolve incidents, communication must be purposeful, reliable, and consistent" - FireHydrant

"Proper preparation prevents poor performance. If it's a good enough slogan for going into battle, it's good enough for your incident communication strategy" - Atlassian