Hope for the best, prepare for the worst: developing national cyber crisis management plan

Cyber incidents are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated. They can result in cyber security crisis or emergency situations which could lead to demonstrable harm to the national security, economy, or foreign relations. After significant investments in establishing functioning cyber incident management institutions (e.g., CERTs, SOCs, ISACs), the second wave of cyber capacity building efforts increasingly focuses on developing comprehensive national incident and cyber crisis management plans and procedures. To promote effective international cooperation in this domain, we need to better understand how states define cyber crisis and key responsibilities for crisis management at the strategic and operational levels.

• What are the key capabilities and resources required for effective national cyber crisis management plans?
• What are the lessons in managing major cyber incidents and crisis that are particularly relevant for developing countries?