5 Ways Incident Management and Traveling with an Infant are the oddly the Same

Preparing for a cybersecurity incident at a company can be an arduous task, much like planning a vacation with a 10-month-old across the country. While on the surface these two scenarios may seem entirely different, a closer look reveals striking similarities in the approach required to ensure a successful outcome (or enjoyable trip). Both situations demand careful preparation, effective communication, and the ability to adapt quickly to unforeseen circumstances. Let's explore how these seemingly unrelated experiences share common principles.

1. Assessing Risks or asking “What can go wrong?”

Before embarking on a cross-country trip with an infant or preparing for a cybersecurity incident, it's essential to assess the risks involved. In both cases, identifying potential vulnerabilities and understanding the consequences of those risks is crucial. In cybersecurity, companies must identify potential vulnerabilities, evaluate the impact of a breach, and create mitigation strategies accordingly. Keeping in mind you can solve everything at once. For a trip with an infant, this might include researching weather forecast, assessing travel logistics, and understanding what amenities you may or may not have (i.e. Do I need to pack this or can I buy this there?).

2. Planning and Preparation:

Both situations demand meticulous planning and preparation. For traveling with an infant, this means organizing necessary documents, identifying and packing essentials with limited space (i.e. which toys are essential, what happens if baby gets sick?), and making arrangements for accommodations and transportation (i.e. does the hotel have a crib? Do we fly with carseat or bring one?) . Similarly, in cybersecurity, companies must establish incident response plans, implement security measures, and regularly update and test their systems. Both require having the right tools and resources readily available to mitigate potential risks.

3. Effective Communication:

Clear and effective communication is essential in both scenarios. When traveling with an infant, coordinating with family members, caregivers, and travel partners is critical. If the parents aren’t communicating effectively from the packing stage to every moment, things can go sideways very quickly. Similarly, during a cybersecurity incident, swift and transparent communication between IT teams, executives, employees, and relevant stakeholders is vital. Promptly sharing information about the incident and implementing an organized response plan can help minimize the impact of the breach.

4. Adaptability and Quick Decision-Making:

Unforeseen circumstances are inevitable during travel and cybersecurity incidents. Being adaptable and making quick decisions is essential for success. When traveling, flight delays, bathrooms with no changing tables, or the unexpected ‘poopy diaper’ may necessitate changes to the itinerary. In cybersecurity, the response to an incident must be flexible to adapt to evolving threats and new attack vectors. Quick decision-making and the ability to adjust strategies on the fly can significantly impact the outcome. For organizations, it’s also critical to understand who is empowered to make the decisions and to make sure theirs alignment across the team.

5. Learning from Experiences:

Both scenarios offer valuable learning opportunities. When traveling, each trip helps parents refine their approach and improve their planning skills for future journeys (i.e. next time let’s make sure parents seats are next to each other or let’s pack back up formula incase we hit delays). Similarly, cybersecurity incidents provide invaluable insights into vulnerabilities, gaps in security measures, and areas for improvement. Companies can use these incidents to enhance their incident response plans, update security protocols, and better protect their systems and data. It’s always valuable to run tabletop exercises or walkthroughs to identify these gaps prior to encountering a real-life incident.

While preparing for a cybersecurity incident at a company and traveling with an infant across the country may appear vastly different at first glance, they share several surprising parallels. Both require risk assessment, meticulous planning, effective communication, adaptability, and the ability to learn from experiences. Recognizing these similarities can help organizations approach cybersecurity incidents with a fresh perspective and apply principles from unexpected areas to enhance their incident response strategies. By understanding the underlying similarities, we can better prepare ourselves for unforeseen challenges, both in the realm of cybersecurity and in our personal lives.