Cyber threats are not a question of if—but when. Yet, many businesses don’t have a clear, actionable cyber security plan. 

What is a cyber security plan?

A cyber security plan is a structured strategy that outlines how your organisation protects its digital assets, systems, data, and operations from cyber threats. An effective plan should cover: 

• How you prevent attacks 

• How you detect suspicious activity 

• How you respond and recover when something goes wrong 

Think of it as a roadmap to resilience—guiding how your people, processes, and technology work together to stay secure. 

Why is it important?

Cyber incidents are becoming increasingly sophisticated and frequent, targeting organisations of all sizes. A strong cyber security plan:

• Reduces the risk of breaches
• Minimises downtime and financial loss
• Protects your customers’ trust
• Ensures compliance with regulations

Without one, you’re relying on luck—and hope is not a strategy.

Why invest in creating (and updating) one?

Technology evolves quickly – and so do cyber threats. A static, one-time cyber plan is not enough. Investing in a well-developed and regularly updated plan: 

• Keeps you ahead of emerging risks 

• Ensures your team knows exactly what to do under pressure 

• Can dramatically reduce the impact and cost of a breach 

It’s not just about prevention—it’s about preparation. 

How do you create and maintain one?

Start by assessing your risks. What data, systems and processes are most critical to your business? To understand your key vulnerabilities and the steps needed to protect them, take the following steps: 

1. Identify your assets – What do you need to protect, and what is at risk if they get compromised? 
2. Define roles and responsibilities – Who is responsible for what, and when? 
3. Plan for detection and response – How will you identify, contain and resolve threats? 
4. Train your team – Cyber security is everyone’s responsibility. One report identified compromised credentials being responsible for 86% of incidents in web-based systems. 
5. Test regularly – Simulate incidents to find gaps and build response capability 
6. Review and update – At least annually, or after any major technical or business change 

You don’t need to do it alone—consider partnering with cyber experts or using trusted frameworks like the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s Essential Eight to get started. 

So, do you have a cyber security plan?

If not, there’s no better time to begin. If you do, when was the last time you tested or updated it?

Because staying secure isn’t a one-time project—it’s an ongoing commitment.