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Cyber response plan: guidance and template

Learn what your cyber response plan needs to include and what to prepare, so you can be ready for any cyber incident. Download our template to create a plan that helps you stay calm and respond quickly and effectively.

Last reviewed on 16 April 2026
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 52520
Contents
  1. What is it?
  2. There's no statutory requirement to have a plan, but it's a good idea
  3. Set up an incident response team
  4. Make sure you have robust backup systems in place
  5. Organise your communication channels
  6. Download our template plan
  7. Adapt our template in line with your school's context
  8. Develop your plan alongside a culture of cyber awareness
  9. Test your plan regularly
  10. Example scenarios for staff CPD activities
  11. Take a look at template examples
  12. Next steps

What is it?

A cyber response plan sets out the actions you'll take to make sure your school can still operate efficiently in the event of a:

  • Criminal or malicious cyber attack
  • Non-malicious incident, such as accidental deletion, service outage or a system failure

A good plan should outline clear, practical steps to help you identify, contain and recover from a cyber incident, including: 

  • Stopping any further damage
  • Preserving evidence, if the incident involves criminal activity
  • Fixing the problem and getting operations back to normal as quickly as possible 

There's no statutory requirement to have a plan, but it's a good idea

Your school should create a risk management process and cyber response plan, according to the DfE's non-statutory cyber security guidance on meeting the DfE's digital and technology standards.

If you have an insurance policy that covers cyber incidents, check with your provider to find out your requirements for cyber