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title: "Post-Breach Recovery: What to Do in the First 72 Hours After a Ransomware Attack" description: "Your Irish business has been hit by ransomware. Here's exactly what to do in the first 72 hours to contain damage and achieve ransomware recovery in Ireland." date: "2026-02-27" category: "Incident Response & Business Continuity"

Ransomware Recovery Ireland: What to Do in the First 72 Hours After an Attack

The moment you see the ransom note, a feeling of dread sets in. Your files are locked, your operations are grinding to a halt, and a digital clock is ticking. For an Irish SME, a Ransomware attack isn't just an IT problem; it's a business survival crisis. The actions you take in the next 72 hours are critical and will determine the speed and success of your ransomware recovery in Ireland. This guide provides a practical, step-by-step plan for owner-managers to navigate the immediate aftermath of an attack.

The goal is not to panic, but to execute a calm, methodical response. Your business has been digitally wounded, and the next three days are about effective triage. We will walk through containing the threat, assessing the damage, and beginning the recovery process, all within an Irish context.

The First 24 Hours: Containment and First Calls

This initial phase is about stopping the bleeding. The immediate priority is to prevent the ransomware from spreading further across your network and to preserve evidence for investigation. Hasty actions, like shutting down machines randomly, can do more harm than good.

1. Isolate, Don't Obliterate Your first instinct might be to power everything down. Resist it. Instead, disconnect the infected devices from the network. Unplug the ethernet cable and disable Wi-Fi. This stops the ransomware from encrypting more files on your network or spreading to other computers. If you have multiple servers or network segments, isolate the affected ones immediately. This action contains the threat while preserving the system's memory, which can hold vital clues for forensic analysis.

2. Preserve Evidence Do not delete the ransom note or any encrypted files. Take a photo of the ransom note on the screen with your phone. This note contains information that can help identify the specific strain of ransomware you are dealing with, which is crucial for finding potential decryption tools and understanding the attackers' methods. This is a key part of your Incident Response strategy.

3. Make the Critical Calls Now is the time to bring in the experts.

Your IT Partner/vCISO: If you have a managed service provider (MSP) or a vCISO, they are your first call. They have the technical expertise to manage the situation.
An Garda Síochána: Report the crime. A cyber-attack is a serious criminal offence. Contact your local Garda station and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB). They are the national authority for investigating these crimes and your report helps build a national picture of the threat landscape. You can find their contact details on the Garda.ie website. [1]
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC): The NCSC Ireland is the government's lead agency for cybersecurity. You should report the incident to them. They provide expert guidance and can help you understand the nature of the attack. Their involvement is crucial, especially if the attack could lead to a Data Breach under GDPR. [2]
Your Cyber Insurance Provider: If you have a Cyber Insurance policy, notify your provider immediately. Most policies have a 24/7 incident response hotline and strict notification deadlines. They will provide access to a panel of experts, including legal, forensic, and PR specialists, often at no initial cost to you. Check your policy for the specific steps you must take; failing to do so can invalidate your claim.

Free Resource: Download The Irish SME Cyber Survival Guide — 10 controls based on NCSC Ireland & ENISA guidance. Plain English, no jargon.

24-48 Hours: Assessment and Restoration

With the initial containment in place and experts engaged, the focus shifts to understanding the full scope of the attack and planning your recovery. This is where your preparation, particularly your Backup Strategy, pays off.

4. Assess the Damage Your IT team or cybersecurity partner will work to determine how the attackers got in and which systems are affected. This involves analysing network traffic, server logs, and the ransomware itself. The goal is to ensure the initial entry point is closed to prevent an immediate re-infection once you begin restoring systems. This is a critical step before any recovery begins. You must be confident that the threat is fully removed from your environment.

5. Begin Clean Restoration This is the most critical part of your post breach recovery. You must restore your data and systems from clean, offline backups. This is why having a robust backup strategy, like the 3-2-1-1-0 rule, is non-negotiable for modern businesses. Your backups are your single most important tool for ransomware recovery. Before you restore, you must be 100% certain that your backups are clean and were not compromised in the attack. Your IT partner will test them in an isolated environment first. Once verified, you can begin the methodical process of wiping the affected systems and restoring from your last known good backup.

6. The Ransom Question At this point, you will be facing the difficult decision of whether to pay the ransom. The official advice from An Garda Síochána and the NCSC is clear: do not pay. Paying the ransom does not guarantee you will get your data back, it funds criminal enterprises, and it marks you as a willing payer for future attacks. The decision is complex, but it's a conversation you must have with your legal and cybersecurity advisors. Our detailed guide on this topic can help you weigh the factors: Ransomware Response Playbook: Should You Pay the Ransom?.

48-72 Hours: Communication and Review

By this stage, your technical recovery should be underway. Now, you must manage the human and regulatory side of the incident. Clear communication is key to maintaining trust with your staff, customers, and regulators.

7. Communicate with Stakeholders How you communicate can significantly impact your business's reputation. You need a clear plan.

Employees: Be transparent with your team. They are your first line of defence and need to know what has happened and what is expected of them.
Customers: If customer data or service delivery is impacted, you must inform them. Your communication should be clear, concise, and explain what you are doing to fix the problem.
Regulators: If personal data was compromised, you have a legal obligation under GDPR to notify the Data Protection Commission (DPC) within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach. Your cyber insurance and legal advisors will guide you through this process.

8. Document Everything Keep a detailed log of every action taken, every decision made, and every conversation had since the moment of discovery. This incident log is invaluable for post-incident reviews, insurance claims, and any potential regulatory investigations. This documentation forms the core of your post-incident report.

9. Plan the Post-Incident Review Once the immediate fire is out, you must learn the lessons from the attack. A thorough post-incident review will identify the security gaps that allowed the attack to happen and create a roadmap for strengthening your defences. This isn't about blame; it's about building a more resilient business. A formal Incident Response Plan is the foundation for this process.

Ready to Strengthen Your Security?

If ransomware recovery is a concern for your business, a structured review will give you a clear picture and a prioritised action plan — without requiring a large budget or a full-time IT team.

Book a free 30-minute strategy call with our vCISO team. We work with small and medium businesses across Ireland — no jargon, no scare tactics, just clear actionable advice.

Book Your Free Strategy Call

Sources: [1] An Garda Síochána - Report Cyber Crime, [2] NCSC Ireland - Report an Incident '''