Incident Response Plan for OT/ICS
A Practical Template to Build Resilience
Incident Response Plan for OT/ICS
A Practical Template to Build Resilience
Incident Response Plan for OT/ICS
A Practical Template to Build Resilience
Brace Your Industrial Systems for Cyber Disruptions, Before They Happen
Cyberattacks targeting industrial environments are no longer rare, they are now expected occurrences. Cyber attacks such as ransomware targeting critical infrastructure or nation-state attributable threats on operational systems place the OT/ICS space in the crosshairs of high value targets.
What's worse? Many of the organizations in the industrial sector do not have a specific incident response (IR) plan for their operational technology environments.
That's why at Shieldworkz - we designed and made available a free, downloadable Incident Response Plan Template for OT/ICS. The aim was to help you quickly build a structured, sector-specific response framework that protects uptime, safety and regulatory expectations.
Why Incident Response Plans in OT/ICS are Important
Unique Situations in OT Cyber Security
Operational Technology (OT) systems are designed to directly control real-world processes such as pumps, turbines, conveyor belts, and safety systems. A single cyber event can lead to more than a disruption of data; a cyber event can shut down production, undermine safety, and in some cases cost lives.
The traditional IT playbooks do not fit neatly in these environments. Industrial systems often have:
Legacy hardware without security built-in
Highly sensitive systems that will not tolerate unplanned reboots or scans
Uptime or availability requirements that can't be missed
Visibility and network segmentation
It is no longer a question of should we have an incident response plan for OT/ICS environments; it is now an operational imperative.
What is Included in the Shieldworkz Incident Response Template?
This professionally developed document should not be seen as just another checklist. It is a practical, real-world framework authored by OT cybersecurity professionals who have the knowledge of the challenges associated with industrial operations.
Key Sections include:
Roles & Responsibilities: Clearly define who takes autocratic charge of all issues during a cyber-event, including but not limited to plant engineers, cybersecurity managers, external emergency responders
Detection & Analysis Procedures: On guidance to how to detect and recognize abnormal behavior across ICS assets, including logs, HMIs, PLC behavior.
Communication Protocols: Clear internal and external escalation workflows to reduce confusion and avoid panic during high-pressure situations.
Containment Strategies: Actions to isolate the threat without risking system shutdowns or safety failures.
Recovery & Restoration Plans: Step-by-step instructions to bring critical systems back online with minimal downtime and validated safety.
Post-Incident Review: Templates for conducting lessons-learned workshops, updating policies, and ensuring vulnerabilities are closed.
Compliance Alignment: Structured to align with major frameworks like NIST SP 800-82, NIST 800-61 Rev. 2, and ISA/IEC 62443-2-4.
Why Download This Template?
Accelerate Readiness: Don’t start from scratch. Get a foundational structure that your team can adapt and operationalize quickly, whether you're a plant manager, CISO, or OT engineer.
Built for OT/ICS – Not IT: Generic response templates don’t address the realities of an operational floor. This template reflects the physical, safety-critical nature of industrial systems.
Improve Compliance and Audit Readiness: Show auditors, regulators, and board members that you take incident preparedness seriously, with a documented plan in place.
Minimize Downtime, Protect Safety: The faster your team can respond with a clear process, the lower your risk of extended outages or dangerous mishaps.
Enable Vendor and Stakeholder Coordination: Includes sections to manage third-party involvement (OEMs, integrators, MSPs), which are often part of OT response scenarios.
Key Takeaways from the Template
Clarity in Chaos: Defined workflows reduce uncertainty and delays during an incident.
Cross-Functional Involvement: Designed to unite OT, IT, legal, and leadership in coordinated response.
Documentation Support: Comes with fields for incident logs, containment decisions, recovery timelines, and reporting.
Testable & Repeatable: Built for tabletop exercises, simulations, and continuous improvement.
Built-In Metrics: Helps you define KPIs and response metrics, Mean Time to Detect (MTTD), Mean Time to Respond (MTTR), etc.
How Shieldworkz Supports OT Incident Response
At Shieldworkz, we don’t just create templates, we help you operationalize them. Whether you need to:
Conduct a tabletop simulation with your team
Integrate IR workflows into your existing GRC tool
Review your recovery procedures post-incident
…our OT/ICS cybersecurity experts are here to support every step. We tailor incident readiness to your specific sector, asset classes, and operational constraints.
Start Protecting Your Industrial Operations Today
Incidents are inevitable. But downtime, confusion, and extended damage don’t have to be.
Download the free OT/ICS Incident Response Plan Template from Shieldworkz now.
Fill out the form to access the complete template and start building a response strategy that’s realistic, actionable, and tailored to your operations.
Download your copy today!
Brace Your Industrial Systems for Cyber Disruptions, Before They Happen
Cyberattacks targeting industrial environments are no longer rare, they are now expected occurrences. Cyber attacks such as ransomware targeting critical infrastructure or nation-state attributable threats on operational systems place the OT/ICS space in the crosshairs of high value targets.
What's worse? Many of the organizations in the industrial sector do not have a specific incident response (IR) plan for their operational technology environments.
That's why at Shieldworkz - we designed and made available a free, downloadable Incident Response Plan Template for OT/ICS. The aim was to help you quickly build a structured, sector-specific response framework that protects uptime, safety and regulatory expectations.
Why Incident Response Plans in OT/ICS are Important
Unique Situations in OT Cyber Security
Operational Technology (OT) systems are designed to directly control real-world processes such as pumps, turbines, conveyor belts, and safety systems. A single cyber event can lead to more than a disruption of data; a cyber event can shut down production, undermine safety, and in some cases cost lives.
The traditional IT playbooks do not fit neatly in these environments. Industrial systems often have:
Legacy hardware without security built-in
Highly sensitive systems that will not tolerate unplanned reboots or scans
Uptime or availability requirements that can't be missed
Visibility and network segmentation
It is no longer a question of should we have an incident response plan for OT/ICS environments; it is now an operational imperative.
What is Included in the Shieldworkz Incident Response Template?
This professionally developed document should not be seen as just another checklist. It is a practical, real-world framework authored by OT cybersecurity professionals who have the knowledge of the challenges associated with industrial operations.
Key Sections include:
Roles & Responsibilities: Clearly define who takes autocratic charge of all issues during a cyber-event, including but not limited to plant engineers, cybersecurity managers, external emergency responders
Detection & Analysis Procedures: On guidance to how to detect and recognize abnormal behavior across ICS assets, including logs, HMIs, PLC behavior.
Communication Protocols: Clear internal and external escalation workflows to reduce confusion and avoid panic during high-pressure situations.
Containment Strategies: Actions to isolate the threat without risking system shutdowns or safety failures.
Recovery & Restoration Plans: Step-by-step instructions to bring critical systems back online with minimal downtime and validated safety.
Post-Incident Review: Templates for conducting lessons-learned workshops, updating policies, and ensuring vulnerabilities are closed.
Compliance Alignment: Structured to align with major frameworks like NIST SP 800-82, NIST 800-61 Rev. 2, and ISA/IEC 62443-2-4.
Why Download This Template?
Accelerate Readiness: Don’t start from scratch. Get a foundational structure that your team can adapt and operationalize quickly, whether you're a plant manager, CISO, or OT engineer.
Built for OT/ICS – Not IT: Generic response templates don’t address the realities of an operational floor. This template reflects the physical, safety-critical nature of industrial systems.
Improve Compliance and Audit Readiness: Show auditors, regulators, and board members that you take incident preparedness seriously, with a documented plan in place.
Minimize Downtime, Protect Safety: The faster your team can respond with a clear process, the lower your risk of extended outages or dangerous mishaps.
Enable Vendor and Stakeholder Coordination: Includes sections to manage third-party involvement (OEMs, integrators, MSPs), which are often part of OT response scenarios.
Key Takeaways from the Template
Clarity in Chaos: Defined workflows reduce uncertainty and delays during an incident.
Cross-Functional Involvement: Designed to unite OT, IT, legal, and leadership in coordinated response.
Documentation Support: Comes with fields for incident logs, containment decisions, recovery timelines, and reporting.
Testable & Repeatable: Built for tabletop exercises, simulations, and continuous improvement.
Built-In Metrics: Helps you define KPIs and response metrics, Mean Time to Detect (MTTD), Mean Time to Respond (MTTR), etc.
How Shieldworkz Supports OT Incident Response
At Shieldworkz, we don’t just create templates, we help you operationalize them. Whether you need to:
Conduct a tabletop simulation with your team
Integrate IR workflows into your existing GRC tool
Review your recovery procedures post-incident
…our OT/ICS cybersecurity experts are here to support every step. We tailor incident readiness to your specific sector, asset classes, and operational constraints.
Start Protecting Your Industrial Operations Today
Incidents are inevitable. But downtime, confusion, and extended damage don’t have to be.
Download the free OT/ICS Incident Response Plan Template from Shieldworkz now.
Fill out the form to access the complete template and start building a response strategy that’s realistic, actionable, and tailored to your operations.
Download your copy today!
Brace Your Industrial Systems for Cyber Disruptions, Before They Happen
Cyberattacks targeting industrial environments are no longer rare, they are now expected occurrences. Cyber attacks such as ransomware targeting critical infrastructure or nation-state attributable threats on operational systems place the OT/ICS space in the crosshairs of high value targets.
What's worse? Many of the organizations in the industrial sector do not have a specific incident response (IR) plan for their operational technology environments.
That's why at Shieldworkz - we designed and made available a free, downloadable Incident Response Plan Template for OT/ICS. The aim was to help you quickly build a structured, sector-specific response framework that protects uptime, safety and regulatory expectations.
Why Incident Response Plans in OT/ICS are Important
Unique Situations in OT Cyber Security
Operational Technology (OT) systems are designed to directly control real-world processes such as pumps, turbines, conveyor belts, and safety systems. A single cyber event can lead to more than a disruption of data; a cyber event can shut down production, undermine safety, and in some cases cost lives.
The traditional IT playbooks do not fit neatly in these environments. Industrial systems often have:
Legacy hardware without security built-in
Highly sensitive systems that will not tolerate unplanned reboots or scans
Uptime or availability requirements that can't be missed
Visibility and network segmentation
It is no longer a question of should we have an incident response plan for OT/ICS environments; it is now an operational imperative.
What is Included in the Shieldworkz Incident Response Template?
This professionally developed document should not be seen as just another checklist. It is a practical, real-world framework authored by OT cybersecurity professionals who have the knowledge of the challenges associated with industrial operations.
Key Sections include:
Roles & Responsibilities: Clearly define who takes autocratic charge of all issues during a cyber-event, including but not limited to plant engineers, cybersecurity managers, external emergency responders
Detection & Analysis Procedures: On guidance to how to detect and recognize abnormal behavior across ICS assets, including logs, HMIs, PLC behavior.
Communication Protocols: Clear internal and external escalation workflows to reduce confusion and avoid panic during high-pressure situations.
Containment Strategies: Actions to isolate the threat without risking system shutdowns or safety failures.
Recovery & Restoration Plans: Step-by-step instructions to bring critical systems back online with minimal downtime and validated safety.
Post-Incident Review: Templates for conducting lessons-learned workshops, updating policies, and ensuring vulnerabilities are closed.
Compliance Alignment: Structured to align with major frameworks like NIST SP 800-82, NIST 800-61 Rev. 2, and ISA/IEC 62443-2-4.
Why Download This Template?
Accelerate Readiness: Don’t start from scratch. Get a foundational structure that your team can adapt and operationalize quickly, whether you're a plant manager, CISO, or OT engineer.
Built for OT/ICS – Not IT: Generic response templates don’t address the realities of an operational floor. This template reflects the physical, safety-critical nature of industrial systems.
Improve Compliance and Audit Readiness: Show auditors, regulators, and board members that you take incident preparedness seriously, with a documented plan in place.
Minimize Downtime, Protect Safety: The faster your team can respond with a clear process, the lower your risk of extended outages or dangerous mishaps.
Enable Vendor and Stakeholder Coordination: Includes sections to manage third-party involvement (OEMs, integrators, MSPs), which are often part of OT response scenarios.
Key Takeaways from the Template
Clarity in Chaos: Defined workflows reduce uncertainty and delays during an incident.
Cross-Functional Involvement: Designed to unite OT, IT, legal, and leadership in coordinated response.
Documentation Support: Comes with fields for incident logs, containment decisions, recovery timelines, and reporting.
Testable & Repeatable: Built for tabletop exercises, simulations, and continuous improvement.
Built-In Metrics: Helps you define KPIs and response metrics, Mean Time to Detect (MTTD), Mean Time to Respond (MTTR), etc.
How Shieldworkz Supports OT Incident Response
At Shieldworkz, we don’t just create templates, we help you operationalize them. Whether you need to:
Conduct a tabletop simulation with your team
Integrate IR workflows into your existing GRC tool
Review your recovery procedures post-incident
…our OT/ICS cybersecurity experts are here to support every step. We tailor incident readiness to your specific sector, asset classes, and operational constraints.
Start Protecting Your Industrial Operations Today
Incidents are inevitable. But downtime, confusion, and extended damage don’t have to be.
Download the free OT/ICS Incident Response Plan Template from Shieldworkz now.
Fill out the form to access the complete template and start building a response strategy that’s realistic, actionable, and tailored to your operations.