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Know what to do in the first hour of a data breach
A laptop's been stolen, an email went to the wrong list or someone's got into your account. Get a calm first-hour checklist, what to record and the ICO guidance on whether to report it.
The prompt · ChatGPT
Help me respond to a possible data breach. What's happened: [details and when] What data might be involved: [names, emails, bank details, health info] How many people: [rough] Is it still happening: [yes, no, don't know] First ask me up to 3 short questions. Wait for my answers. Then: 1. A first-hour checklist: contain it, change passwords, save evidence. 2. A breach log: what, when, who, data, actions. 3. Look up the ICO's report-a-breach guidance, name it, and explain how to decide whether to report and the timescale. 4. Draft messages to affected people and staff. 5. Three fixes so it doesn't happen again. Not legal advice. Only use what I've told you, leave blanks for anything I haven't given, and don't invent facts or figures. UK English. For the ICO's guidance on reporting a personal data breach, use web search and name the page you used. If it doesn't search on its own, open View all tools and choose Search. Stay in this ChatGPT chat. Do not turn on apps or connectors, and do not use memory from another chat.
A short example
Fill the blanks, then paste. details and when: a short note you already have. names, emails, bank details, health info: a short note you already have. Leave the rest of the prompt as written.
The prompt · Copilot
Help me respond to a possible data breach. What's happened: [details and when] What data might be involved: [names, emails, bank details, health info] How many people: [rough] Is it still happening: [yes, no, don't know] First ask me up to 3 short questions. Wait for my answers. Then: 1. A first-hour checklist: contain it, change passwords, save evidence. 2. A breach log: what, when, who, data, actions. 3. Look up the ICO's report-a-breach guidance, name it, and explain how to decide whether to report and the timescale. 4. Draft messages to affected people and staff. 5. Three fixes so it doesn't happen again. Not legal advice. Only use what I've told you, leave blanks for anything I haven't given, and don't invent facts or figures. UK English. For the ICO's guidance on reporting a personal data breach, switch to Search mode so the answer comes with a citation. Stay in this Copilot chat. Leave plugins off, and do not open a file from OneDrive.
A short example
Fill the blanks, then paste. details and when: a short note you already have. names, emails, bank details, health info: a short note you already have. Leave the rest of the prompt as written.
You describe what's happened and what data might be involved.
The assistant asks how many people are affected and whether it's still happening.
You get a first-hour checklist, a breach log, a decision guide pointing to the ICO and message drafts.
What happens
Use Copilot to know what to do in the first hour of a data breach
A laptop's been stolen, an email went to the wrong list or someone's got into your account. Get a calm first-hour checklist, what to record and the ICO guidance on whether to report it.
Tools
Paste the prompt, fill the blanks, copy the draft.
- Microsoft Copilot — required. Drafts from the text you paste. Nothing is sent.
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