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.

Updated 17 Oct 2026

Save

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 · Gemini

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 Google Search and name the page you used.

Stay in this Gemini chat. Leave extensions off, including Gmail and Drive.

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.

GkGrok ClClaude ChChatGPT GeGemini CoCopilot

What happens

Use Gemini 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.

Gemini — required. Drafts from the text you paste. Nothing is sent.

The prompt is on this page. A free account saves it.

Create a free account

Loading the outline…