Notification Process
Incident Notification Process
This document describes how Gray Ghost Data Consultants communicates security incidents to affected parties, including timing, methods, and content of notifications.
Notification Commitment
We are committed to transparent and timely communication when security incidents occur. Our goal is to provide affected parties with the information they need to understand the incident and take appropriate action.
Notification Timeline
Initial Notification
| Incident Type | Notification Target | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed data breach | Affected customers | Within 72 hours |
| Service disruption | All customers | Within 4 hours |
| Security vulnerability | Affected customers | Within 24 hours |
| Sub-processor incident | Affected customers | Within 72 hours |
Ongoing Updates
- Critical incidents: Updates every 4 hours until resolved
- High severity: Updates every 12 hours until resolved
- Resolution notice: Within 24 hours of incident closure
- Post-incident report: Within 14 days of incident closure
Notification Methods
Primary Channels
| Channel | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Official notifications to designated contacts | |
| Portal banner | Real-time service status updates |
| Phone | Critical incidents requiring immediate attention |
| Status page | Public service availability updates |
Contact Management
- Designated security contacts updated in customer portal
- Multiple contacts supported per customer
- Backup notification methods available
Notification Content
Initial Notification Includes
- Incident Summary
- Brief description of what occurred
- Date/time of discovery
- Current status (investigating, contained, resolved)
- Impact Assessment
- Services affected
- Data types potentially involved
- Whether customer data was accessed
- Immediate Actions Taken
- Containment measures implemented
- Investigation status
- Recommended Customer Actions
- Steps customers should take
- Monitoring recommendations
- Contact information for questions
Update Notifications Include
- Current investigation status
- New findings since last update
- Additional containment or remediation actions
- Updated recommendations if applicable
- Expected next update time
Final Notification Includes
- Complete incident timeline
- Root cause (if determined)
- Full scope of impact
- Remediation completed
- Preventive measures implemented
- Lessons learned summary
Sample Notification Templates
Initial Notification Template
Subject: Security Incident Notification - [Incident ID]
Dear [Customer Name],
We are writing to inform you of a security incident that may affect
your organization's data.
INCIDENT SUMMARY:
On [Date], we detected [brief description]. Our security team
immediately initiated our incident response procedures.
CURRENT STATUS: [Investigating/Contained/Resolved]
IMPACT:
Based on our initial assessment:
- [Services/data potentially affected]
- [Scope of impact]
ACTIONS TAKEN:
- [Containment measure 1]
- [Containment measure 2]
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
- [Recommendation 1]
- [Recommendation 2]
NEXT STEPS:
We will provide an update within [timeframe]. If you have questions,
please contact security@grayghostdata.com.
Sincerely,
Gray Ghost Data Consultants Security Team
Resolution Notification Template
Subject: Security Incident Resolved - [Incident ID]
Dear [Customer Name],
This notification confirms the resolution of the security incident
reported on [Initial Notification Date].
INCIDENT SUMMARY:
[Brief recap of the incident]
RESOLUTION:
The incident has been fully resolved as of [Date/Time].
ROOT CAUSE:
[Description of root cause if determined]
IMPACT CONFIRMED:
[Final confirmed scope of impact]
REMEDIATION COMPLETED:
- [Action 1]
- [Action 2]
PREVENTIVE MEASURES:
- [Measure 1]
- [Measure 2]
A detailed post-incident report will be available within 14 days
upon request.
Thank you for your patience and understanding during this incident.
Sincerely,
Gray Ghost Data Consultants Security Team
Regulatory Notifications
We comply with regulatory notification requirements including:
GDPR (EU/UK)
- Supervisory authority notification: Within 72 hours
- Data subject notification: Without undue delay when high risk
CCPA (California)
- Consumer notification: As required for personal information breaches
HIPAA (if applicable)
- HHS notification: Within 60 days
- Individual notification: Within 60 days
- Media notification: For breaches affecting 500+ individuals
State Breach Notification Laws
- Compliance with all applicable US state breach notification laws
- Notifications sent within required timeframes per jurisdiction
Customer Responsibilities
To ensure timely notifications, customers should:
- Maintain current contacts in the customer portal
- Whitelist notification domains: @grayghostdata.com
- Monitor portal announcements for service updates
- Report suspected incidents immediately to security@grayghostdata.com
Requesting Incident Information
Customers may request:
- Additional details about incidents affecting their data
- Post-incident reports for significant incidents
- Evidence of remediation actions taken
Contact: security@grayghostdata.com
Questions?
If you have questions about our incident notification process:
Email: security@grayghostdata.com
Response Time: Within 24 business hours