1) Assemble your crisis-management team - or your executive management team - to ensure that all mission-critical decision-makers are available and, if possible, together.

2) Take all necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of all personnel.

3) Conduct a first-line risk analysis: ensure that your critical data is stored safely and is available offsite; and determine how your business operations (including networks and data centers) will be affected by the event (e.g., closing of governments and financial markets).

4) Determine what methods of communication are available and establish key communications.

5) Protect your mission-critical processes.

6) Make a public and regularly updated declaration of the steps you are taking to deal with the crisis.

7) Implement your cyber incident response (CIRT) plan (if you have one). If you do not have a CIRT plan, block all external Internet access until you have determined that a wave of cyberterrorism attacks is not about to follow.

8) Ensure that all employees know your company's evacuation procedures and update their emergency contact information with the human resources department.