Organizations face an average of 26 cyber attacks annually, making it crucial to not only prevent but also effectively respond to breaches. A recent survey by ThoughtLab highlighted that over a quarter of executives feel unprepared for cyber attacks, yet it also revealed best practices from top cybersecurity leaders across various industries. Key strategies include maintaining and regularly testing an incident-response plan, prioritizing crisis communications to manage reputational damage, and leveraging automation to reduce human error in detecting vulnerabilities. Additionally, organizations should focus on creating and testing backups to defend against ransomware, as well as enhancing security controls to address expanding attack surfaces caused by digital transformation and remote work. Implementing these measures can help organizations optimize their cybersecurity posture and reduce the incidence and impact of breaches.