In crisis management, much has been said about the importance of the first 10 minutes — a golden window during which direction, tone, and control are either established or lost. But that idea, while useful, often oversimplifies the reality of modern incident response.
The world has changed. Threats now escalate at digital speed. Regulators are watching. Clients expect transparency. Teams are dispersed. And boards are no longer interested in theoretical playbooks — they want assurance that operational resilience is real, tested, and demonstrable.
This is particularly true for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and other essential digital suppliers, who now find themselves at the centre of both regulatory pressure and threat actor focus. For them, what happens in the first 10 minutes doesn’t just influence recovery — it influences compliance, reputation, and, increasingly, survivability.
In the past, operational resilience was often treated as a principle - something organisations aspired to through layered defences, BCPs, and training. But in 2025, it is becoming a requirement - a measurable obligation reinforced by law.
This evolving framework puts resilience in the spotlight — not just as an internal imperative, but as a matter of legal compliance and customer trust.
The traditional incident response model looked something like this:
In many organisations, this model still exists - often loosely replicated in Teams or Slack channels not designed for resilience. But in an age of simultaneous threats, regulatory scrutiny, and digital interdependence, this approach is starting to show its cracks.
We believe it’s time to move beyond speed as the primary KPI. Instead, the first 10 minutes should be about three things:
Pre-define what warrants escalation. Don’t wait for full facts - instead, set clear thresholds (e.g., detection of ransomware, unauthorised access, client data exposure) that trigger your incident plan automatically.
With Sentinel Spaces, you can launch the relevant incident response space in a single click — activating the right team, launching secure communications, and surfacing critical documents instantly.
The days of ad hoc group chats and endless email threads are over. Teams must move into a structured collaboration space - one that provides:
This is not optional — especially for MSPs who will be expected to evidence both activity and control.
In the first 10 minutes, uncontrolled messaging is a major risk. Clear guidance on internal messaging, media holding statements, and regulatory notification workflows must be embedded — not improvised.
Sentinel Spaces provides rapid, secure mass communication, while Video Crisis Rooms keep sensitive conversations protected from compromised or monitored systems.
Not every incident warrants the same rhythm. One of the biggest shifts we’ve observed is the move away from standardised “all hands” responses to scenario-calibrated mobilisation. Here's how different events shape the opening moves:
| Incident Type | First 10 Minutes Focus |
| Cyber or ransomware attack compromising systems | Move to secure comms immediately. Avoid using compromised systems. Notify legal and compliance. Begin forensic preservation. |
| Cloud platform or major software outage | Engage engineering and customer comms. Document timelines and decision points early for later reporting. |
| Data breach or unauthorised access to critical systems | Assemble DPO, legal, client comms. Launch internal investigation and risk assessment for notification thresholds. |
| Terror-related threat to a physical site, or extreme weather | Prioritise safety and evacuation. Notify authorities. Use Spaces to coordinate post-event reoccupation and internal communication. |
| Reputational or media event like misinformation | Assemble Comms and Exec. Launch secure video call. Prepare coordinated messaging. Monitor sentiment. |
What connects these scenarios isn’t just their complexity — it’s the need for a purpose-built environment that enables secure, compliant, and intelligent response in real time.
Sentinel Spaces is one such platform — built not to replace your crisis team’s expertise, but to enhance it.
Boards and regulators are no longer satisfied with, “We had a call, we managed it.” They want evidence. They want logs. They want proof of resilience - not as a concept, but as a repeatable, testable capability.
The first 10 minutes are your first opportunity to show that proof. And for MSPs and essential service providers, the cost of getting it wrong is no longer just operational - it’s existential.
The time to modernise crisis response isn’t when the crisis begins. It’s now.