# Incident response escalation tree

PrivacyBuilt Editorial | Educational working model | 3 November 2026

Populate contacts and backups, test out-of-hours reachability and validate applicable reporting triggers. Internal targets do not replace legal deadlines.

## Detect → preserve → escalate
1. Reporter → [security intake channel and out-of-hours backup]. Record detection time; preserve evidence safely.
2. Security lead → [incident commander]. Contain, scope and coordinate forensic evidence.
3. Incident commander → [privacy and legal leads]. Establish awareness time, affected people, roles and relevant laws in parallel.
4. Privacy/legal → [authority and individual notification approvers]. Assess threshold, trigger, recipient, clock and exceptions for EACH applicable law.
5. Supplier owner → [provider contacts]. Obtain facts and coordinate role-specific notices without waiting for full certainty.
6. Communications → [authorised spokesperson]. Approve accurate, accessible notices and update cadence.
7. Executive owner → [material-risk escalation route]. Resolve resources and unresolved decisions; do not override legal duties.
8. Recovery owner → [verification team]. Verify remediation and assign retrospective actions.
## Clock register
| Framework | Trigger | Authority clock | Individual threshold | Source / reviewer |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| GDPR if applicable | Awareness of personal data breach | Without undue delay; where feasible 72 hours; risk exception | Likely high risk; statutory exceptions | GDPR Articles 33–34 |
| Singapore PDPA if applicable | Determination breach is notifiable | As soon as practicable; at most 3 calendar days after determination | Significant harm; exceptions apply | Current PDPC guidance |
| Other applicable law | [validate] | [validate] | [validate] | [official source] |
## Restricted incident record
[Record facts, uncertainties, assessment start, awareness and determination times, decision reasons, receipts and next updates. Restrict access; retain under approved schedule.]