Cybersecurity Incident Response Training for Your Entire Organization
When a cyber attack strikes, the first minutes determine everything. Petronella Technology Group delivers hands-on incident response training that prepares your staff, leadership, and technical teams to identify, contain, and recover from security incidents—before panic and confusion turn a containable event into a catastrophic breach. Serving businesses across Raleigh, Durham, RTP, and the entire Triangle region of North Carolina.
Speak directly with a cybersecurity expert: 919-348-4912
Most Organizations Are Not Prepared to Respond to a Cyber Attack
Security incidents come in many forms—from policy violations and unauthorized scans to full-scale compromises, ransomware attacks, and insider data theft. Until a trained team investigates, the true scope of damage remains unknown. Without preparation, every second of confusion compounds the cost.
Panic replaces procedure. When employees discover a potential breach, most have no idea what steps to take. They shut down systems they should leave running, delete logs that forensic investigators need, alert the wrong people, and inadvertently tip off insider threats. Without rehearsed incident response procedures, your team's instinctive reactions actively worsen the damage and destroy the evidence needed to understand what actually occurred.
Regulatory violations multiply the damage. HIPAA, CMMC, NIST 800-171, PCI-DSS, and SOX all mandate documented incident response capabilities. Organizations that cannot demonstrate they have trained their staff on breach response procedures face compounded penalties—not just for the breach itself, but for failing to maintain the preparedness that regulations require. Fines, lost contracts, and audit failures follow organizations that treat incident response training as optional.
Response delays escalate exponentially. IBM's research consistently shows that organizations without incident response plans and trained teams take an average of 277 days to identify and contain a data breach. Every additional day of uncontained breach exposure increases the financial impact, regulatory consequences, and reputational damage. Trained organizations contain incidents in a fraction of that time because every team member knows their role before the alarm sounds.
Leadership is blindsided during crises. Executives who have never practiced crisis communication make costly mistakes under pressure—issuing premature public statements, failing to notify regulators within required timeframes, making decisions that expose the organization to additional legal liability, or underestimating the severity of an incident because they lack the technical context to interpret what their IT team is reporting. Without executive-level tabletop exercises, leadership becomes the weakest link in your response chain.
Battle-Tested Incident Response Training, Built from Real-World Experience
Incident response is how your organization identifies, reacts to, and recovers from security incidents perpetrated by hackers, malware, or anyone with malicious intent. The difference between a well-managed incident and a full-blown crisis comes down to one thing: whether your people have been trained and rehearsed before the attack arrives.
Petronella Technology Group brings more than 22 years of frontline cybersecurity experience to every training engagement. Our incident response training programs are not built from theoretical textbooks—they are forged from decades of real-world breach investigations, forensic analyses, and crisis management situations that our team has navigated for organizations across North Carolina and beyond. When we design a tabletop exercise or develop your incident response plan, every scenario reflects actual attack patterns and response challenges we have encountered in the field.
Our approach goes far beyond simply handing your team a written plan and hoping they read it. PTG immerses your organization in realistic, pressure-tested exercises that build genuine muscle memory. We train your IT staff on technical containment and evidence preservation. We prepare your executives for crisis decision-making and stakeholder communication. We educate your front-line employees on threat recognition and proper escalation. And we equip your legal and compliance teams with the knowledge they need to manage regulatory notification requirements and protect the organization from unnecessary liability.
If we confirm your security has been compromised and requires a response, we draw from years of experience working situations exactly like yours and provide expert guidance and support to minimize your downside. Many organizations keep PTG on retainer so that we understand your environment and people before an incident occurs, allowing for dramatically faster response times and more effective remediation when every minute counts.
Six-Phase Incident Response Methodology
- 1 Preparation — Develop and document your incident response plan, define roles, establish communication channels, and configure monitoring and alerting systems before an incident ever occurs.
- 2 Identification — Train your team to recognize indicators of compromise, properly triage security alerts, and distinguish genuine incidents from false positives with confidence.
- 3 Containment — Practice isolating compromised systems to prevent lateral movement while preserving forensic evidence and maintaining critical business operations.
- 4 Eradication — Remove the root cause of the incident from your environment, including malware, compromised accounts, backdoors, and persistence mechanisms planted by attackers.
- 5 Recovery — Restore affected systems to normal operations, implement enhanced monitoring, validate system integrity, and resume full business functionality with confidence.
- 6 Lessons Learned — Conduct structured post-incident reviews, document findings, update your response plan, and strengthen defenses to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
Comprehensive Incident Response Training Capabilities
Every training component is designed by cybersecurity professionals who have responded to real incidents for over two decades. Your team practices with scenarios drawn from actual attack patterns targeting Triangle-area businesses.
Tabletop Exercises
PTG designs and facilitates realistic tabletop exercises that immerse your team in simulated cybersecurity incidents without the risk of disrupting real operations. Each exercise is custom-built around threat scenarios most relevant to your industry and infrastructure—ransomware attacks that encrypt critical patient records, business email compromise targeting your accounts payable department, insider data theft by a departing employee, or a supply chain attack compromising your software vendors. Participants practice their assigned roles from your incident response plan, exercise communication protocols under simulated time pressure, and make the difficult decisions that real incidents demand. Our facilitators introduce evolving complications throughout the exercise, just as real attacks unfold unpredictably, ensuring your team learns to adapt rather than simply follow a script. Every exercise concludes with a thorough debrief that identifies strengths, exposes gaps, and produces actionable recommendations to strengthen your response capabilities.
Incident Response Plan Development
A plan that sits in a binder on a shelf does nothing when an attack occurs. PTG works with your leadership, IT team, legal counsel, and compliance officers to build a living, actionable incident response plan that your people can actually execute under pressure. We define clear roles and responsibilities for every stakeholder, establish escalation pathways and communication trees, create step-by-step playbooks for the most probable attack scenarios your organization faces, and document regulatory notification requirements specific to your industry and jurisdictions. The plan addresses evidence preservation procedures that protect your legal interests, business continuity integration that keeps critical operations running during incident response, and vendor and third-party coordination protocols. We do not deliver a template—we deliver a custom-engineered response framework tested through tabletop exercises and refined through iterative feedback.
Executive Crisis Management
Your executive team faces unique challenges during cybersecurity incidents that technical training alone does not address. PTG conducts specialized crisis management sessions for C-suite leaders, board members, and senior managers that prepare them for the strategic decisions required during active incidents. Executives practice managing stakeholder communications, coordinating with legal counsel on breach notification timing, making resource allocation decisions under incomplete information, interfacing with law enforcement and regulatory bodies, and maintaining organizational morale and customer confidence during extended incident response operations. Our executive training draws on real crisis scenarios where leadership decisions significantly impacted outcomes—both positively and negatively—providing concrete lessons that translate directly to your organization's context.
Technical Response Team Training
PTG provides intensive, hands-on training for your IT and security personnel on the technical disciplines required for effective incident response. This includes network forensics and traffic analysis to identify attacker movement patterns, memory and disk forensic techniques for evidence collection and preservation, malware analysis fundamentals for understanding the nature and capabilities of detected threats, log analysis and SIEM correlation for reconstructing incident timelines, and containment strategies that isolate threats without destroying forensic evidence or disrupting critical business systems. Your technical team practices using the same tools and methodologies that PTG's own incident response professionals deploy in real breach investigations, ensuring they can operate effectively alongside our team if an incident requires external response support.
Breach Response Procedures
When a data breach is confirmed, a precise sequence of actions must unfold across multiple departments simultaneously. PTG trains your organization on the complete breach response lifecycle, from initial detection and scope assessment through containment, notification, remediation, and post-breach recovery. Your team learns the specific procedures required by your regulatory environment—HIPAA breach notification rules for healthcare organizations, CMMC incident reporting requirements for defense contractors, PCI-DSS forensic investigation protocols for businesses handling payment card data, and state-level breach notification laws applicable to North Carolina operations. We train your staff to coordinate with external forensic investigators, legal counsel, law enforcement, insurance carriers, and public relations professionals, ensuring that every stakeholder interaction is managed professionally and every regulatory deadline is met.
Post-Incident Review Workshops
The most valuable learning happens after an incident has been resolved. PTG conducts structured post-incident review workshops, sometimes called lessons-learned sessions, that systematically analyze what happened, why it happened, how the response performed, and what must change to prevent recurrence. These workshops examine every phase of the incident lifecycle with a focus on continuous improvement rather than blame. We document findings in actionable improvement plans that update your incident response procedures, identify training gaps that need to be addressed, recommend technology enhancements that would have improved detection or containment, and establish metrics for measuring response capability improvements over time. For organizations that have not yet experienced a real incident, PTG conducts these reviews using our tabletop exercise results as the foundation, creating the same continuous improvement cycle without requiring an actual breach.
Trusted by Over 2,500 Organizations Across North Carolina
PTG's incident response training is built on a foundation of real-world experience protecting businesses throughout the Raleigh-Durham Triangle. Our track record speaks with undeniable clarity.
“I would recommend Petronella Technology Group to any client who is looking for help with IT Security for their practice. I have worked with Craig with the implementation of EMR systems in the Durham, NC area. He is extremely professional and very knowledgeable with the current technologies. His team's incident response training gave our staff the confidence and procedures they needed to handle security events properly, and we now conduct tabletop exercises quarterly to stay prepared.”
Incident Response Training for Every Sector
PTG customizes incident response training programs to address the specific threat landscapes, regulatory obligations, and operational realities of your industry. Every scenario, playbook, and exercise reflects the unique challenges your organization faces.
Healthcare & HIPAA
Training scenarios built around protected health information breaches, ransomware targeting EHR systems, HIPAA breach notification requirements, and the specific incident reporting obligations healthcare organizations in the Triangle region must follow.
Defense & CMMC
Incident response exercises aligned with CMMC Level 2 and Level 3 requirements, NIST 800-171 incident handling controls, DFARS 7012 reporting obligations, and controlled unclassified information protection procedures for RTP-area defense contractors.
Financial Services
Specialized training covering wire fraud response, payment card data breach procedures, SOX and PCI-DSS incident documentation requirements, and the rapid response protocols financial institutions need when customer financial data is at risk.
Manufacturing & Technology
Incident response training addressing operational technology attacks, intellectual property theft scenarios, supply chain compromise response, and the unique challenges of maintaining production continuity while containing active cybersecurity incidents.
Legal & Professional Services
Training programs focused on protecting attorney-client privileged information, responding to targeted attacks on law firm document management systems, managing client notification obligations, and preserving chain of custody during breach investigations.
Government & Education
Incident response exercises designed for public sector organizations and educational institutions in the Triangle, addressing student data protection requirements, FERPA compliance, state and federal reporting obligations, and the unique challenges of open network environments.
Whether you are a healthcare practice meeting HIPAA mandates in Raleigh, a defense contractor satisfying CMMC requirements near Research Triangle Park, a financial services firm adhering to PCI-DSS in Durham, or a growing technology company protecting its intellectual property anywhere in North Carolina, PTG's incident response training is engineered to address the precise threats and compliance obligations your organization faces every day.
The Team That Fights Back for You
Turn to the right team of proven IT security experts. When responding to an intrusion or hacking event that has affected your environment, experience is everything. Craig Petronella, an IT Cyber Security Expert, Amazon #1 Best Selling Author, and trusted voice featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and News & Observer, leads PTG's incident response training with the clarity, authority, and real-world expertise your organization deserves. Here is what separates PTG from every other training provider in the Triangle:
- 22+ years, 2,500+ companies, zero breaches among clients following our security program—Our flawless track record across more than two decades of protecting Raleigh, Durham, RTP, and North Carolina businesses is not a marketing claim—it is the documented result of the same methodologies we teach in our training programs.
- Training built from real incident investigations—Every scenario in our training library is drawn from actual cybersecurity incidents PTG has investigated and resolved. Your team practices with realistic, pressure-tested exercises—not hypothetical textbook scenarios.
- Retainer-based rapid response integration—Organizations that keep PTG on retainer benefit from pre-established familiarity with their environment, people, and systems. When an incident occurs, we already understand your infrastructure, reducing response time from days to hours.
- Compliance-aligned documentation—Every training engagement produces audit-ready documentation that satisfies HIPAA, CMMC, NIST 800-171, PCI-DSS, SOX, and other regulatory training and testing requirements.
- End-to-end cybersecurity partnership—PTG is not a training-only vendor. We provide the full spectrum of cybersecurity services, from security awareness training and active incident response to forensic investigation and managed security operations. Your training integrates smoothly with operational capabilities.
- Local expertise, immediate availability—Headquartered in Raleigh, NC, PTG delivers on-site training, remote sessions, and hybrid formats throughout the Triangle. When your organization needs us—for training or for an actual incident—we are right here.
From Unprepared to Incident-Ready in 90 Days
A mid-sized healthcare practice in Raleigh engaged PTG after realizing their staff had no documented procedures for handling a data breach. Their HIPAA risk assessment revealed critical gaps in incident response preparedness, and their cyber liability insurance carrier flagged their lack of tabletop exercises as a coverage concern.
PTG developed a comprehensive incident response plan, conducted role-specific training for clinical staff, IT administrators, and executive leadership, and facilitated quarterly tabletop exercises simulating ransomware attacks targeting their EHR system. Within 90 days, the organization achieved full compliance with HIPAA incident response requirements and dramatically improved their team's confidence and capability.
Incident Response Training Questions Answered
Get answers to the most common questions about PTG's incident response training programs for businesses across the Raleigh-Durham Triangle region.
Incident response training prepares your organization to identify, contain, eradicate, and recover from cybersecurity incidents such as data breaches, ransomware attacks, phishing compromises, and insider threats. Without structured training, employees panic during security events, make critical mistakes that worsen the damage, and fail to preserve evidence needed for forensic investigation and regulatory reporting. PTG's incident response training programs ensure every member of your team, from front-line staff to executive leadership, knows exactly what to do when a cyber attack occurs. For businesses in Raleigh, Durham, RTP, and the Triangle region, this preparedness can mean the difference between a contained incident and a catastrophic breach.
Tabletop exercises are structured, discussion-based simulations where your team walks through realistic cybersecurity incident scenarios in a low-stress, collaborative environment. PTG designs custom tabletop exercises based on the specific threats facing your industry and organization, including scenarios such as ransomware attacks, data exfiltration, business email compromise, and insider threats. Participants practice their roles and responsibilities from your incident response plan, identify gaps in procedures, and refine communication protocols. These exercises reveal weaknesses in your response capabilities before a real incident exposes them, and they satisfy training requirements for HIPAA, CMMC, NIST, PCI-DSS, and other regulatory frameworks.
PTG recommends conducting comprehensive incident response training at least twice per year, with tabletop exercises quarterly for organizations in regulated industries such as healthcare, defense contracting, and financial services. New employees should receive incident response orientation within their first 30 days. Additionally, training should be updated and repeated whenever your organization experiences significant changes such as new technology deployments, organizational restructuring, emerging threat vectors, or regulatory updates. Many compliance frameworks including HIPAA, CMMC, and NIST 800-171 mandate regular incident response training and testing, and PTG helps you maintain documentation that satisfies auditor requirements.
Yes. Incident response plan development is a core component of PTG's training services. Our team works with your leadership to create a comprehensive, actionable incident response plan that covers preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident review. The plan defines roles and responsibilities, establishes communication protocols for internal teams and external stakeholders, outlines evidence preservation procedures, addresses regulatory notification requirements, and provides step-by-step playbooks for the most likely attack scenarios your organization faces. Every plan is tailored to your specific infrastructure, compliance obligations, and business continuity requirements.
Effective incident response requires participation from every level of your organization, not just IT staff. PTG's training programs include role-specific modules for IT and security teams who handle technical containment, executive leadership who manage crisis communications and business decisions, legal and compliance personnel who oversee regulatory obligations, human resources staff who address insider threat scenarios, customer service representatives who manage client communications during incidents, and front-line employees who serve as the first line of detection. Each group receives training appropriate to their role in the incident response plan, ensuring coordinated, effective action when a real event occurs.
PTG's incident response training covers the full spectrum of cybersecurity threats that businesses in the Raleigh-Durham Triangle region face today. This includes ransomware attacks and extortion scenarios, phishing and business email compromise, data breaches and exfiltration, denial-of-service attacks, malware infestations, insider threats both malicious and accidental, unauthorized access and privilege escalation, supply chain compromises, cloud security incidents, and policy violations. We customize training scenarios based on your industry's specific threat landscape and your organization's most likely attack vectors, drawing on real-world incidents PTG has investigated over 22 years of cybersecurity operations.
Multiple regulatory frameworks mandate incident response planning, training, and testing. HIPAA requires covered entities to have incident response procedures and train workforce members on their roles. CMMC and NIST 800-171 require defense contractors to establish and test incident response capabilities. PCI-DSS requires organizations handling payment card data to test their incident response plans annually. SOX compliance demands that financial services organizations maintain and exercise business continuity and incident response procedures. PTG's training programs are specifically designed to satisfy these requirements, and we provide comprehensive documentation including training records, exercise reports, and plan revision histories that demonstrate compliance to auditors and regulators.
Yes. PTG delivers incident response training both on-site at your facilities in the Raleigh, Durham, RTP, and Triangle area, and through secure remote training platforms for distributed and hybrid workforces. Remote tabletop exercises use collaborative tools that simulate the communication challenges of responding to incidents with geographically dispersed team members, which is actually a critical scenario to practice since many organizations now operate with remote and hybrid employees. We also offer hybrid training formats that combine in-person sessions for key personnel with remote participation for satellite offices and remote workers, ensuring consistent training across your entire organization regardless of location.
Security awareness training teaches employees to recognize and avoid cyber threats in their daily work, such as identifying phishing emails, creating strong passwords, and following acceptable use policies. It is preventative in nature. Incident response training, by contrast, prepares your organization to act decisively after a security incident has already occurred or been detected. It focuses on containment, evidence preservation, communication protocols, regulatory notification, recovery procedures, and crisis management. Both are essential components of a mature cybersecurity program. PTG offers comprehensive security awareness training as a separate service that complements our incident response training programs, creating a complete preparedness framework for your organization.
PTG's incident response training is customized to your organization's size, industry, compliance requirements, and current security maturity, so pricing varies based on scope. Programs range from focused tabletop exercises for small teams to comprehensive multi-day training engagements with plan development, role-specific modules, and ongoing exercise programs. Many of our Triangle-area clients include incident response training as part of their managed security services agreement with PTG, which provides predictable monthly costs and regular training cadences. Contact us at 919-348-4912 for a consultation where we will assess your needs and provide a detailed proposal tailored to your organization's requirements and budget.
Ready to Build an Incident Response Capability That Protects Your Business When It Matters Most?
Schedule your incident response training consultation with Petronella Technology Group. Our cybersecurity experts will assess your current preparedness, identify gaps in your response capabilities, and design a training program that ensures your team is ready for anything. No obligation, no pressure—just expert guidance from a team with 22+ years and zero breaches among clients who implemented our full security recommendations protecting businesses across Raleigh, Durham, RTP, and the Triangle.
Prefer to talk now? Call us directly at 919-348-4912
Cybersecurity Training Programs
Explore PTG's full suite of cybersecurity training and certification programs for Triangle businesses.
Security Awareness Training
Preventative training that teaches your staff to recognize and avoid phishing, social engineering, and cyber threats.
Incident Response Services
Active incident response and forensic investigation when your organization is under attack.
Schedule a Consultation
Speak with Craig Petronella and our cybersecurity experts about your incident response training needs.