# Summarize a security incident for executives

Turns technical incident details into a clear leadership briefing on impact, actions, decisions needed, and next update.

- Topic: Email & Workplace Communication
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Legal, Write, Summarize, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/summarize-a-security-incident-for-executives

## Prompt

```text
Write an executive summary of a security incident.

**Incident details:** [PASTE technical timeline, findings, systems affected]
**Status:** [ongoing / contained / resolved]
**Confirmed impact:** [systems down, data accessed or exfiltrated, customers affected, cost so far]
**Still unknown:** [WHAT we are still investigating]
**Decisions we need from leadership:** [e.g. "approve outside forensics firm", "approve customer notification"]
**Audience:** [CEO / board / leadership team]

Write it with these sections:
1. Bottom line (3 sentences): what happened, current status, and the business impact.
2. What we know vs. what we do not know yet, clearly separated.
3. Business impact: operations, customers, data, money, and legal or regulatory exposure, using only confirmed facts.
4. Actions taken so far and what is next, with dates.
5. Decisions needed, each with a recommendation and deadline.
6. Next update: when it will come.

Rules:
- Plain language. Explain any technical term in a few words or drop it.
- Never minimize or speculate. Write "not yet determined" rather than guess the scope or cause.
- Do not assign blame to individuals.
- Keep it to one page. Add a short timeline table as an appendix.

Remind me that wording about data exposure may have legal consequences and should be reviewed by counsel before wide distribution.
```

## What to fill in

- PASTE technical timeline, findings, systems affected
- ongoing / contained / resolved
- WHAT we are still investigating
- CEO / board / leadership team

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.