Pre-Attack Preparation Checklist

Preparation before attacks occur dramatically improves response effectiveness. Document all critical assets including servers, IP addresses, domain names, and service dependencies. Maintain updated network diagrams showing traffic flows and protection points. This documentation proves invaluable when making rapid decisions during attacks.

Establish relationships with key providers before you need them. Meet with ISP security teams to understand their DDoS mitigation capabilities. Test communication channels with CDN and DDoS protection providers. Obtain emergency contact numbers for all critical vendors. Pre-established relationships accelerate response when every minute counts.

Configure monitoring and alerting systems to detect attacks quickly. Set baseline thresholds for normal traffic patterns across different times and days. Implement multi-tier alerting that escalates based on attack severity. Test alert delivery to ensure notifications reach appropriate personnel. Regular testing prevents alert system failures during actual attacks.

Prepare response toolkits containing scripts, configurations, and procedures. Pre-stage firewall rules for common attack scenarios. Document commands for activating mitigation services. Create runbooks with step-by-step procedures for different attack types. Having tools ready prevents delays from searching for information during attacks.