Let’s talk about the “golden hour.” In medicine, it’s the first 60 minutes after trauma, where moving fast means saving lives. Cybersecurity has its own version of this window.. The first hour after a cyberattack is when you either contain and stabilize the chaos or watch it spiral.

In practice, that early window is less about panic and more about discipline, preparation, and the ability to quickly separate noise from signal.  At Capgemini, our approach to incident response (IR) isn’t just redefining this window; we’ve turned it into a masterclass in rapid, technical triage.

The anatomy of incident response: What actually happens in the golden hour

“Incident response” is often used as an umbrella term, covering everything from crisis coordination to threat intel. In reality, effective IR is a collection of interdependent capabilities that activate in parallel. Here’s how each one contributes to a resilient first hour:

  • Watch services: Think of this as your cyber early warning system. Daily threat feeds, flash bulletins, and malware briefings mean you have situational awareness. If there’s a new ransomware flavor trending, your SOC can read about it as they finish morning coffee.
  • Threat information management: Take a zero day. A new method of attack needs to become part of the detection library and added to security tooling. Our CSIRT team delivers qualified IoCs and attacker insights straight into your SIEM/SOAR/SOC. Translation: actionable intelligence for your SIEM/SOAR/SOC.
  • Prevention services: The best golden hour is one you’ve rehearsed. Tabletop exercises, crisis simulations, and technical trainings mean your team’s first response isn’t “GPT it,” but “activate playbook.” We build muscle memory, so your golden hour is more graceful and gazelle like and less deer-in-headlights.
  • Investigation services:  Capgemini’s SWAT team (yes, we call them that) are ready to line up with forensic tools and experience to provide crisis management and hunting services.
  • Incident Response Services: Many organizations’ IR services have SLOs, not SLAs and start at four hours. The golden hour shouldn’t be wasted on phone trees or “please hold.” Leaders need diagnostics, context, and trusted advisors.
  • Remediation services: The golden hour sets the tone, but the real win is making sure it doesn’t happen again. Our experts help you patch, harden, and prioritize, so next time, you’re even faster.

What makes Capgemini’s approach to golden hour different

  • Integrated response: IR isn’t a solo act. We plug into MDR, vulnerability management, and red/purple teaming, so escalation is seamless and diagnostics are instant. When the golden hour hits, you’re not starting from scratch.
  • Expertise: Our teams combine digital forensics, malware analysis, threat hunting, and crisis management, supported by global coverage and regional specialization. The golden hour benefits from this multi-disciplinary lens.
  • Custom-fit retainers: No cookie-cutter solutions. We tailor services to your industry, threat landscape, and maturity. Your golden hour, your way.
  • Proactive intelligence: Cyber weather reports, targeted briefings, and playbooks mean you’re not just reacting—you’re anticipating. The best defense is knowing what’s coming.
  • Actionable, fast: The golden hour is about clarity, not chaos. Our methodologies emphasize defensible documentation, clear communication, and evidence that withstands both scrutiny and stress.

Capgemini’s incident response is designed specifically for the golden hour; those critical first moments when swift, decisive action matters most. As your trusted partner we’re already prepared to move, turning urgency into clear strategy and confusion into actionable results. With our deep regional expertise, combined with a global network, means that when the clock starts ticking, you’re backed by a team that’s ready, capable, and committed to making every second count.