Behind the Scenes: How Pager Apps Power 24/7 Incident Response Operations

Behind the Scenes: How Pager Apps Power 24/7 Incident Response Operations 

In a surprising 90s-throwback, pagers have been making headlines lately. In this blog post, I want to discuss pager apps such as Pager Duty, Splunk on-call (Victorops),OpsGenie, and others that are critical for incident responders. 

Last year, I joined Profero as the IR Projects Manager. In this role, I oversee our globally distributed Incident Response (IR) team to ensure seamless operations both day-to-day and during critical incidents. So far, I’ve managed hundreds of incidents worldwide. Pager apps are deeply integrated into our internal teamwork, ongoing communication with customers, and Rapid-IR, our bespoke readiness platform.

Team Collaboration 

Besides internal communication systems like Teams and Slack, pager apps are paramount for immediate response and serve as a "single source of truth" for an incident. Pager appsensure swift alert delivery and coordination among team members. In October 2024, when an on-call responder faced a family emergency, our policy and pager system allowed for seamless transition and support continuity during a client's incident. In this case, the pager app enabled us to keep our commitment to mitigate disruption and damage through prompt action. 

Intelligent Escalation 

Our pager apps underpin effective escalation management. Alerts are initially delivered toon-call responders and escalate to senior team members if unaddressed, ensuring no gaps in oversight. During high-demand periods, these apps, much like a dive computer monitoring multiple critical parameters—depth, time, air supply—simultaneously, our pager apps help us track and manage multiple concurrent incidents and indicators.  

Outbound Communication 

Pager apps are also empowering CISOs by ensuring they can respond to an event in its earliest stages.Through Rapid-IR integration with our pager app, security leaders can alert us instantly upon detection of a threat, ensuring critical information is delivered promptly. A notable example occurred in December 2024, when a CISO used this integration to provide vital details of incoming attack, enabling early detection and total prevention. Our integrated communication channels also provide clients with a clear view of our processes, building trust and reassurance. 

Alert Mindset 

Lastly, pager apps not only facilitate technical operations but also develop a readiness mindset in our team. This readiness is critical for working effectively during emergencies, shaping the psychological posture necessary for supporting clients in difficult moments. 

By continuously maintaining this alertness, our team members are prepared to address client needs 24/7. We have to be ready:  Profero covers worldwide incidents (we "follow the sun”) and adheres to a 20-minute response time—a demanding standard which we maintain 100% of the time. 

If you are experiencing a cyber incident, please page us, or better yet, fill out our Emergency Contact form. For premium readiness before an incident, you can apply to become a design partner for our latest security orchestration platform: Rapid-IR 3.0. 

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