When faced with a link penalty, it is crucial to take swift action. Firstly, thoroughly assess your link profile and scrutinize every potential low-quality, spammy, or unnatural link that could have potentially triggered the penalty. Following this, engage in proactive communication with the website owners responsible for the harmful links and request their removal or updating. This strategic approach aims to rectify the penalty and enhance the overall health of your link profile, thereby safeguarding your site against further penalties or attacks.