What is Incident Response?
What Is Incident Response in Cyber Security?
Simply put, incident response is how organisations react to cyber security threats. It covers everything from detecting a data breach to containing malware, handling insider threats, and mitigating denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
Why Does Incident Response Matter?
Cyber threats are everywhere, and they’re only getting worse. If your organisation isn’t prepared to handle security incidents, you’re leaving yourself open to financial loss, reputational damage, and legal trouble. That’s where incident response (IR) comes in.
A structured approach to detecting, containing, and recovering from cyberattacks
Why Do You Need an Incident Response Plan (IRP)?
Think of an IRP as your game plan for handling cyber incidents. Without it, your business could be in serious trouble when an attack happens. A strong IRP helps you:
Respond quickly and efficiently to discovered threats.
Minimise financial and operational disruptions.
Stay compliant with industry regulations.
Protect sensitive customer and business data.
Did you know that 63% of C-level executives in the U.S. don’t have an incident response plan, yet 50% of organizations experience a cyberattack?
Don’t be part of that statistic. Download our Incident Response Playbook Guide to stay secure.
What Are the Phases of Incident Response?
Incident response follows a six-step lifecycle to ensure a structured approach:
1. Preparation
Develop a clear, documented IR plan.
Train employees on security awareness.
Deploy security tools like firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
2. Detection & Identification
Use monitoring tools to spot potential threats.
Analyze system logs and alerts for anomalies.
Categorize incidents based on severity and impact.
3. Containment
Short-term containment: Isolate affected systems immediately.
Long-term containment: Patch vulnerabilities and apply security updates.
Preserve digital evidence for forensic analysis.
4. Eradication
Identify and eliminate the root cause of the incident.
Remove malware and fix security gaps.
Strengthen defenses to prevent recurrence.
5. Recovery
Restore affected systems from secure backups.
Monitor for any signs of reinfection.
Validate security improvements before resuming full operations.
6. Post-Incident Review & Lessons Learned
Conduct a thorough post-mortem analysis.
Document lessons learned and update the IRP accordingly.
Train teams based on insights from the incident.
Who Should be in an Incident Response Team (IRT)?
An effective IRT includes:
Incident Response Manager: Oversees the response process.
Security Analysts: Investigate and mitigate threats.
IT Support Staff: Help with system recovery.
Legal & Compliance Experts: Ensure regulatory adherence.
Public Relations Team: Manage stakeholder communication.
What Are the Must-Have Tools for Incident Response?
A strong IR strategy relies on the right tools and here are some essential tools:
SIEM (Security Information and Event Management): Aggregates and analyzes security logs.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Monitors and mitigates endpoint threats.
Forensic Tools: Help identify root causes and collect evidence.
- Threat Intelligence Platforms: Provide insights into emerging cyber threats.
What Legal and Regulatory Factors Should You Consider?
Incident response must align with key industry regulations, including:
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): Requires breach reporting within 72 hours.
NIST Cybersecurity Framework: Provides best practices for cybersecurity risk management.
- HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): Mandates the protection of healthcare data.
Real-World Incident Response Scenarios
Ransomware Attack Disrupts City Services
A city in California was hit by a ransomware attack that took down phone lines and financial data systems, forcing them offline. This disruption affected essential services, leaving the city scrambling to restore operations.
You can read more about it here.
What can we learn from this?
Public sector organisations are prime ransomware targets.
A solid incident response plan can mean the difference between quick recovery and prolonged downtime and investing in proactive cybersecurity measures is crucial to preventing similar incidents.
How Can You Stay Ahead?
Cyber threats aren’t going away, but a well-structured incident response plan ensures resilience and quick recovery. You must continuously refine your strategy, invest in advanced security tools, and train your teams to stay ahead of evolving threats.
We structure our Incident Response engagements along the SANS incident response model, an industry standard proven to be fast and decisive. Our team will assist you throughout the process to:
STOP the ongoing attack in its tracks
START rebuilding your production environment by localizing unaffected assets and backups
HARDEN your network, servers, and endpoint defenses to protect against future attacks