Incident Identification Process
To effectively identify cybersecurity incidents, organizations should establish a structured process. The process of identifying an incident typically includes the following steps:
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Data Collection: The first step in identifying an incident is collecting relevant data from logs, network traffic, and endpoints. This data serves as the foundation for further investigation.
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Initial Triage: Once data is collected, it should be analyzed to determine whether the event is an actual incident or a false positive. This step involves filtering out benign activities and focusing on suspicious patterns.
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Analysis and Correlation: In this step, security analysts correlate the collected data from different sources to identify relationships and indicators of compromise. For example, failed login attempts on a system followed by unusual outbound traffic could indicate a brute-force attack combined with data exfiltration.
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Incident Classification: Once an incident is identified, it needs to be classified according to its severity, type, and impact on the organization. This classification helps prioritize the response and determines the resources required for containment.
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Alert Generation: Based on the classification, automated alerts should be generated and sent to the incident response team for further action. The alert should include detailed information about the incident, including affected systems, potential threat actors, and recommended actions.
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Escalation: If the incident is deemed to be significant, it may need to be escalated to higher levels of management or external authorities, such as law enforcement or third-party vendors.
The identification process requires clear procedures and a well-coordinated team. The faster the incident is identified and assessed, the quicker the organization can move on to the containment and mitigation phases.