Basics of Incident Response

Incident response refers to the structured approach organizations take to manage and mitigate the impact of cybersecurity incidents. The goal is to limit damage, reduce recovery time, and restore normal operations as quickly as possible. Incident response follows a systematic process:

Preparation:

• Developing an incident response plan (IRP).
• Establishing an incident response team (IRT).
• Conducting training and simulations to prepare for real-world scenarios.

Identification:

• Determining whether a security event qualifies as an incident.
• Assessing the scope, nature, and severity of the incident.

Containment:

• Isolating affected systems to prevent further spread.
• Implementing temporary solutions to limit damage.

Eradication:

• Removing the root cause of the incident, such as malware or unauthorized access.
• Patching vulnerabilities and closing exploited entry points.

Recovery:

• Restoring systems to their normal state.
• Verifying that the threat has been fully neutralized.

Lessons Learned:

• Analyzing the incident to understand its root cause and improve future response efforts.
• Updating policies, procedures, and systems to prevent recurrence.