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What is Incident Response?​

Incident response is a process which an organization uses to handle a data breach or cyberattack. The goal of an incident response is to minimize the damage caused by the attack both in recovery time and costs. A data breach can harm customers, intellectual property, company time, resources, and brand value.  A cyberattack or data breach can cripple an organization. To prevent this from happening, organizations should implement an incident response plan. 

An incident response plan should include:

  • The defining aspects of the data breach.
  • The role and responsibilities of the security team in dealing with the data breach. 
  • Tools for managing cyber incidents.
  • Steps required to address the security incident.
  • Strategy to communicate the incident. 

How to implement an Incident Response plan?

Organizations should have a solid and informed incident response team in the event of a cyberattack or data breach. The incident response plan should include:

Preparation 

Develop policies and procedures to follow in the event of a cyberattack. This should include well-documented resources, roles and training for all aspects of the plan, including funding and execution of training, hardware and software resources.

Identification 

Establish a process to  detect a breach and determine the point of entry to enable a quick response. IT teams may identify breaches using firewalls and intrusion detection systems. The team should also identify and analyze compromised assets and the scope of the compromise.

Containment 

After identifying a data breach, it is essential to contain the damage and prevent further penetration. This may be accomplished by utilizing sub-networks offline or relying on system backups to maintain operations. It may also be necessary to integrate remote access protocols including multi-factor authentication, changing usernames and passwords, and protecting entry points with strong passwords. 

Eradication 

Neutralize the threat and restore internal systems to their previous state as soon as possible. Monitor the affected systems so that they are no longer vulnerable to subsequent attacks by updating security programs and removing malware.

Recovery 

Fully restore and recover affected systems and devices to  have the business up and running as soon as possible.  Monitor for any abnormal network activity. 

Learning 

Evaluate current policies and procedures and implement any changes necessary to prevent future attacks. Analyze the incident response made by the team  to help improve response procedures in the event of a future attack. Discuss and document lessons learned to identify weaknesses that may need to be addressed.

How to use training to avoid using your Incident Response plan?

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