Incident Response

Overview

Incident Response (IR) is the structured approach used to detect, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity incidents. The goal is to minimize damage, reduce recovery time, and prevent future attacks.

Phases of Incident Response

1. Preparation: Establish IR teams and tools.
2. Identification: Detect and confirm incidents.
3. Containment: Limit the spread of threats.
4. Eradication: Remove malicious elements.
5. Recovery: Restore systems to normal operation.
6. Lessons Learned: Analyze incident and update defenses.

Real-World Example

Equifax’s 2017 breach demonstrated poor incident response planning, as they took months to detect and disclose the attack, leading to exposure of over 140 million records.

Best Practices

• Create a well-documented IR plan.
• Run regular IR drills and tabletop exercises.
• Deploy SIEM tools for real-time monitoring.
• Have a communication plan for stakeholders and customers.