Managed Detection and Response Service: Incident Response Plan Basics
An Incident Response Plan (IRP) is a documented approach to responding to cybersecurity incidents such as data breaches, malware infections, and other cybersecurity threats. It is essential for any company to have his IRP as part of an overall cybersecurity strategy. The purpose of the IRP is to provide a structured and systematic approach to identifying, containing, and mitigating security incidents.
This article provides a technical guide and examples for creating an incident response plan. A managed detection and response service provider can help you put together an IRP so that you won’t have to start from scratch. See guidance below:
1. Define an incident response team
The first step in creating an IRP is defining an incident response team. This team should be made up of people from different departments within your organization.
IT, Legal, Human Resources, and Management. Each team member should be assigned specific roles and responsibilities.
Team Leader, Technical Leader, Communication Leader.
2. Identify potential threats
The next step is to identify potential threats that your organization may face. This can be achieved by reviewing past incidents, conducting risk assessments and keeping abreast of current cybersecurity trends. Threats should be classified based on their severity and likelihood of occurrence.
3. Establishing incident response procedures
Once potential threats have been identified, the next step is to establish incident response procedures. This should include step-by-step instructions on how to respond to each type of incident. For example, procedures for responding to malware infections should include steps to identify the malware, contain the infection, and restore affected systems.
4. Test the plan
Once your incident response procedures are in place, it is important to test your plan. Testing should be done through tabletop exercises that simulate cybersecurity incidents and test the effectiveness of the IRP. Testing helps identify gaps and weaknesses in the plan and make adjustments.
5. Review and update
An IRP is not a one-off document. It should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. The plan should be reviewed and updated after each incident to address any weaknesses or gaps identified during testing.
Sample Incident Response Plan
Below is an example of an incident response plan for a small organization.
Incident Response Team
Team Lead: IT Manager
Technical Lead: Network Administrator
Communication Lead: HR Manager
Potential Threats
Malware infection
Data breach
Denial of Service attack
Incident Response Procedures
Malware infection
Identify infected system(s)
Contain the infection
Remove the malware
Restore affected systems
Data breach
Contain the breach
Notify affected parties
Investigate the cause
Implement measures to prevent future breaches
Denial of Service attack
Identify the source of the attack
Mitigate the attack
Monitor network traffic
Implement measures to prevent future attacks
Testing the Plan
Conduct tabletop exercises with the incident response team to test the effectiveness of the IRP.
Review and Update
The IRP should be reviewed after every incident and updated to address any gaps or weaknesses identified during testing.
Conclusion
Developing an incident response plan is an important aspect of an organization’s cybersecurity strategy. It provides a structured and systematic approach to identify, contain and mitigate security incidents. This article provides a step-by-step guide to creating an IRP and sample plan for small organizations. Test and update your plan regularly to ensure its effectiveness.