An incident response is also known as a cybersecurity incident response. This term relates to companies’ technologies and processes for detecting and responding to breaches, attacks, and cyber threats. Incident response planning allows IT security teams to mitigate or prevent damage to the business.
Threats evolve quickly in cybersecurity. Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) helps businesses stay ahead. It offers real-time visibility into application vulnerabilities across the software development lifecycle. ASPM tools rank risks, helping security teams focus on the most critical threats first.
They integrate with developer tools for quick remediation. Adding ASPM to an incident response plan strengthens defenses and speeds up recovery. It ensures businesses can monitor, respond, and adapt to threats more efficiently, minimizing disruption and protecting key systems.
Delving Deeper: What Are IRPs?
A well-formulated incident response plan is geared towards prevention rather than dealing with an incident that has already occurred. It’s the technical component of incident management, focused on the legal aspects, human resources, and executive management of serious incidents.
The IRP – Incident Response Plan –determines how to identify different types of cyberattacks. Further, the IRP presents ways and means of containing and resolving cyberattacks. When implemented correctly, an IRP assists cybersecurity incident response personnel in detecting and containing cybersecurity threats.
Further, IRP teams can work to restore impacted systems, mitigate depleted revenues, and minimize compliance-related fines, as well as other punitive costs.
Indeed, leading IT giant IBM commissioned a Cost of a Data Breach Report which details startling facts. For example, a well-crafted IRP allows for dramatic cost reductions for organizations with security breaches, in the ballpark of $473,706.
And when it comes to security incidents, many examples abound. These include security events (physical or digital breaches) of a company’s IT systems and/or sensitive data. Hackers are the traditional culprits, but so are unauthorized users. There are intentional/unintentional violations, oftentimes by legitimate parties.
Typical Business Security Incidents:
- Supply Chain Attacks
- Phishing and Pharming
- Ransomware and Malware
- DDoS Attacks and Insider Threats
- Privilege Escalation Attacks and Man-in-the-Middle Attacks
With regards to threat detection, mitigation or prevention, companies rely heavily on the IRP. The plans are put into place, and enacted by the CSIRT this is known as the Computer Security Incident Response Team.
It includes anyone with a vested interest in the business, a.k.a. stakeholders. For example, members might include the CISO, SOC, IT specialists, and security analysts. More commonly, the team includes compliance, officers, HR, legal, and executive-level personnel.
All Effective IRPs Include the Following:
- Incident response playbook
- Security solutions
- Business continuity plans
- Incident response methodology
- Communications plans
- Detailed instructions for collection and dissemination of documentation
The Computer Security Incident Response Team invariably drafts, and IRP for each specific incident that takes place. For example, it’s altogether possible that a specific plan is in place for phishing, ransomware, malware, DDoS or supply chain attacks.
True to form, the specific plans tend to differ from incident to incident. But all the protocols, frameworks, and systems are geared towards speedy resolution. Ideally, the IRP should be tailored to the business environment. This is sacrosanct. When implemented correctly, the IRP reduces response times, and fast-tracks recovery post attack.
Incident Response Plans (IRPs) in Action
There is a framework that most businesses follow vis-Ã -vis incident response planning. These were predicated on models created by the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) in conjunction with the SANS Institute. By and large, a typical IRP includes the following steps:
- Preparation of the response
- Detection and further analysis
- Containment of the threat
- Eradication of the threat
- Recovery after the threat has been resolved
- Conduct a post incident review
Various security solutions are utilized by IT security teams. These are enacted with the purposes of automating essential workflows. These include the collation and dissemination of sensitive data, real-time incident detection, and the response mechanisms to the threats. Myriad incident response technologies and systems are readily available besides ASPM. Notable among them the following:
- AI (Artificial Intelligence)
- ASM (Attack Surface Management)
- EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response)
- XDR (Extended Detection & Response)
- UEBA (User & Entity Behavior Analytics)
- SIEM (Security Information & Event Management)
- SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation & Response)
An effective incident response plan entails so much more than preparation. It’s a safeguard against chaos. With the right tools and strategies, businesses can defend, recover, and thrive.
