In this digital era, the likelihood of cyber attacks is increasing with each passing day, making it crucial to have a well-documented cybersecurity incident response plan. Since cybercriminals are using increasingly sophisticated methods and technologies to attack systems, an organisation is also required to create a robust defence system. In this post, you will walk through how to create an effective cybersecurity incident response plan that not only fixes the immediate repercussions of the incident but also strengthens the defence strategy of your organisation against future attacks or threats. This will reduce the chances of further attacks.
- Crafting cyber security incident response plan template
Crafting a cybersecurity incident response plan template may seem daunting and overwhelming, but it is a beneficial investment that protects your organisation from attacks. Therefore, it is essential to have a security incident response playbook readily available at the time of an attack. This is not the time to create a strategy; rather, it is the time to take action. You can only take immediate action if you know what to do next. Therefore, knowing what to do in incident responses tabletop scenarios helps you to reduce the damage caused by an attack. Here you can check the Step-by-step guide to developing a plan:
- Start with the preparation.
Preparation is the bedrock upon which you can craft an effective response plan. Begin the process by conducting an audit of your organisation, encompassing all physical devices and networks that contain sensitive information. Once you are aware of what needs protection, then prepare a plan accordingly.
- Create a team
After assessing your complete requirement, you have to delegate a team to incident response. The team members should be present from various departments, such as legal, IT, HR, or the communication department. Additionally, it is essential to assign them their responsibilities at the time of the incident and outline the immediate actions they need to take. There should be clear communication protocols so that a team can communicate swiftly in the event of an incident.
- Detection or analysis
First and foremost, detecting an attack is crucial. The sooner it can be detected, the better you can reduce the damage caused. There should be procedures in place to monitor your systems and detect any security incidents or suspicious activities. Your organisation should invest in robust monitoring tools that provide real-time alerts regarding any unusual activity to identify potential attacks. Once an incident is detected, it is now time to respond immediately to prevent further damage.
- Containment, eradication or recovery
These critical steps containment, eradication, and recovery are essential to reduce the damage caused. All three phases are necessary to minimise the damage. Here, you can check how to reduce the harm in all aspects.
- Containment strategies
The primary goal of the step is to limit the impact of the incident by isolating affected systems or shutting down certain services, and so on. This step must be taken immediately to protect the systems that have not been attacked yet. However, the strategy will be different depending on the type of incident.
- Recovery
Now, the primary focus is on recovering the damage caused by the incident. Identifying the root cause of the incident and then eliminating it is crucial to safeguard your organisation from further attacks. Additionally, it utilises specific methods to restore the affected services and bring the systems back to their normal or pre-incident condition.
You must learn from the incident and its response plan to update your security and incident response plan.
