Cybersecurity
Incident Response
Definition
Incident response is an organized approach to addressing and managing the aftermath of a security breach or cyberattack. The goal is to handle the situation in a way that limits damage and reduces recovery time and costs.
Why It Matters
Security incidents are inevitable. Having a well-defined incident response plan allows an organization to react quickly and effectively, contain the threat, and recover, rather than panicking in the middle of a crisis.
Contextual Example
An incident response plan typically has several phases: Preparation, Identification, Containment, Eradication, Recovery, and Lessons Learned. When an incident occurs, the SOC team follows this plan to manage the crisis.
Common Misunderstandings
- A key part of incident response is digital forensics, which is the investigation to determine the "who, what, when, where, and how" of the attack.
- Regular drills and practice are essential to ensure the incident response plan is effective.