Sophisticated incident response management makes it possible to respond well to incidents, contain their consequences and routinely increase security. As the stakes are high, this is a critical area that requires a highly organized, orchestrated approach. These best practices help you manage incidents successfully.
What is Incident Response Management?
Incident response management is a structured process for identifying, analyzing, containing, resolving and following up on IT security incidents. The aim is to reduce potential damage and restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
Incident response is an important part of information security and risk management. You can use it during malware infections, phishing attacks, security events, data breaches, or physical security issues.
Who is responsible for incident response management?
The incident handler is generally the responsible person. They contain and mitigate security incidents.
An incident handler coordinates the work of cyber security experts. They define and document roles. They are also responsible for communication channels. Follow best practices, standards, and legal requirements when you do this.
There are other important roles when managing an incident including:
● the Incident Response Team (IRT) or Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) has operational responsibility
● the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) with strategic responsibility
● the ITSM team members support with handling of non-security-related incidents (e.g. system failures); typically under the leadership of the Incident Manager
● SOCs (Security Operations Centers), if applicable
● If necessary, specialized companies for forensic analysis and incident response
What phases are there in security incident response management?
Incident response should not be a spontaneous, unstructured crisis response. It should follow a clear and standard process. This process covers all necessary steps and reduces risks effectively.
Phases of the incident response process cover:
1. Preparation: The necessary tools and processes must be in place. Incident scenario training should prepare the employees.
2. Detection and Analysis: The extent to which an event is an incident is assessed, communicated and documented.
3. Containment: Those responsible isolate the malware and prevent it from spreading. They also analyze the causes of the incident.
4. Eradication: The incident response team removes the threat, cleans up the affected systems and eliminates the cause.
5. Recovery: Patched and trustworthy again, the systems return to regular operation.
6. Lessons learned (follow-up): The team analyzes the entire process, documents it and initiates improvement measures.
Best practices
To respond to incidents effectively and reduce damage, we must use the right practices in an organized way.
Here is an overview of the most important best practices. Experience shows that these can significantly improve security incident management.
#1 Create an Incident Response Plan (IRP)
A good incident response plan helps teams respond to problems effectively. It also prevents serious negative outcomes. People who have one already have a big advantage. Many companies do not have set procedures for incidents.
Such a plan should be mandatory, especially for critical infrastructures or when handling sensitive data.
An incident response plan should clearly define how to handle different types of incidents. You should base this on guidelines and processes. This includes roles and responsibilities, including escalation paths that regulate who takes on which tasks in an emergency.
#2 Use tools in an orchestrated way
In fact, many security teams feel overwhelmed by the lack of communication between an increasing variety of cybersecurity tools. This results in network traffic disruptions, friction and delayed response times. A lack of integration and interoperability are proving to be particularly critical.
One possible solution is SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response) software, like STORM. This software connects different tools through interfaces. It enables you to collect data in near real time. It also helps establish process automation.
Using SOAR software is an extremely professional and effective way to gain a well-rounded overview and act efficiently. In addition to SOAR software, the following systems are also used for incident response management:
● Ticketing and incident response management systems
● SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems
● EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) systems
● Colloboration tools
● Network Detection and Response (NDR) systems
● Forensic tools
● Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIPs)
● Backup and recovery solutions
#3: Thoughtful use of AI
AI-powered security systems can detect anomalies faster, proactively achieve promising responses and predict potential security incidents.
Unfortunately, cyber criminals also use AI to find new ways to attack. Attacks using AI technologies lead to considerable costs for affected organizations. They must constantly combat the risks and rectify incidents. When organizations fail to use AI, they risk being left behind and becoming an easy target.
AI should not replace basic automation, good tool integration, or teamwork within the organization. After all, even these seemingly simple means can achieve significant time savings.
One point is certain: Before using AI across the board, companies should first automate time-consuming routine tasks, as this can already significantly reduce the workload of their security teams.
#4 Putting teams/employees at the center
The best IT solutions and tools – on their own – do not lead to a successful incident response. In addition to orchestrating their use and establishing clear, targeted processes, organizations must also build competent teams.
Organizations are therefore well advised to set up their teams strongly and prepare them for emergencies. This includes regular training, like simulation exercises or awareness training. Training helps people quickly and accurately spot and report suspicious activity.
Organizations should also develop effective strategies to deal with blackmail from attackers. Legal factors and clear rules of conduct are very important in this situation.
#5 Combining cybersecurity with ITSM
Incident management is an ITSM discipline. There are often cybersecurity teams that work independently of ITSM teams.
If both teams work closely together, like when securing IT services, they can improve security awareness. This leads to better threat prevention. Both of these are important for effective incident response management.
In practice, however, cybersecurity experts rarely work together with ITSM teams. This is where companies need to establish a more active exchange and joint projects to create real competence within teams.
#6 Engage in clear crisis communication
Communication creates transparency and trust, avoids rumors and is also extremely important due to legal and regulatory requirements. On the one hand, it must enable functional incident response. On the other, it provides information to those directly and indirectly affected.
Predefined and standardized processes for reporting are recommended to speed up communication. The processes outline which groups of people to inform, when to inform them, and to what extent. There is also a plan for follow up status reports and subsequent resolved incident logs.
#7 Documentation / protocol
After completing the hard and sometimes stressful work on a security incident, one important task remains: documenting it. All steps and decisions taken in connection with an incident must be recorded in full.
Documenting the incident makes it possible to apply what has been learned to future incidents, optimize procedures, and install better protection. Legal factors can also play a role, especially in the event of serious damage.
In general, a post-incident review proves to be extremely important in order to improve the corresponding processes.
#8 Continuous improvement
Continuous improvement not only plays an important role in ITIL® processes, but also makes sense in many respects. Those in charge should review the incident response plan at least once a year. They should also update it after a major incident if needed.
Feedback, reviews and logs generated during incident management prove to be particularly valuable. By integrating findings into the right processes and systems, response becomes increasingly faster and more effective.
Conclusion: Incident response management requires continuity
The right incident response activities protect companies from serious damage in an emergency. Successful security management involves defining and practicing the right activities, steps, and practices in advance.
Incident response should be an ongoing process. It should not only happen in a chaotic way during a crisis. A good plan is essential for effective response.
Since important assets and reputations are often at risk, those in charge should focus on incident response. They should also use the best practices that fit their needs. For example, software solutions for orchestration, employee awareness and mature processes offer long term value.
Learn how OTRS can help you with incident response management.
