Do you already have a cybersecurity incident response plan (CSIRP)? Why is having one important? And what are the stages in making one?
Read on to know more.
Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan: The Importance
When it comes to cyber incidents, it is not a matter of “if.” Rather, it is a matter of “when.” Why? Because attacks and breaches can happen to everyone.
No matter the technology or skillset you have, it can happen to your company. Especially now with the rise of COVID-19. Work from home is now the setup.
Meaning, workers are not in the safe confines of your office. Thus, phishing attacks are rising.
IT teams will need to remind employees to take precautions. But when incidents happen, they need to be prepared. So, there is now a need for a stronger CSIRP.
What, then, are the stages in making one?
Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan: The Four Stages
Preparation
First, your plan will need to list who is on your IRP team. Then, list their contact information and roles. As well as define the situations in which you will need to contact them.
Next, each member will need to know their roles. They should know what they need to do in case of a breach. Also, they will need to respond as fast as possible.
Further, you will need to do drills with your team. Do it regularly with diverse scenarios each. This will prepare them when the real thing happens.
Detection and Analysis
This phase happens when an incident just happened. And you will need to decide on how to respond to it.
Yes, we can detect most attacks from happening. But that is not always the case. If so, planning the response ahead of time is a great idea.
So, your CSIRP should be able to guide you in documenting the incident. No matter how small or big. Detecting the source and documenting it can help you analyze the problem.
After, you will need to notify crucial parties. Like your customers, law enforcement, partners, etc.
Containment, Eradication, Recovery
This phase will be the heart of your CSIRP. Why? Because every response to an attack will revolve around these three.
How you contain the incident. How you eradicate the threat. Then, how you recover from the attack.
So, better decide first on your containment strategy. Then, list steps on how you can eradicate threats. Make one for each type of incident you are anticipating.
Last, list how you want to start and do your recovery phase. Like updating your security plan and more.
Post-incident Activities
The last stage happens after the incident has been stopped. When your company is back on track.
You will need some time to do these activities:
- Reflect on what has happened
- Assess the scale and damage
- Revisit your CISRP
- Start the notification process
Then, do learn from the past incident. See where it went wrong and find ways to improve.
A CSIRP is Crucial
In conclusion, we can say that a CISRP is indeed valuable. Do you already have one?
