Having the tools to respond to an IT security threat is always in a business’ best interest. A watertight IT response process as part of an IT incident response plan will ensure that your business has the tools to effectively prepare and respond to various cyber security threats. Read on to learn more about what’s included in an incident response plan, why it’s important and how to create an effective plan.
What is an incident response plan?
An IT incident response plan is a documented set of instructions for how your business should respond in the event of a serious security breach. These incident response plans are designed to be utilised by IT staff to respond to and recover from a range of security issues, from service outages to malicious cybercrime. Having an IT incident report plan in place will offer clear, structured support to staff so that they are able to react in a timely manner, without placing your business at greater risk. The plan will also guide you through the regulatory responsibilities attached to a serious security incident, such as highlighting the necessary regulatory authorities or disclosing information to the public.
Why do businesses need an incident response plan?
An IT incident response plan is imperative not only to ensure that your business is able to effectively address, respond to and recover from cybersecurity threats; it is also a key regulatory obligation. Businesses who function without this plan leave their IT security and management teams without clear guidelines to follow should such an incident occur, leaving room for costly mistakes that further endanger a business. It also means more time is needed to react to a security breach. This gives potential hackers the opportunity to do more damage.
How to create an effective incident response plan?
An effective IT incident response plan will provide clear and concise steps for your team to follow, both as preparation or in the event of an attack. Incident response plans are typically broken down into four, easy-to-follow steps: preparation, detection, containment and eradication/recovery. They will outline two key signs of an incident; precursors (detected prior to an attack) and indicators (detected during or following an attack). Whilst it’s not possible to make an individualised plan for every type of threat, an IT incident response plan will provide you with a base understanding of the most common methods of attack, specifically catered to the vulnerabilities of your business data.
Identifying critical assets and vulnerabilities
Identifying critical assets will prepare you for an attack before it occurs. Critical data and systems are typically those which are most expansive and complex. If your business is impacted by a cybersecurity attack, these are the systems that you will prioritise during the recovery stage. IT incident response steps will ensure you identify the data that you need to protect by replicating and storing it in a remote location. By being aware of the locations of this data, as well as prioritising their backup, your business will be able to quickly recover from an attack, minimising downtime and associated costs.
Building your incident response plan
Building your incident response plan is an opportunity for your business to ensure that you are prepared for an incident. A well structured plan will include the names of employees who are a part of your incident response team, alongside their clearly defined responsibilities. Your plan should also include an escalation plan involving senior management, to ensure that internal and external communications can be efficiently organised, as well as ensuring all evidence is passed on. Evidence gathering -for both internal and external use- ensures that you are able to make steps to identify an attacker and prevent future incidents.
It’s important to note that your IT incident response plan shouldn’t be too technical. It should be easy to enact. Whilst it can work cohesively alongside a technical response plan, your plan should perform independently, providing a directory of key contacts for your incident response team to reach out to. These contacts may include specialist agencies, such as Cheeky Munkey, who can support you with emergency IT support services. Having the contact information (such as telephone numbers, emails and account reference numbers) for specialist IT response services, as well as law enforcement or other relevant contacts to hand will make certain that in the event of an attack, you can quickly access efficient, professional support.
Following the resolution of an incident, this plan will also ensure you take time to debrief. This reflection period gives your team the opportunity to consider how you can identify threats sooner. Here you will also assess the severity and damage following the incident and begin to notify the relevant authorities to ensure your business remains in line with privacy laws such as GDPR.
Training your team on indecent response
Training your team on incident response will ensure that they are aware of the key steps that must be taken in an attack. When it comes to your IT incident response team, regular and constant training is key to making sure that your employees are up to date and aware of the latest potential threats. When building your threat response it should be defined by a variety of factors, including the resources needed to implement the strategy, the duration of the solution, and any potential damage, loss or theft of resources. By ensuring that they are constructively prepared for a variety of incidents, you will also save time and money by guaranteeing an efficient, well-practised response to a cybersecurity threat.
Though only the IT team may require an in-depth knowledge of an IT incident response plan, everyone in your business should understand its role in protecting and reacting to serious threats. Educate your staff on the importance of the plan, as cross-company cooperation (alongside a dedicated response team) could reduce the length and impact of technical disruptions. An overarching awareness of cybersecurity threats could also help your staff to identify potential threats, and limit the chances of a more significant breach.
Practising and testing your response plan
With your team, create realistic, simulated examples of potential events. Regular testing of the IT incident response steps will ensure that your team can effectively respond to threats, giving you the best chance of shutting down an attack with minimal downtime. Tests will also help you to identify gaps in their knowledge and learn from mistakes. Tested scenarios can include tabletop exercises, attack simulations and cyber range. By working through a variety of attack simulations differing in complexity, you will keep your team engaged in the incident response steps.
Incident response simulations to practise and evaluate your team’s responses require minimal time and resources, and are invaluable for the cybersecurity and reputation of your business. Encouraging participants to discuss their roles and responsibilities ensures that they feel confident and capable of responding to potential threats. In turn, this will minimise the impacts of attacks and reduce the chances of them reoccurring.
Do you need to review or update your incident response plan?
If you’re unsure whether your business is effectively equipped to deal with an attack, specialists can help your business to identify and protect your key assets, working in the background to ensure that you’re protected on a daily basis. Find out how Cheeky Munkey can automate your IT incident response plan process, and offer IT disaster recovery services to support you.
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