Incident Response
The organized approach to detecting, containing, investigating, and recovering from security incidents. An incident response plan defines roles, procedures, and communication protocols to minimize the impact of security breaches and other adverse events.
Incident response is the set of processes and procedures an organization follows when a security event occurs. A well-defined incident response capability is essential for limiting the damage from security breaches, meeting regulatory notification requirements, and learning from incidents to prevent recurrence.
A comprehensive incident response plan typically covers six phases: Preparation (establishing the team, tools, and procedures before an incident occurs), Identification (detecting and confirming that a security incident has occurred), Containment (limiting the scope and impact of the incident), Eradication (removing the root cause of the incident), Recovery (restoring affected systems and services to normal operation), and Lessons Learned (reviewing the incident to improve future response).
Every major compliance framework requires incident response capabilities. ISO 27001 includes controls for security incident management and reporting. SOC 2 requires incident identification, reporting, and response processes. GDPR mandates that data breaches posing a risk to individuals be reported to the supervisory authority within 72 hours and to affected individuals without undue delay. NIS2 requires significant incident notification within 24 hours. These regulatory timelines make preparation critical — organizations that wait until an incident occurs to develop their response process will struggle to meet these deadlines.
Related terms
Access Control
The set of policies, procedures, and technical mechanisms that govern who can access which information assets, systems, and resources. Access control ensures that only authorized individuals can view, modify, or interact with sensitive data and systems.
Audit Trail
A chronological record of system activities that provides documentary evidence of the sequence of events — including who accessed what, when, and what actions were taken. Audit trails are essential for security monitoring, incident investigation, and compliance evidence.
Business Continuity
The capability of an organization to continue delivering products and services at acceptable predefined levels following a disruptive incident. Business continuity planning covers the strategies, plans, and procedures needed to ensure operational resilience.
Penetration Testing
A simulated cyberattack performed by security professionals to identify vulnerabilities in an organization's systems, networks, and applications. Penetration tests go beyond automated scanning by using the techniques and methodologies that real attackers employ.
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