Create an incident response team - Assemble a cross-functional team with representatives from various departments (e.g., IT, security, legal, communications) and clearly define their roles.
Incident Response Manager/Leader:
Overall coordination and management of the incident response efforts
Ensures the incident response plan is followed and escalates issues as needed
Facilitates communication between team members and stakeholders
Technical Lead/Analyst:
Conducts technical analysis and forensic investigation
Identifies the root cause and scope of the incident
Implements containment and eradication measures
Recovers systems and data
Security Analyst/Incident Handler:
Monitors and triages security alerts
Performs initial incident analysis and validation
Assists in containment, eradication, and recovery efforts
Network/System Administrator:
Provides expertise on network and system configurations
Assists in isolating affected systems or network segments
Supports recovery and restoration of systems and data
Legal/Compliance Representative:
Ensures adherence to legal and regulatory requirements
Advises on data breach notification and reporting obligations
Coordinates with law enforcement agencies, if necessary
Public Relations/Communications Specialist:
Manages internal and external communication related to the incident
Crafts messaging and responds to inquiries from stakeholders, media, or customers
Human Resources Representative:
Addresses any personnel-related issues during the incident response
Supports disciplinary actions or policy enforcement, if required
Forensic Investigator (optional, depending on the incident):
Performs in-depth forensic analysis and evidence collection
Preserves and analyzes digital evidence for potential legal proceedings
External Experts/Consultants (optional):
Provides specialized expertise or additional resources when needed
May include cybersecurity firms, incident response service providers, or industry-specific experts
Establish an incident response plan
Outline the roles and responsibilities of the incident response team members, communication channels, escalation procedures, and step-by-step processes for responding to different types of incidents.
Implement security monitoring and logging: Deploy security tools and mechanisms to monitor and log system events, network traffic, user activities, and other potential indicators of compromise. This includes security information and event management (SIEM) systems, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and centralized log management solutions.
Provide training and awareness: Regularly train the incident response team and other employees on incident response procedures, security awareness, and their roles and responsibilities during an incident.