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Your guide to a comprehensive Incident Response Plan

In Part 2 of our spotlight series on incident response, Zandre Janse van Vuuren explains how to create a comprehensive Incident Response Plan for your organisation.

By Zandre Janse van Vuuren | Service Delivery Manager: Cyber DFIR, BUI

In Part 1, we highlighted the importance of having an Incident Response Plan (IRP) to minimise damage, reduce recovery time, and secure sensitive data during a cybersecurity incident. Now, let’s dive into how to create an effective IRP for your organisation, with practical, step-by-step guidelines you can follow.

Step 1: Define your objectives and scope

The foundation of any effective IRP begins with setting clear objectives and defining the scope. Objectives help align your incident response efforts with your organisation’s goals, risk tolerance, and regulatory requirements. Typical objectives include:

  • minimising data loss;
  • ensuring business continuity;
  • reducing recovery time;
  • and protecting your business reputation.

The scope defines the types of incidents the IRP covers and may vary depending on industry standards or regulatory guidelines. For instance, a healthcare provider may need a specific scope for protecting patient data, while a financial institution may focus on transaction security and fraud prevention. By establishing scope early on, you can ensure that your IRP is comprehensive yet focused.

Step 2: Identify key stakeholders and roles

An IRP functions best when it has a well-structured team with clear roles and responsibilities. The team may include internal stakeholders, like IT and management, and external stakeholders, such as legal consultants or third-party security experts.

Each member of your incident response team should have a clearly defined role to prevent delays and confusion during an incident. Roles may include:

  • Incident Manager: Oversees the incident response process and co-ordinates with other teams.
  • Technical Lead: Directs containment, eradication, and recovery tasks.
  • Communication Officer: Manages internal and external communications.
  • Legal Advisor: Ensures compliance with legal obligations during and after an incident.

Designating these roles upfront helps the team respond more efficiently and cohesively during an incident.

Step 3: Establish incident categories and prioritisation

Incidents can range widely in scope and severity, from minor phishing attempts to full-blown data breaches. To streamline response efforts, you must categorise potential incidents and assign impact levels to each. Incident categories could include:

  • Network attacks: Attempts to compromise network infrastructure, such as Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.
  • Phishing and social engineering: Attacks targeting individuals for unauthorised access.
  • Data breaches: Incidents where sensitive data is exposed or stolen.

Each category should have multiple impact levels (e.g., low, medium, high) based on criteria like the number of affected systems, potential data loss, and the severity of business impact. This prioritisation ensures critical incidents receive immediate attention, while lower-priority events are handled appropriately without over-allocating resources.

Step 4: Develop detection and notification protocols

Timely detection and reporting are crucial for an effective IRP. Make sure you implement security tools and monitoring systems that can detect unusual activities or potential threats. There’s a wide range of endpoint protection platforms, network monitoring tools, and intrusion detection systems available for business and enterprise organisations.

Once an incident is detected, a notification protocol outlines how and when incidents should be reported internally and externally.

  • Internal reporting should be rapid, with team members knowing whom to notify immediately.
  • External reporting may be required for regulatory compliance and could include notifying partners, customers, or the authorities depending on the type of incident.

Make sure you clearly define the people or parties to be notified, the method of notification, and the relevant timeframe.

Step 5: Outline incident containment and eradication steps

Containment and eradication are central to limiting an incident’s impact and preventing further damage. Document your procedures for both short-term and long-term containment and eradication.

  • Short-term containment may involve disconnecting affected devices from the network or blocking malicious traffic.
  • Long-term containment might include applying patches, implementing segmentation, or reconfiguring permissions.
  • Eradication focuses on eliminating the incident’s root cause and could involve removing malware, resetting compromised credentials, or closing exploited vulnerabilities.

Both containment and eradication should be documented in detail, tailored to specific incident types, and tested to confirm that they are feasible and effective.

Step 6: Create recovery and remediation procedures

Once the incident is contained and eradicated, recovery efforts aim to return systems to regular operation safely and reliably. The recovery phase may involve restoring affected systems, verifying data integrity, and assessing system functionality. A critical part of this step is to monitor your systems for any indication that the incident may recur, ensuring any residual threats are eliminated.

Remediation actions may also include taking preventative steps, such as reinforcing security controls, updating policies, or providing additional employee training. Documentation is essential here, as lessons learned in recovery and remediation will help improve your IRP over time.

Step 7: Build a communication strategy

Communication during an incident is essential to inform all stakeholders, control potential reputational damage, and fulfil legal obligations. Your communication strategy should differentiate between internal communications, which provide regular updates to relevant staff, and external communications, which may include notifying customers, partners, regulatory bodies, and the media.

Effective communication strategies often use predefined templates and include guidelines for customising messaging based on the nature and impact of the incident. Designate a spokesperson from your communications or public relations team to ensure consistency and accuracy in your external messages.

Step 8: Plan for post-incident review and continuous improvement

Every incident provides a learning opportunity. The post-incident review process aims to evaluate the IRP’s performance, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that lessons are incorporated into the IRP for future incidents.

This step typically includes:

  • Documentation: Detail the incident timeline, response actions, and decision points.
  • Evaluation: Analyse what went well and what didn’t, identifying any gaps in response.
  • Update procedures: Adjust protocols, tools, and policies to address any identified weaknesses.

A robust post-incident review process strengthens the IRP and demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement, which is critical for fostering a proactive security culture and maintaining regulatory compliance.

Bonus tip! The success of any IRP is closely tied to the response team’s performance during high-pressure situations – and that’s why it’s important to cultivate the right mindset. If you and your teammates can maintain your composure, think objectively, and work in unison, then you’ll be ready when it matters most.

  • Stay calm under pressure: Panic can lead to mistakes and misinterpretations during critical moments. Breathe, focus, and assess the situation calmly before you act. Rely on your IR training and processes to guide you.
  • Stay objective and avoid assumptions: Jumping to conclusions or making assumptions can lead to missteps and wasted resources. Base your decisions on verified data; cross-check evidence; and don’t let personal biases influence your actions.
  • Focus on collaboration, not isolation: Incident response is a team effort: isolating yourself or hoarding information can slow the overall response time and hinder your progress. Communicate openly, delegate tasks, and leverage others’ expertise if necessary.

With a comprehensive IRP and a teamwork mindset, your organisation will be better equipped to navigate security incidents. Download our checklist to guide you in creating your IRP.

Incident response planning: The key to business resilience

In today’s digital world, it’s not a matter of if but when your organisation will experience a cyber incident. In Part 1 of our incident response spotlight series, Zandre Janse van Vuuren explains why an Incident Response Plan is a critical component of a robust security strategy.

By Zandre Janse van Vuuren | Service Delivery Manager: Cyber DFIR, BUI

In today’s digital world, cybersecurity threats are an ever-present reality. Last year alone, password attacks increased to 4,000 per second (on average) and the number of human-operated ransomware attacks rose by 195 percent. From ransomware to identity breaches, organisations of all sizes are potential targets. The 2024 Microsoft Digital Defense Report (MDDR) puts the growing threat landscape into sharp focus: Microsoft customers face more than 600 million cybercriminal and nation-state attacks every day. While it’s impossible to eliminate the risk of an attack altogether, organisations can significantly reduce the impact by having a well-structured Incident Response Plan in place.

Incident response is not just about reacting to a cyber incident; it’s about being prepared to act swiftly, decisively, and efficiently.

What is incident response planning?

Incident response (IR) planning is the process of developing a structured, documented approach to handling security breaches and cyberattacks. An effective IR plan includes predefined procedures, roles, and responsibilities for responding to and mitigating the effects of cyber incidents. It also outlines communication strategies, legal obligations, and methods for preserving evidence for forensic investigations.

The importance of incident response planning

  1. Mitigating damage and loss
    A comprehensive IR plan enables organisations to contain an attack before it causes extensive damage. With the surge in human-operated ransomware attacks—which Microsoft reports have increased by 2.75x—a timely and co-ordinated response is critical. Without a plan, response times are slower, and the financial and reputational damage can be catastrophic. Being prepared can prevent the spread of malware, data theft, or further unauthorised access.
  2. Reducing downtime
    Every minute of downtime during a cyber incident translates to lost revenue, especially in industries that rely heavily on operational continuity. A quick and co-ordinated response allows organisations to resume business operations faster, minimising disruption.
  3. Enhancing co-ordination and communication
    A well-structured IR plan ensures that all stakeholders, including internal teams and external partners, know their roles in responding to an incident. With nation-state and cybercriminal activities converging more than ever, it is crucial that organisations have clear communication channels. These help prevent confusion, allowing teams to act in unison and avoid mistakes during critical moments.
  4. Maintaining regulatory compliance
    Many industries are subject to data protection laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which mandate swift responses to data breaches. Having an IR plan ensures compliance with these legal obligations, protecting organisations from penalties and fines.
  5. Preserving evidence for forensic analysis
    Properly handling an incident means preserving crucial data for investigation and legal purposes. According to the 2024 MDDR, nation-state actors are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure and high-profile organisations. Without an IR plan, organisations may inadvertently destroy or fail to collect essential forensic evidence, which could hinder law enforcement or legal action.

A comprehensive IR plan does far more than provide a structured way to deal with attacks and cyber incidents: it also empowers organisations to be proactive about their security posture.

The advantages of effective incident response planning

  • Proactive risk management
    Incident response planning allows organisations to identify vulnerabilities before they are exploited. Conducting regular IR drills helps businesses improve their overall security posture and minimise potential risks.
  • Improved customer trust
    Customers want to know their data is secure. Organisations with publicly communicated IR strategies can reassure their customers that they take cybersecurity seriously and are prepared to handle any breaches professionally and swiftly.
  • Cost savings
    The costs of a cyber incident, particularly those involving data breaches, can be astronomical. Expenses often include data recovery, legal fees, regulatory fines, and lost revenue. A timely response significantly reduces the financial burden associated with cyber incidents.
  • Continuous improvement
    Incident response planning is not static. Lessons learned from each incident feed back into the plan, making it more effective with every iteration. Continuous improvement is essential to staying ahead of emerging threats. Regular updates to the IR plan help organisations remain resilient and prepared for new types of attacks.

How our Cyber DFIR team can help with incident response planning

Incident response is not a one-size-fits-all solution and creating an effective IR plan requires expertise and experience in dealing with complex cyber threats. Our Cyber DFIR team specialises in helping organisations develop, implement, and refine their incident response strategies. When you choose BUI as your security partner, you gain access to seasoned professionals who will work closely with your organisation to:

  • Conduct thorough risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities.
  • Develop tailored IR plans that align with your business objectives and regulatory requirements.
  • Implement response playbooks that include clear steps for containment, eradication, and recovery.
  • Provide hands-on support during incident response efforts to minimise impact and downtime.
  • Offer forensic analysis and reporting to ensure proper evidence-handling and compliance.
  • Conduct post-incident reviews and refine the IR plan to ensure continuous improvement.

At BUI, we understand that every organisation faces unique cybersecurity challenges. Our proactive approach ensures that your organisation is prepared, resilient, and capable of responding effectively to any incident. Let our Cyber DFIR team help you safeguard your digital assets and build a stronger security posture through a robust incident response plan. Contact us to get started today.

DFIR as a Service: Effective incident response when you need it

If cybercriminals breached your systems today, would you be ready to act? Zandre Janse van Vuuren explains why DFIR as a Service is such a compelling solution for businesses that don’t have their own Digital Forensics and Incident Response teams.

By Zandre Janse van Vuuren | Service Delivery Manager: Cyber DFIR, BUI

Cybercrime has become more sophisticated, more frequent, and more damaging than ever, with companies falling victim to data breaches, ransomware scams, and other types of cyberattacks that often result in substantial financial losses and reputational damage. In the aftermath, they’re turning to Digital Forensics and Incident Response specialists to find answers – and to help them strengthen their security posture and avoid a repeat incident.

What is Digital Forensics and Incident Response?

Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) is a niche field within cybersecurity that concentrates on identifying, preserving, analysing, and recovering digital information to investigate and respond to security incidents and cybercrimes.

DFIR specialists play a critical role in mitigating cyber threats and maintaining the integrity of connected digital systems. Their key focus areas typically include Incident Response, Digital Forensics, Analysis, Recovery, and Reporting.

Incident Response

DFIR specialists are responsible for quickly identifying and responding to security incidents like network intrusions, data breaches, malware infections, and cyberattacks. Their primary goal is to minimise the damage caused by the incident and prevent further unauthorised access by the perpetrator.

Digital Forensics

DFIR teams use sophisticated tools and investigative techniques to gather and analyse digital evidence from various sources, including servers, computers, portable drives, smart devices, mobile phones, and network logs. They must follow strict collection procedures and maintain a chain of custody to preserve the integrity of digital evidence so that it is admissible in any legal proceedings related to the incident.

Analysis

DFIR teams thoroughly examine all digital evidence to uncover the scope of the incident and identify the perpetrator’s methods and motives. They also evaluate the extent of the damage caused to the victim’s connected environment by analysing logs, file systems, memory data, and network traffic, among other things.

Recovery

DFIR specialists have advanced technology and security skills and can work to recover data, systems, or services lost or compromised due to the incident. This process may involve restoring backups, removing malware, and implementing new, more comprehensive security measures to reduce the victim’s attack surface in the future.

Reporting

DFIR specialists are responsible for documenting their findings and preparing detailed technical and forensic reports suitable for legal purposes, regulatory compliance, or internal investigations. They can also appear in court as expert witnesses.

DFIR as a Service

Last year, the average cost of a data breach was $4.45-million. Researchers estimate that cyberattacks will cost the global economy $10.5-trillion by the end of 2024. And by 2025, lack of skill or human failure will be responsible for more than half of significant security incidents.

It’s clear that cybercriminals are taking advantage of a perfect storm: our hyperconnected digital world, the global shortage of security professionals, readily available hacking tools, and the relative ease of operating anonymously on the web. In this volatile climate, you have to go beyond protecting and defending your IT environment and plan for when disaster strikes.

If you do not have an in-house team of DFIR experts to identify and contain threats, mitigate the impact of security incidents, and conduct in-depth investigations, then you should consider opting for a DFIR-as-a-Service solution. This will enable you to leverage the expertise of a trusted security partner and enjoy the five main benefits of DFIR-as-a-Service.

1. Access to experienced security pros

DFIR-as-a-Service partners usually have a team (or teams) of security professionals specialising in incident response and digital forensic investigation. These experts have cutting-edge skills and a wealth of experience gained from working on DFIR cases involving business and enterprise organisations in diverse industries. As a customer, you can tap into a much broader knowledge base than your company’s own and take advantage of the insights and lessons learned by these pros.

2. Rapid response when it matters most

Every second counts when you’re dealing with a security incident. DFIR-as-a-Service partners are prepared to respond quickly when called upon. They have established procedures and playbooks to deal with the incident, and defined service-level agreements governing their engagements with you. As a result, you can expect swift incident analysis and containment, proper incident management, and dedicated support from DFIR experts – all crucial elements for minimising the impact of the incident.

3. Specialised tools and technologies

DFIR-as-a-Service partners invest in cutting-edge tools to give their teams advanced incident response and digital forensic analysis capabilities. They also harness their relationships with technology peers, think tanks, and research institutions to gain deeper insights into the evolving threat landscape. As a customer, you can benefit from specialised technologies and sophisticated industry research without ever having to source these independently.

4. Reduced legal and regulatory risks

DFIR-as-a-Service partners are external parties who provide objective assistance and an outsider’s perspective on your security posture and any incidents. As DFIR experts, they are equipped to ensure that all digital forensic investigations are conducted thoroughly and impartially in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. You can rest assured every incident will be handled responsibly, professionally, and with complete transparency.

5. Cost efficiency

Creating and managing an in-house DFIR team is a costly and time-consuming process. It involves finding and training DFIR professionals and procuring state-of-the-art hardware and software – all of which can strain your budget. On the other hand, when you hire a DFIR-as-a-Service partner, you instantly broaden your organisation’s DFIR capabilities without having to bear the overhead costs associated with maintaining a full-time internal team.

As cybercrime continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, the importance of Digital Forensics and Incident Response cannot be overstated. If you’re serious about holistic protection for your organisation, then a robust DFIR strategy is not just advisable – it’s imperative.

A DFIR-as-a-Service solution customised for your company is a proactive investment in security that will give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have a team of specialists on standby to help you safeguard your assets, protect your reputation, and preserve business continuity in challenging times.

BUI Cyber DFIR Service Delivery Manager Zandre Janse van Vuuren is a certified computer, digital and mobile forensics specialist and incident handler with a background in security operations.

Call in our security and digital forensics experts when it matters most. From lone attackers to ransomware groups, cyberspace is filled with adversaries. Solid preparation is essential. Our Cyber DFIR team can provide all the support you need in times of crisis. Learn more about our Digital Forensics and Incident Response retainer service, available now.