Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan: Benefits, Template, and Tools

Interscale Content Hub – A cybersecurity incident response plan (IRP) is a structured framework that outlines the steps an organization should take in response to a cyberattack or security breach.

Any good cybersecurity strategy needs to include an IRP. It helps to minimize the damage caused by an incident and ensure a swift and effective recovery. 

For example, the HIPAA Journal reported in its “July 2023 Healthcare Data Breach Report” that there were many data breaches in the U.S. healthcare sector between August 2022 and July 2023, exposing millions of records. 

And yes, cybersecurity incidents can happen to any organization at any time. Without an effective IRP, organizations risk significant losses. So, it’s time to get prepared. Let’s get ready with some insights and a 360-degree view.

What is a Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan?

A cybersecurity incident response plan (IRP) is a step-by-step guide that outlines what an organization should do during a cybersecurity incident. It’s a guide for spotting, stopping, eliminating, and recovering from security breaches, so you can limit the damage and keep your business running smoothly.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a top authority on cybersecurity standards, which we can use as a reference.

NIST provides comprehensive guidelines for developing and implementing IRPs. NIST Special Publication 800-61, Revision 2, is called the “Computer Security Incident Handling Guide.”

It’s an IRP that helps organizations handle incidents in a systematic way to minimize damage and recover as quickly as possible. This guidelines also offer a detailed framework for incident response, focusing on preparation, detection, analysis, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident activities.

Importance of a Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan

Just picture this: A cyberattack hits your organization. Having a cybersecurity incident response plan (IRP) can be the key to turning a potential catastrophe into a manageable situation.

A well-thought-out cybersecurity incident response plan helps you respond quickly and efficiently, keeping things running smoothly and getting things back to normal as soon as possible.

An IRP also makes sure you keep all the important evidence, which can be useful for legal and regulatory reasons.

By spotting and fixing any weaknesses in your system, an IRP makes it less likely that you’ll have another incident in the future.

It also creates a culture of cybersecurity awareness within your organization, so your employees can recognize and report potential threats.

So, having a cybersecurity incident response plan is more than just a good idea; it’s a necessity.

It helps you deal with incidents and keep them from causing too much damage to your business.

If you want to stay on the right side of the law, you’ll need to have an IRP in place. These are often required by regulatory frameworks and standards like HIPAA and GDPR.

Plus, a well-structured IRP makes sure your recovery processes are quick and easy, so you can get back to business as usual in no time.

Testing and updating your IRP regularly helps your organization be ready for different types of incidents, which makes it more resilient overall against cyber threats.

If you invest in a solid IRP, you can rest assured your organization will be ready for whatever comes its way.

For your reference, kindly read “The Digital Heist: Newbie Guide to Cybersecurity for Financial Institutions.”

Best Practices for Effective Incident Response

To handle cybersecurity incidents effectively, you need to have a clear policy in place. This means figuring out what counts as an incident, outlining what each team member is responsible for, and setting up clear communication protocols.

This way, everyone knows exactly what to do when a threat arises, so they can respond quickly and effectively.

Another must is to set up a dedicated Incident Response Team (IRT). This team, made up of IT staff, legal advisors, and communication specialists, will handle all incident response activities.

Having a team with the right skills for the job means you can tackle different aspects of an incident, from technical fixes to legal and public relations issues.

Also crucial is developing detailed playbooks. These playbooks give specific instructions for how to respond to different types of incidents, like ransomware attacks, data breaches, and insider threats.

With these guides in place, your team can act fast and effectively, following a predefined plan to limit the damage and get things back to normal.

Training and simulations are essential for keeping your team prepared. Tabletop exercises and other training sessions help team members understand their roles and practice their responses. 

Another great practice is implementing advanced detection tools. Let’s say tols for continuous monitoring, threat detection, and incident analysis help your team identify and respond to threats quickly. 

Last but not least, it’s important to keep an incident log for post-incident analysis and compliance reporting.

Keeping detailed records of all incidents, including what was done to resolve them, helps your organization learn from each one and improve future responses. Plus, it makes sure you’re meeting all the regulatory requirements and can provide the necessary documentation if needed.

Types of Security Incidents

Security incidents include a range of threats targeting digital infrastructure and information systems, each requiring a tailored approach under a cybersecurity incident response plan. These incidents can be broadly categorised as follows:

Malware Infections

Incidents involving viruses, worms, and ransomware disrupt operations. For example, ransomware attacks accounted for a significant percentage of Australia’s 1,500 reported cybersecurity incidents in 2020-2021​.

Phishing and Social Engineering

Deceptive emails or messages targeting users to disclose sensitive data are common vectors. In 2021, phishing contributed heavily to successful breaches worldwide, demonstrating its persistent risk​.

Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)

These attacks overload systems, rendering them inoperable. Effective response often involves collaboration with network service providers, as highlighted in Victorian Government’s response plans.

Unauthorised Access and Credential Theft

Misuse of compromised login credentials leads to data breaches, as frequently identified by forensic investigations​. These incidents often originate from weak or reused passwords, which cyber adversaries exploit using brute-force attacks or phishing schemes. 

Insider Threats

Disgruntled employees or negligent actions result in incidents, emphasising the need for robust monitoring systems​. Such threats can involve malicious data leaks or accidental violations of security protocols, often going undetected without active threat monitoring.

Unpatched Vulnerabilities and Device Misconfiguration

Exploits targeting unpatched systems underscore the importance of consistent patch management​. Vulnerabilities often result from delayed updates, which cybercriminals actively seek to exploit in known software.

Data Breaches

In Australia, unauthorised access is always a critical concern, with regulators like ACSC mandating incident logs to trace and mitigate such occurrences. Data breaches can expose personally identifiable information (PII) or financial records, leading to regulatory fines and reputational damage.

These security incidents reveal correlations between threat vectors and organisational vulnerabilities. For instance, phishing success rates rise where MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) is absent, correlating strongly with higher breach frequencies. Similarly, organisations lacking proactive patch management exhibit a marked increase in malware-related incidents.

Organisations can preemptively address these correlations by embedding tailored countermeasures into a cybersecurity incident response plan, minimizing risks and ensuring operational resilience. 

Let’s be prepared; What if an incident occurs? Download one of the cybersecurity incident response plan templates below and start learning and implementing it today. 

Incident Response Template from Australia and International Organisations

ACSC Cyber Incident Response Plan Guidance

• Created by: Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)
• Pages: 54
• Price: Free of Charge
• Main Sections: Purpose, Objectives, Standards, Frameworks, Incident Response Process (Detect, Contain, Remediate, Recover, and Learn), Appendices (Checklists, Categorization Matrices, Templates, and Post-Incident Analysis)
• Link: Download the PDF incident response plan template from Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)

Victorian Government Cyber Incident Response Plan Template

• Created by: Victorian Government, Australia
• Pages: 24
• Price: Free of Charge
• Main Sections: Common Cyber Incidents and Responses, Potential Threat Vectors, Rules and Responsibilities, Incident Response Process (Detection, Containment, Recovery, and Post-Incident Activities), Appendices (Situation Updates, Incident Logs, Evidence Registers)
• Link: Download the PDF incident response plan template from Victorian Government, Australia

NSW Cyber Security Incident Emergency Sub Plan

• Created by: New South Wales Government, Australia
• Pages: 22
• Price: Free of Charge
• Main Sections: Introduction, Prevention, Preparedness, Detection, Threat Sharing, Reporting, Response, Recovery, Appendices
• Link: Download the PDF incident response plan template from New South Wales Government, Australia

NIST Special Publication 800-61 Revision 2: Computer Security Incident Handling Guide

• Created by: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
• Pages: 79
• Price: Free of charge
• Main Sections: Organizing a Computer Security Incident Response Capability, Handling an Incident, Coordination and Information Sharing, Incident Handling Scenarios, Incident-Related Data Elements
• Link: Download the PDF incident response plan template from NIST

Plan: Your Cyber Incident Response Processes (NCSC.GOV.UK)

• Created by: UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)
• Pages: 9
• Price: Free of Charge
• Main Sections: Developing an Incident Response Plan, Incident Categorization and Triage, Escalation and Decision Making, Post-Incident Review
• Link: Download the PDF incident response plan template from UK NCSC    

ISO/IEC 27035-1:2023 (Information Technology — Information Security Incident Management)

• Created by: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) / International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
• Pages: Approximately 55
• Price: AUD 267.28
• Main Sections: Overview (Basic Concepts, Objectives, Benefits, Adaptability), Capability and Communication, Incident Management Process (Plan, Detect, Assess, Respond, Learn), Annexes (Investigative Stages, Incident Examples, Cross-references, and Situational Considerations)
• Link: Download the PDF incident response plan template from the ISO

SANS Incident Response Guideline

• Created by: SANS Institute
• Pages: Approximately 35
• Price: Free of Charge
• Main Sections: Preparation, Identification, Containment, Eradication, Recovery, Lessons Learned
• Link: Download the PDF incident response plan template from the SANS Institute

Tools for Incident Response Plan

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Systems

SIEM systems are key for setting up an effective incident response plan. They aggregate and analyze activity from different sources to spot potential security incidents.

Some of the best SIEM tools out there include Splunk Enterprise Security, IBM QRadar, and SolarWinds Security Event Manager. These systems give you real-time visibility across your organization’s environment, which helps you quickly spot threats and irregularities.

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)

IDPS watches over the network to spot any suspicious activity and lets the response team know if there’s a chance of an intrusion. Some good examples are Snort and Cisco IDS. These systems are great at spotting and stopping threats before they get out of hand, so your network stays secure.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Solutions

EDR solutions, like CrowdStrike Falcon and Carbon Black, are designed to keep an eye on what’s going on with endpoints, like servers and workstations. They give you a good idea of what might be going on, so you can spot any security issues quickly and deal with them. This helps to keep your security in good shape.

Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) Tools

NTA tools, like Darktrace and Vectra AI, look at network traffic to spot irregularities and potential breaches. These tools help spot unusual patterns that could signal a security threat, so you can take action fast to stop data breaches. 

Threat Intelligence Platforms

Threat intelligence platforms bring together and look at threat data from different places, so they can give you useful information to help you make decisions during an incident.

Some examples are Recorded Future and ThreatConnect, which help security teams stay ahead of emerging threats by using the latest intelligence.

Just to give you a heads-up, you might want to read “Preventing Data Breaches is Cheaper Than Paying $4.45 Million, Right?!“

Digital Forensics Software

Digital forensics software is a must for analyzing digital evidence and understanding the extent of an incident. Tools like EnCase and FTK (Forensic Toolkit) help organizations do thorough investigations. They can help identify the root cause of security breaches and prevent future incidents.

Communication Tools

To make sure everyone’s on the same page and working together effectively, it’s important to have secure communication channels. Tools like Slack with end-to-end encryption and Microsoft Teams make sure that sensitive information is shared safely and quickly, which helps the team respond to incidents together.

Incident Response Platforms

Incident response platforms are basically a central hub for managing and coordinating incident response activities. Some examples are Demisto and Resilient Systems, which make it easier for teams to communicate and work together so that responses are efficient and well-organized.

Jump Kits

Jump kits are portable kits that include all the hardware, software, and documentation you need to respond to an incident on short notice. They make sure that incident response teams are always ready to act fast and effectively, which means they can avoid downtime and operational disruption.

Jump kits often include laptops with pre-installed forensic tools, external hard drives, and USB drives.

Good Incident Response Plan Means Good Cybersecurity Supporting System 

With so many best practices, tools, and the ever-present risk of cyber threats, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. 

It’s not uncommon for organizations to struggle with the nitty-gritty of proactive monitoring, threat detection, compliance requirements, and making sure their teams are adequately trained. This complexity can lead to vulnerabilities, slow incident responses, and a higher risk of serious data breaches and operational disruptions.

We at Interscale offer a solution for all your cybersecurity needs. Interscale make incident response simple by using our advanced tools and expertise to keep your organization safe and ready for any cybersecurity incident.

Our team of experts will work with you to create a custom incident response plan that fits your organization’s specific needs and risk profile.

Interscale’s work with Davey Water Products shows how they can deliver effective cybersecurity solutions. By teaming up with Interscale, Davey Water Products was able to beef up their cybersecurity and keep their most important assets safe from potential threats.

If you’d like to know more about how Interscale can help you manage your clients’ cybersecurity, just visit our Interscale Cybersecurity page. Or, do you need help with something right away? Schedule a one-on-one discussion with us! We’re here for you.

Conclusion

A solid cybersecurity incident response plan isn’t just a document. It’s a strategic asset that can protect your company’s reputation, financial stability, and operational continuity.

By following best practices, using the right tools, and getting expert advice when you need it, you can strengthen your defenses and respond effectively to any cybersecurity incident that comes your way. 

Remember, the key to a successful incident response is preparation, vigilance, a solid supporting system, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

FAQ Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan