There’s Nothing Scarier than a Data Breach

Every organization faces the scary reality of cybersecurity threats. The first step to soothing those fears is creating a security-first culture with advanced cybersecurity solutions in place, a trusted MSP to watch your back, and security awareness training to keep employees aware of threats. But since data breaches and other attacks are a matter of “when” versus “if,” your organization also needs to have a plan in place to manage the disruption – an incident response plan.

Establishing a well-defined incident response plan is critical for any organization. It provides a clear framework for mitigating risk and protecting sensitive information as well as quickly recovering from a disruption. While incident response plans are unique to each business, there are core elements of a cybersecurity incident response plan that guide your business to respond efficiently and effectively when a security incident occurs.

1. Purpose and Scope

The goal of an incident response plan is a consistent, methodical, and timely response to security incidents – or any unexpected disruption to operations. It outlines the responsibilities and procedures to be followed when an incident involving information systems is suspected, confirmed, or reported. By doing so, it limits data exposure, cleans compromised systems, and determines if breach notification is required.

This process should address the roles and responsibilities of all employees, contractors, and third-party vendors who may have access to your organization’s IT resources or data. Ensuring these groups are well-informed about their responsibilities is critical to maintaining a secure and compliant IT environment, making ongoing communication about the incident response plan essential to its success.

2. Roles and Responsibilities

Defining clear roles is vital in the incident response lifecycle. Common roles include:

• Incident reporter: Individuals with access to the organization’s information must promptly report any suspicious activity.
• Incident handler: Responsible for executing the response plan, investigation, recovery, and communication.
• Emergency Response Team (ERT): Coordinates the technical response, working to mitigate and recover from the breach. The ERT leader may be an in-house technical resource, a chief operations person, or even a team approach supported by your trusted MSP.
• Communications Team: Manages the notification process, ensuring proper legal communication is handled based on the incident’s severity and regulatory requirements.

These roles ensure a cohesive and efficient response, reducing the time it takes to identify, address, and recover from incidents.

3. Incident Level Definitions

One of the most essential aspects of incident response is determining the severity and confidence level of the reported incident. This helps to categorize incidents and decide the course of action.

Common categories include:

• Suspected: Incident is based on indicators such as monitoring alerts or reports
• Confirmed: The incident has been validated, leading to a loss of data or system functionality
• False: The incident did not lead to data loss or compromise

Impact severity examples are:

• Minor: Limited impact, typically involving fewer than 500 records or only a portion of your organization’s systems
• Major: Affects broader business operations but remains under 2000 records
• Severe: Affects critical operations, with personal data exceeding 2000 records

Understanding the level of impact determines the required response measures and communication strategies.  

4. Incident Handling Phases

Your incident response plan should follow a structured flow so that incidents are handled thoroughly from start to finish. These phases include:

• Detection and Notification: The first line of defense, leveraging security tools and human observation to detect potential threats. Prompt notification kicks off the response
• Investigation: The scope and impact must be clearly defined once an incident is confirmed. Leadership and management must determine the affected systems and data, working to correlate reports and logs to define the appropriate mitigation strategies
• Mitigation: Containment is key. This phase focuses on removing active threats and preventing further damage. Actions may include isolating compromised systems, revoking access, and reinforcing weak points
• Recovery and Monitoring: After the threat has been mitigated, restoring systems and data to a trusted state is critical. Monitoring post-incident ensures that no further compromise occurs
• Reporting: Detailed reporting of the incident, actions taken, and lessons learned help to improve future incident handling and align the organization with regulatory requirements

5. Breach Handling and Notification

In the event of a confirmed breach, the organization must act in compliance with applicable state or national laws. The breach communication team plays a pivotal role in notifying affected individuals, authorities, and other stakeholders as required by law. For example, a breach must be reported to the State Department of Financial Services within 72 hours in New York. Remember that each state is different, and each agency requires unique notifications and data.  Be diligent in researching state laws and compliance standards, and have a system for refreshing your research regularly. Ensuring that legal communication happens in a timely and accurate manner can save the organization from legal repercussions and protect its reputation. Note: Don’t overlook the need for internal communications throughout this process. Keeping your team completely in the loop and aware of ongoing and upcoming actions is crucial.

6. Post-Mortem Review and Continuous Improvement

Once the incident is resolved, it’s essential to conduct a post-mortem analysis. This review helps the organization identify strengths and weaknesses in its response process. The findings can inform future policy adjustments, security improvements, and employee training efforts. You will find that your incident response plan is a living document. It will change, evolve, and grow over time as your organization matures or pursues new services. A minimum annual review should be led by those charged with key leadership roles within the plan.

Having a comprehensive and well-documented incident response plan ensures that your organization is equipped to handle cybersecurity threats efficiently and with minimal damage. By defining clear roles, understanding incident levels, and following structured response phases, businesses can protect their data, maintain compliance, and mitigate operational risks. The lessons learned from each incident will help strengthen your security posture, preparing you for any future threats.

Exigent draws on nearly three decades of experience as a small business handling its own disaster planning, and the lessons learned in the trenches with clients, to guide customers through the process of preparing for myriad types of disruption. Schedule a consultation today to learn how we can help your organization.

Get started by downloading this incident response template