What is an Incident Response Lifecycle?
The Incident Response Lifecycle is a structured approach to managing and responding to cybersecurity incidents. It typically consists of six key phases:
- Preparation: This phase involves establishing and training an incident response team, developing response plans, and deploying tools and resources to handle incidents effectively.
- Identification: In this phase, organizations detect and confirm the occurrence of an incident through monitoring and analysis. Quick identification is crucial for minimizing damage.
- Containment: Containment aims to limit the impact of the incident. Short-term containment involves immediate actions to halt the spread, while long-term containment focuses on maintaining security while eradicating the threat.
- Eradication: After containment, the next step is to remove the threat from the environment. This may involve deleting malicious files, disabling compromised accounts, or applying patches.
- Recovery: This phase involves restoring affected systems to normal operation and confirming that they are secure. It also includes monitoring systems for any signs of weaknesses or additional attacks.
- Post-Incident Activity: After resolving the incident, organizations conduct a review to analyze the response, identify lessons learned, and strengthen future incident response plans.
By following these phases, organizations can effectively manage incidents, reduce impact, and enhance their overall cybersecurity posture.