In today’s digital landscape, cyber threats are a persistent concern for businesses of all sizes. From data breaches to ransomware infections, the consequences of these incidents can be severe, ranging from financial losses to reputational damage. That’s why having a robust incident response plan is crucial for organisations to respond to a cyber incident quickly.
At Nclose, we understand the importance of swift and strategic action regarding cybersecurity incidents. When designing an Incident response plan, containing, eradicating and recovering from cyber threats are essential elements of the success of a post-incident response plan. Here’s a guide to some of the aspects that might be included in a stereotypical technical incident response plan:
- Initial Assessment and Notification: The first step in our Incident Response Plan is to establish what has happened. Once an incident is detected, whether through internal monitoring or client alerts, our team promptly investigates to determine the nature and scope of the threat. We then notify the affected parties, providing clear communication about the situation.
- Host and Account Identification: We work to identify the hosts and user accounts affected by the incident. This involves analysing network activity, system logs, and other relevant data sources to pinpoint the compromised assets. In cases where user accounts are compromised, we immediately disable them to prevent further unauthorised access.
- Isolation and Containment: We isolate the affected hosts from the rest of the network upon identifying them. For clients with endpoint detection and response tools, we leverage these resources to isolate compromised hosts efficiently. This containment measure helps prevent the spread of the threat and minimises potential damage to other areas of the clientโs environment.
- Threat Eradication and System Recovery: With the threat contained, our focus shifts to eradicating it from the affected areas entirely. This involves thorough malware removal, system patching, and other necessary remediation efforts. Once the threat is eliminated, we work alongside the client โ if needed – to ensure the full recovery of their systems, restoring normal operations as quickly as possible.
- Post-Incident Analysis and Lessons Learned: Following the incident, our team conducted a detailed analysis to understand what happened, who was involved, and how it was resolved. We document this information in an incident report, which includes a timeline of events and recommendations for improvement. This report is a valuable learning tool, highlighting areas where Nclose and the client can enhance their cybersecurity posture/action.
- Future Prevention Measures: To prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, we implement proactive measures based on the lessons learned from each incident. This may include strengthening security controls, updating policies and procedures, or enhancing monitoring capabilities. Our customer success team also tracks service improvements, ensuring continuous enhancement of our incident response capabilities.
In conclusion, Nclose helps its clients build comprehensive Incident Response Plans using a framework to help organisations navigate and mitigate cyber threats effectively. By following a levelled approach that emphasises rapid detection, containment, and recovery, we empower our clients to safeguard their digital assets and maintain business continuity in the face of evolving cybersecurity challenges.