Bulletproofing incident response strategies: 5 best practices

Incident response involves a structured approach to managing and minimizing the impact of security breaches. It helps organizations protect sensitive data, maintain service continuity, and reduce damage by planning and coordinating the response.

However, S&P Global’s 2023 report notes that,

at present, only 42.7% of companies across sectors test their cybersecurity response plans once a year.

Although 80% of companies assigned board members to oversee cybersecurity strategies, prepared communication and real-time collaboration can minimize incident response time and prevent escalation.

Therefore, it is crucial to utilize secure communication tools to facilitate secure and swift synergy between response teams.

In this article, we explore all you need to know to develop incident response strategy with some best practices.

Understanding incident response: An outline

According to IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report, organizations with an incident response team and formal plans can reduce breach costs by nearly $473,706 on average.

A well-defined incident response plan enables cybersecurity teams to mitigate damage effectively. The primary goals of incident response are to:

Detect incidents quickly and prevent cyberattacks before they occur
Contain risks effectively and minimize business disruption and costs associated with breaches
Formally outline how different types of attacks are identified, contained, and resolved

However, in the heat of a security incident, unclear communication can lead to delays in response actions, misallocation of resources, and confusion among team members.

According to S&P Global, many organizations struggle to coordinate their cybersecurity strategies effectively.

So, what’s the solution?

To combat communication challenges, open-source secure communication tools like Rocket.Chat can streamline collaboration among response teams. This platform offers an air-gapped collaboration suite, allowing you to share information securely within classified networks like SIPRNet.

This ensures transparency throughout the incident management process, creating a more effective digital workplace during critical times.

6 key stages of incident response

Incident response teams typically follow a structured process to handle incidents, identify threats, contain them, and then focus on recovery. The key stages that guide this response include:

1. Preparation

This is the foundation of effective incident response. It involves developing a comprehensive plan that outlines procedures, establishes team roles, and gathers the necessary tools and resources.

The point is that a well-prepared team can act swiftly whenever an incident occurs.

2. Identification

Teams must quickly identify incidents by evaluating the nature and scope of the threat. Using advanced monitoring tools and threat intelligence helps recognize potential security breaches. This involves:

Analyzing data and alerts from device logs
Detecting active incidents through security tools
Filtering out false positives to focus on genuine threats

3. Containment

In this stage, teams focus on isolating affected systems to prevent the incident from spreading further. They implement two key actions:

Short-term containment strategies to minimize immediate risks
Long-term plans to address vulnerabilities without disrupting operations

Research conducted by the Ponemon Institute and sponsored and analyzed by IBM reported that companies that contained a breach in less than 30 days saved over $1 million compared to those that took longer.

4. Eradication

Removing the root cause of the incident is essential to prevent recurrence. This includes:

Eliminating malware
Closing vulnerabilities
Applying security patches

Incident response teams address all traces of the crisis to reduce the risk of future attacks.

5. Recovery

After the threat is eradicated, teams aim to restore affected systems and services to normal operations. This includes:

Validating system integrity
Restoring data and services from backups
Reinforcing security measures across affected systems

Quick and effective recovery is crucial. IBM research shows that a strong recovery process cuts downtime and reduces breach-related costs.

6. Lessons learned

This step is crucial for actively learning from the incident. Reviewing the entire response process helps identify strengths and weaknesses in the incident response plan.

By analyzing what worked and what didn’t, you can refine your strategies and be prepared for future incidents.

5 best practices for incident response

Now, let’s look at the top best practices you can adopt to improve your organization’s incident response:

1. Incident classification and prioritization

Categorizing incidents based on their severity and impact is crucial for effective incident response. By classifying incidents, you can assess the urgency and allocate resources accordingly.

For example, in 2017, Equifax, a consumer credit reporting agency, experienced massive data that ultimately cost the company up to $425 million in settlements to affected consumers.

If they had resolved software vulnerabilities identified in their internal audit and prioritized the incident earlier, they could have mitigated the damage and better protected customer data.

While categorizing, set criteria for incident classification, such as:

High severity: Incidents that compromise sensitive data or critical systems
Medium severity: Threats that pose a risk but can be managed with existing resources
Low severity: Minor issues that do not significantly impact operations and can be addressed over time

2. Defined roles and responsibilities

Assign specific tasks for designated team members to coordinate response actions. Clearly outline who is responsible for detecting incidents, managing communications, and handling other tasks.

Key roles include:

The incident commander overseeing the response
Communications officer managing updates to stakeholders

Ponemon Institute research shows that well-defined roles can reduce incident response times by up to 40%. ‍

3. Communication protocols

Establish structured channels and guidelines for internal and external teams. Streamlined information sharing reduces response times and ensures stakeholders receive accurate information.

For example, communication delays can complicate recovery efforts in a ransomware attack.

According to the Ponemon Institute study, only 20% of the 674 surveyed IT and security professionals in the US regularly communicate with executive management about cyber threats.

This highlights a communication gap with top management.

To improve communication during incidents, define clear protocols, including:

Internal communication: Notify incident response teams and critical stakeholders to activate response plans using encrypted messaging apps.
External communication: Proactively engage relevant third parties, such as regulatory bodies and affected customers, with clear, prepared messaging to uphold transparency and trust.
Escalation procedures: Establish criteria for escalating incidents to higher-level decision-makers, enabling strategic interventions.

4. Containment strategies

Implement clear containment tactics to prevent widespread damage and maintain control of your systems.

For example, Xoom Corporation, an electronic funds transfer and remittance provider, experienced a phishing attack that tricked employees into transferring $30 million to fraudulent accounts.

Xoom also verified that its systems remained secure and contacted federal law enforcement to initiate a multi-agency investigation.

Key containment strategies include:

Network segmentation: Isolate affected systems to prevent the spread of malware or unauthorized access.
Access control: Limit access to sensitive data and critical systems.
Incident isolation: Restrict the incident to affected areas of the network and contain it.

5. Forensic analysis, recovery, and documentation procedure

Alongside communication and containment strategies, an effective incident response involves forensic analysis, recovery, and meticulous documentation.

This helps you in three key ways:

Collect and analyze evidence: Use specialized tools to gather and analyze evidence from the incident.
Evaluate damage and restore systems: Assess the extent of the damage and restore systems using clean backups.
Maintain detailed logs and create reports: Keep a comprehensive record of incident-related activities and generate post-incident reports to inform future strategies.

Additionally, drills and reviews should be conducted to keep the incident response plan effective. Incorporate legal and regulatory compliance measures to protect your organization from legal repercussions.

The 2024 Ponemon Healthcare Cybersecurity Report highlights the significance of these procedures, revealing that 61% of surveyed respondents identified text messaging as the most attacked collaboration platform.

This underscores the need for secure communication methods, such as chat platforms, to safeguard sensitive information during incidents.

Major challenges in incident response

So, what are the challenges organizations must take into consideration while implementing a foolproof incident response strategy?

Resource allocation

Resource constraints remain a primary issue, with 71% of global organizations reporting unfilled cybersecurity positions, according to ISACA's State of Cybersecurity 2023. This shortage of skilled personnel limits the effectiveness of incident response.

Increasing cyber threats

Meanwhile, cyber threats and vulnerabilities continue to rise. Skybox Security’s 2023 Vulnerability and Threat Trends Report found a 25% increase in vulnerabilities in the US National Vulnerability Database from 2021 to 2022. Additionally, Gartner predicts that by 2025, 45% of global organizations will encounter supply chain attacks.

Third-party risks

Organizations face increased exposure to cyber threats and data breaches originating from their vendors, suppliers, and other third-party partners, as these entities often have access to sensitive data and systems.

Complex cloud environments

The growing adoption of multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments introduces new challenges in incident response, such as limited visibility, lack of control, and the need to coordinate across multiple platforms and tools.

Compliance requirements

Organizations must navigate a complex web of legal and regulatory requirements related to incident response, such as data breach notification laws, industry-specific standards (e.g., HIPAA, PCI DSS), and privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR), which can vary by jurisdiction and add to the complexity of incident response planning and execution.

Final note

As cyber threats evolve, organizations must coordinate across teams securely and respond quickly to mitigate risks. A robust incident response strategy is essential to contain incidents, minimize damage, and secure data.

Rocket.Chat offers a secure, open-source communication platform to support a streamlined, compliant response across teams. With features like omnichannel engagement and flexible customization options, you can communicate clearly and enhance response times for security incidents.

Discover how Rocket.Chat can support your incident response plan and secure your communication channels.

Reach out to our team to learn more.

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