<p>Incident response plans enable organizations to quickly and efficiently handle cyberattacks. The lack of such a plan increases the likelihood that an attack will cause significant operational damage to IT systems, networks and data.</p>
<p>When developing an effective incident response strategy, a framework is essential. Industry frameworks can help an organization formulate an effective incident response initiative or update its existing initiatives.</p>
<section class=”section main-article-chapter” data-menu-title=”What are frameworks and why are they important?”>
<h2 class=”section-title”><i class=”icon” data-icon=”1″></i>What are frameworks and why are they important?</h2>
<p>An incident response framework is the foundation for building an incident response program. An ideal framework provides structure and guidance for addressing all incident response activities.</p>
<p>For existing incident response programs, frameworks can ensure teams address relevant issues, such as staffing, administration, response playbooks, awareness and training, testing and resource identification.</p>
<p>CISOs and cybersecurity teams responsible for developing a new incident plan and associated activities will quickly recognize the benefits of using a framework, especially when ensuring all the right boxes are checked.</p>
<p>Properly used, a framework can be adapted into a variety of formal documents, including incident response programs, policies and individual plans. Organizations required to demonstrate compliance with both domestic and international standards and regulations should use specific frameworks when developing incident response programs and plans. From legal, operational and audit perspectives, using frameworks helps demonstrate compliance with these important requirements.</p>
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<section class=”section main-article-chapter” data-menu-title=”Key elements of an IR framework”>
<h2 class=”section-title”><i class=”icon” data-icon=”1″></i>Key elements of an IR framework</h2>
<p>Regardless of its source, an incident framework should include at least five specific components. Each standard and framework has its own nomenclature for these components, which generally follows the five-Rs structure.</p>
<h3>Research</h3>
<p>Before a cyberattack occurs, security teams should carefully examine all elements of the organization’s IT infrastructure. A risk analysis determines which elements of the business are <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/feature/How-to-fix-the-top-5-cybersecurity-vulnerabilities”>most susceptible to attack</a>, the <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/feature/10-types-of-security-incidents-and-how-to-handle-them”>types of security events</a> most likely to occur and the effects those events would have on the business.</p>
<p>The research phase includes a review of measures to prepare for and respond to an actual attack. These include preparing policies and plans, deploying cybersecurity systems and software, training <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/incident-response-team”>incident response teams</a>, performing threat hunting and penetration testing, patching software and testing cybersecurity plans.</p>
<h3>Recognition</h3>
<p>This stage occurs when an incident is identified. It could be an alert from an intrusion prevention or detection system, a firewall or an antimalware program, among others. Once an alert has sounded, the next stage is launched.</p>
<h3>Response</h3>
<p>In this stage,<b> </b>cybersecurity teams identify the nature and source of the threat, isolate it, analyze its potential impacts and decide the most appropriate response.</p>
<h3>Resolution</h3>
<p>In this stage, <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/feature/How-to-become-an-incident-responder-Requirements-and-more”>incident responders</a> eliminate the threat or mitigate its severity so it no longer disrupts business operations. This is especially important in <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/How-to-recover-from-a-ransomware-attack”>ransomware incident response</a>, where a rapid resolution might save the organization thousands or even millions of dollars in costs associated with recovering compromised systems, networks, files and databases.</p>
<h3>Recap</h3>
<p>Once the event has been resolved, it is essential to document how the incident response team handled the event from initial awareness to final resolution. Assessing what worked and what did not enables teams to identify areas for improvement in the incident process and to refine the incident res
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