Security Incident Response and Mitigation Procedure

I. Preparation Phase:

1. Incident Response Team:

• Designates and trains an incident response team responsible for handling security incidents.

• This team may include IT specialists, security professionals, legal counsel, and relevant department heads.

2. Incident Response Plan:

• Develops and maintains a comprehensive incident response plan, including procedures, contact lists, and communication protocols.

3. Training and Awareness:

• Regularly trains employees on recognizing security incidents and the appropriate reporting procedures.

• Ensures they understand the critical role they play in incident detection.

 

II. Detection and Reporting Phase:

4. Incident Identification:

• Defines what constitutes a security incident, such as data breaches, unauthorized access, malware infections, or any abnormal system behaviour.

5. Incident Reporting:

• Establishes a clear and confidential reporting mechanism for employees to report security incidents promptly.

 

III. Response Phase:

6. Immediate Actions:

• Upon identifying a security incident, takes immediate steps to contain and minimize the impact.

• Isolates affected systems, suspend suspicious activities, or shut down compromised accounts if necessary.

7. Documentation:

• Documents all details of the incident, including when it was discovered, the type of incident, and the initial assessment of its severity.

8. Escalation:

• Determines when to escalate the incident to the incident response team or external experts if needed.

• Ensures proper authorities and stakeholders are informed.

 

IV. Investigation and Analysis:

9. Investigation Team:

• Appoints a team to conduct a thorough investigation.

• Preserves evidence and logs that may aid in understanding the incident's scope and impact.

10. Root Cause Analysis:

• Determines the root cause of the incident and assesses the damage.

• Identifies how the incident occurred and what vulnerabilities or weaknesses were exploited.

11. Impact Assessment:

• Evaluates the potential impact on client’s data, including data compromise, financial implications, and regulatory compliance.

 

V. Mitigation Phase:

12. Mitigation Plan:

• Develops a mitigation plan to address vulnerabilities and prevent future incidents.

• Implements necessary security patches, updates, or configuration changes.

13. Client Communication:

• Notifies affected clients about the incident in a timely and transparent manner.

• Provides information on the incident's impact, the actions taken, and steps they should take to protect their data.

14. Legal and Regulatory Compliance:

• Ensures compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements, including data breach notification laws, if applicable.

 

VI. Recovery and Improvement Phase:

15. System Recovery:

• Implements a recovery plan to restore affected systems to normal operations while maintaining security.

16. Lessons Learned:

• Conducts a post-incident review to identify areas for improvement, refine incident response procedures, and share lessons learned with the team.

17. Continuous Improvement:

• Continuously updates and improves security measures based on incident findings and industry best practices.

 

VII. Documentation and Reporting:

18. Incident Report:

• Creates a detailed incident report that summarizes the incident, actions taken, and lessons learned.

19. Regulatory Reporting:

• Reports the incident to relevant authorities and regulatory bodies if required by law.

20. Record Keeping:

• Maintains records of incident details, investigations, and response actions for future reference and compliance.