Last updated on September 21st, 2022 at 09:09 am

A-Z Incident Management in Cybersecurity

The process of analyzing, identifying, recording, and managing real-time cybersecurity issues is known as cybersecurity incident management. The central purpose of incident management is to provide a comprehensive view of all security threats within an IT infrastructure, ranging from active malware contamination to any data breach. Unauthorized access to data such as financial, personally identifiable records, health, and social security numbers, and policy violations are all examples of security incidents.

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Process of cybersecurity incident management

As per the International Standard Organization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), cybersecurity incident management follows a five-step process. They are as follows:

Step 1 

Any form of a security breach or malware triggers an alarm that engages the Incident Response Team (IRT). They are trained to handle such sensitive incidents. Convene your cybersecurity incident response team as soon as possible. 

Step 2

The IRT monitors the system and goes through all previously reported incidents to identify the potential security threats. Determine the nature and sensitivity of personal data, estimate the seriousness of the consequences, and look for existing mitigating measures. 

Step 3

After identification, the IRT thoroughly assesses the threat before determining the appropriate next steps for mitigating the risk. This stage is important because it sets the next course of action and how the team will contain and resolve the problem. 

Step 4

Based on their assessment, IRT contains, investigates, and resolves the issue. The team eradicates the threat and cleans up the system. They run a spyware or virus scanner, disable breached user accounts, and fix the existing security gaps. 

Step 5

The IRT professionals always document every step of their operations for later review and inspection. 

Basic principles of cybersecurity incident management

Keep in mind some basic working principles while learning about cybersecurity incident management. 

• Every business organization has different needs when it comes to cybersecurity, and there is no simple one-size-fits-all solution.
• The top management should be actively involved in all cybersecurity strategies. Their authority over appropriate internal communication and the allocation of personnel and financial resources is needed to execute all security plans successfully. 
• Every member of your organization needs to be made aware of your cyber security incident response plan for successful execution. 
• Keep an offline copy of all relevant documents to help you guide through any cybersecurity crisis, as online files may not be accessible. 
• Never link backups to the rest of your system to reduce the chances of getting infected during a cybersecurity issue.
• Document every step of a cyber security incident. Logs can help you trace back the origin of the cyber security incident. Hence, it is vital to keep them for at least 6 months. 
• Keep your cyber security response plan and related information and documents up-to-date. 
• Always factor in the legal aspects while managing any cybersecurity incident. 

Conclusion

The Internet is revolutionizing business operations globally, and our dependency on it keeps increasing. However, the Internet generates not only new opportunities but also critical risks. Cybercrime has emerged as a worrisome problem for most companies, with online frauds, malware, data breaches, and hacking becoming a primary concern. The field of cybersecurity is a booming one with promises of great scopes and prosperity.

Imarticus Learning has come up with cybersecurity certifications online for all aspiring cybersecurity professionals to make a prosperous career in this field.