Do cybercriminals always have an upper hand against their targets in times of a data breach? Cisco begs to differ. 

On May 24, 2022, Cisco detected a security compromise from the notorious ransomware group called Yanluowang, which is associated with other similar groups like Lapsus$, and UNC2447. The attacker gained access to an employee’s Google account, from where various sophisticated phishing attacks were released.

However, the CISCO Security Incident Response (CSIRT) saved the day with an immediate threat response, completely removing the threat actor from their environment and ensuring that no customer or employee data was compromised. 

Fast incident response is imperative to cybersecurity

As per reports, the average cost of a data breach has risen by 2.6% from the previous year. 

However, when you’re prepared for the unexpected by implementing a quick, real-time cyber incident response plan checklist, here’s how you benefit:

• Immediate resolution lessens the overall cost of a data breach
• Helps build trust with customers by eliminating any scope of reputational damage
• Having a checklist ensures your systems are comprehensively monitored all the time
• Helps minimize data losses and return to normal functioning as soon as possible
• The slower the response the deeper the intruder gets into the system, increasing your vulnerability

So, what can be done to improve your response time? Here are some steps to begin with. 

Best practices for effective incident response

Every passing second is critical in times of a data breach, as attackers stay ever-ready to wreak havoc and cause damages worth thousands of dollars. 

Incident response refers to when organizations protect their assets and data from cybercriminals during a data breach, or cyberattack “incident”. A clear incident response plan helps to efficiently manage a threat situation, lessening its business-critical impact, and protecting the brand value.

At Stack, we have a few tried-and-tested incident response best practices influenced by elite incident response frameworks including NIST and SANS. 

Step 1: Preparation

As the name implies, the first step revolves around ensuring the organization is always ready to respond to any threat “incident”. Building a security-first culture goes a long way in this scenario. 

Assemble and charge a computer security incident response team (CSIRT), which has trained professionals with responding and managing all aspects of a security incident. Additionally, preparing your employees on how to respond to cyber-attacks with adequate training and tools, conduct risk assessments, etc. are all steps that can go a long way in managing risk. 

Step 2: Detection and analysis

It’s not logical to assume that you’ll always be ready to protect yourself from every cyberattack in the future. This is where timely detection and analysis come in. By following detailed processes, you’re setting a plan in place to identify and respond to common cyberattack vectors at a basic level. 

Collecting data and studying it in detail helps improve your response to future attacks. 

Step 3: Threat containment and removal

Containing any threat scenario before it starts disrupting valuable company assets is key to effective incident response. Start with short-term containments, i.e., isolating the host networks while you’re planning a bigger plan to prevent excessive damage. Once contained, removing the malware and tracking down the threat to its roots is a good practice for long-term risk mitigation.

Step 4: Recovery and assessment

It’s imperative to restore the host systems and networks after a data breach/cyberattack to keep the business afloat. After threat removal, recovery of any affected system to improve the current security posture falls under critical incident management best practices. This step ensures all systems are clean and back to normal through rigorous testing, verification, and monitoring drills.

Step 5: Detailed threat summary

As per NIST, conducting a “lessons learned” meeting with key stakeholders after successfully responding to a threat scenario helps the company evolve in terms of security. These meetings usually lead to the documentation of identified gaps in security policies and processes, alternative approaches, and future steps. Documenting the steps you took, discoveries made, and other statistics, helps in improving future responses.

Step 6: Post-resolution follow-up

Let’s not forget that cyber attackers are always waiting for an opportunity for another vicious attack. In this case, post-incident monitoring and response keep any threat actor at bay through around-the-clock threat detection, data, and asset protection.

Optimize your daily risk-monitoring activities

Apart from having a cyber incident response plan template, having an in-house or outsourced CSIRT to strengthen your security walls along with continuous training and awareness about the latest trends and insights are mandatory.

Use technology to your advantage. Automate your threat monitoring and response processes, which allows you to focus on bigger and more important security concerns. Combine incident response tools include software and services that not just identifies but also automatically blocks perceived threats and they include

• Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) coupled with Security Information & Event Management (SIEM)
• Extended Detection & Response (XDR)
• Network Traffic Analysis (NTA)

However, reports show 22% of companies have limited tools and resources to allocate for security purposes. Are you one of them? Worry not, simply get a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) to implement end-to-end security without blowing up your budget. Besides offering immediate protection and compliance, these service providers also establish a solid incident response plan to enhance your cyber resilience.

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Conclusion

Integrating security tools, or hiring a team with immense industry knowledge and expertise in dealing with cyberattacks at a fraction of the cost, is always a wise investment. You can establish real-time monitoring and rapid incident response through these efforts, lessen alert fatigue, and integrate leading technology for optimized threat protection. At Stack, we strive to help you prepare for the unprepared. Contact Stack to improve your incident response process today – click here to begin.