What is the best way to handle sensitive data incidents?

First thing in the identification of an incident comes with level of damage that has already been done or yet to be done. If there is a scope of further damage because of this incident then we need to contain as a first response. Next is to update the management and business about the incident following proper communication channels ensuring there is no leaks in the information. If there is any CSIRT process defined then need to follow the same as per guidelines.

proper planning and management are essential for sensitive data management. Business should have a solid plan to locate, identify, label and classify sensitive data. One data has been located the proper data access policies need to applied and periodically reviewed to ensure the policies are effective and not damaging production of end users. All breaches occur because of poor identity and data management.

Too many things are mixed here, 1 - identifying incidents is part where one identify what happened and what’s the live impact. 2 - how the breach occurred, how many records were impacted, who was responsible is part of the RCA after incident is mitigated 3 - assessment of potential harm is something should be done pre- incident and it’s on going process 4- incident response plan, roles responsibilities, etc etc ITSM needs to take care of that and Thai could change based on team /organisation / scenarios

1. Identify the incidents first. 2. Report to your top management. 3. Select adaptive people to work on incident 4. Report to your stack holders and partner 5. Find a BCP to not affect the business. 6. Analysis of the incident 7. Plan the remedies and execution. 8. Check the environment consistently, after the execution.

Handling sensitive data incidents is a critical aspect of cybersecurity, and a well-defined incident response plan is essential, the best way to handle sensitive data incidents: Develop an Incident Response Plan, Identify and Classify Data, Regularly Update and Test the Plan, Implement Monitoring Solutions, User Education and Awareness, Isolate Affected Systems, Shut Down Unauthorized Access, Remove Malicious Components, Patch Vulnerabilities, Restore Data from Backups, Monitor for Residual Threats, Notify Relevant Stakeholders, Public Relations Strategy, Conduct a Detailed Post-Mortem, Legal and Regulatory Compliance, Implement Lessons Learned, Employee Training and Awareness

Containing the incident swiftly is a critical step in handling sensitive data incidents. By promptly isolating and mitigating the impact, we not only limit potential damage but also gain valuable time to investigate the root cause and implement necessary safeguards, ultimately safeguarding the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive information.

Isolate and Contain: Immediately isolate affected systems or data to prevent further compromise. Disconnect affected devices from the network to contain the incident. Activate Incident Response Team: Assemble a designated incident response team comprising IT professionals, legal advisors, communication experts, and relevant stakeholders.

Swiftly contain the incident by isolating affected systems and halting unauthorized access. Preserve evidence and logs for analysis while implementing a backup and recovery strategy for prompt restoration. Prioritize minimizing damage without compromising data security and integrity.

Containing an incident in a real world scenario is a much more difficult task for an IR team because you are running against time and battling with attackers to take the control back of impacted systems or infrastructure. Below are some factors you may consider either to respond or prepare for containment strategy. 1. Get full understanding of compromise and attacker footprint into network this will be immensely helpful to avoid Wack a mole situation where attackers might have a compromised account which is not identified during containment. 2. Clear and tested strategy along with proper tools and accounts which can access and perform tasks on any portion of infrastructure and network. 3. Well documented playbooks for Incident Responders

Once again Containment and all steps post identification need to be under legal purview You wanna ensure anything you do doesn’t tamper evidences and maintains the “chain of custody” so that you are in the clear whn federal agencies come knocking

Following the Incident Response Plan, there should be a section on communication with stakeholders. This should outline who has the authority to communicate with the public, journalists, authorities, and cyber insurance company for example. Timely notification to relevant authorities demonstrates a commitment to transparency and regulatory compliance, but is also becoming mandated by law in many industries and countries around the world. Communicating with affected data subjects, such as customers or employees, is not just a legal requirement but also a trust-building measure.

Effectively notifying stakeholders about a cybersecurity threat is crucial for a prompt and coordinated response. Here are some key ways to do it: Before the Threat: Identify your stakeholders: This includes individuals or groups who could be impacted by the threat, such as executives, board members, investors, customers, and employees. Establish communication channels: Set up dedicated channels for cybersecurity updates, like an internal communication platform, secure email aliases, or phone trees. During the Threat: * Assess the situation * Timeliness is key * Clarity and conciseness * Transparency and honesty * Regular updates * Tailored communication

Informing stakeholders is one of the crucial stages, as interested parties need to be kept informed. Appropriate plans should be developed for effective communication. Failure to do so may lead to panic, resulting in even greater damage.

Upon containing a data incident, promptly notify stakeholders to fulfill legal obligations. Inform regulators, law enforcement, and data protection agencies, detailing the incident and mitigation steps taken. Transparently communicate with affected data subjects, articulating the situation and protective measures. Adhere to a well-defined notification policy outlining the when, how, and what of communication during incidents. This proactive approach fosters trust, compliance, and cooperation during the aftermath of a sensitive data breach.

Stakeholder update is a crucial stage for any organisation because they need to be very mindful about language and accuracy of details,if some details are not accurate it can result in large penalties or reputation damage etc. Some of the points to be considered are below:- 1. Segregation if possible between contractual obligations and regulatory/legal obligations. It will help to frame response accordingly with precise needful information only. 2. Involvement of the Legal and Privacy team is a must as many IR or SOC teams will find difficulty to assess all the aspects of communication required. 3. Forming a group of people which can be a combination of Business, Security and legal team for timely response and decision-making.

Ways to Analyze Cyber Incident: Identify: What happened, when, where? (e.g., data breach, server outage, phishing) Impact: Assess data loss, system damage, financial impact, reputational harm. Attacker: Who did it? Motive? Techniques used? (e.g., nation-state, criminal, malware) Vulnerability: Exploit used? System weakness? Human error involved? Timeline: Reconstruct attack chain, identify entry point, time to detection. Response: Containment, remediation, communication, lessons learned. Prevention: Recommendations for improved security posture, vulnerability patching, training. Remember, prompt response and thorough analysis are crucial for minimizing damage and strengthening your cybersecurity defenses.

Analysing a data incident is crucial for understanding its root causes and improving future security measures. Conducting a thorough investigation to identify vulnerabilities and gaps in security controls is essential. This involves examining how the breach occurred and why existing defenses were bypassed. Documenting these findings and sharing them with senior management and stakeholders is key for transparency and accountability. Adopting a continuous improvement approach ensures that each incident becomes a learning opportunity, leading to stronger and more effective security strategies, thereby enhancing overall organisational resilience.

Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the incident, delving into root causes, vulnerabilities, and process gaps. Thoroughly investigate how and why the incident occurred, documenting findings and recommendations. Communicate results to senior management and stakeholders. Embrace a continuous improvement mindset, learning from the incident to enhance overall security posture.

An incident response plan is made of five important steps. Each of these steps makes up the incident management life cycle and helps teams track and address project hazards. There are five steps in an incident management plan: Incident identification Incident categorization Incident prioritization Incident response Incident closure

As a leader or even as an Individual contributor of an IR team sometimes you need to deal with multiple incidents with limited resources. To deliver a complete investigation below are a few points to be considered:- 1. Articulate questions like What is a initial vector of compromise? Is there a persistence by malware on the host? What are the compromised accounts? Will lead you to a direction which is eventually helpful on root cause analysis and identifying petient zero host. 2. Resource utilisation wisely is a must-need factor as you need to identify who is good at what and assign a task accordingly with considerable delivery timeline expectations. 3. Document things as you progress in investigation for better coordination.

Once the incident is properly contained, Investigated IR team needs to co-ordinate with business to make a decision for recovery of assets which are most important to least important. The recovery process should be monitored in terms of operational effectiveness and with security monitoring controls. Once the systems are restored the quality checks are mandatory like hardening of assets, IOC scanning, YARA scanning, Vulnerability patches implementation etc.

Take decisive action to remediate the incident by addressing root causes and identified risks. Implement corrective and preventive measures, making necessary changes to systems and processes. Monitor and test the effectiveness of these actions, ensuring a complete resolution. Establish a follow-up process to document, archive, and verify the completion of remediation efforts, reinforcing ongoing commitment to security improvement.

Following incident analysis, promptly remediate by addressing root causes and identified risks. Implement corrective actions, such as system updates or changes, and monitor their effectiveness. Rigorously test and verify resolution, ensuring the incident is fully closed. A structured follow-up process ensures completion, verification, and documentation of remedial actions, contributing to continuous improvement. This proactive remediation phase is crucial for fortifying defenses and preventing the recurrence of similar incidents in the future.

Conduct a thorough review of the incident, assessing performance, outcomes, and costs. Measure impact against expected results and gather feedback from stakeholders and participants. Identify strengths and weaknesses in the incident response process. Establish a feedback loop for incorporating lessons learned and feedback into the security strategy and plan, ensuring continuous improvement.

Following incident remediation, conduct a comprehensive review to evaluate performance and outcomes. Measure and report on the incident's impact and costs, comparing them with expectations. Solicit feedback from stakeholders and participants, identifying strengths and weaknesses in the response process. Establish a feedback loop to incorporate lessons learned and feedback into the security strategy and plan. This iterative approach ensures continuous improvement and enhances the organization's resilience against future incidents.

Lesson learnt is a comprehensive exercise that needs a mutual discussion between business and technical teams basis upon the post mortem of the incident. It is also ensured at this stage that recovery of the system that is done in earlier stage has been done in a way that root cause has been taken care and same incident is not occurring again because of the earlier cause.

Your organization has fallen victim to a security breach. As you begin to recover, remember this: Never let an unfortunate incident like a breach go to waste. This is very important for the information security managers. Now is the time to advocate for what you need to make sure you're able to make your organization more secure.

When you confirm that sensitive data breach has happen, next step is the containment to halt the incident from further progression. Determine exactly what sensitive data has been breached. Accordingly, follow the applicable legal/regulatory reporting requirements needed. For example, if it’s customer PII in European region, data breach has to be notified to relevant authorities within 72 hrs. Once all the reporting requirements are fulfilled, follow the recovery phase, lessons learnt which is a crucial step in determining the root cause and put controls in place to prevent the same incident happening again. Final phase would be regularly testing your incident response plan(Real world attack scenarios) to determine its effectiveness.

Turn disaster into an opportunity! 1. Use the security incident to reposition the engineering, operations and management of security posture at every layer of your organisation 2. Transparency- Prepare complete and comprehensive details of the breach and propose how your organisation is putting efforts contain and improve the situation 3. Avoidance/ Prevention- publish how you are taking steps to avoid and stay ahead of the threats going forward

As I’ve mentioned above: 1. Ensure you include DPO / Legal as soon as your IR team even suspects a possible data leak 2. Bring the incident under legal / DPO purview 3. Maintain strict “chain of custody” 4. Let’s your enterprise communication team handle all external comms

Take it further and add proactive training and simulations to your repertoire. Don't be afraid to engage with external cybersecurity experts and pick their brain. Get a strategic communication plan in place so you're not scrambling at your worst moments. Get cyber insurance, put money aside in the budget for recovery. Stay on top of data protection regulations for compliance. Mental health should be a prio, security incidents are stressful. Finally, learn from incidents and incorporate these lessons into your security processes.