Security breaches and incidents are inevitable in the IT world, but how you respond to them can make a big difference in minimizing the damage and restoring normal operations. In this article, you will learn some basic steps and best practices to fix security breaches and incidents, whether they are caused by hackers, malware, human error, or natural disasters.
The first step is to identify the nature, scope, and source of the breach or incident. This may involve analyzing logs, alerts, network traffic, system performance, user behavior, and other indicators. You may also need to contact external parties, such as vendors, customers, or law enforcement, to gather more information or report the incident. The goal is to understand what happened, when, where, how, and why, and to assess the impact and risk level of the breach or incident.
A good vulnerability management program is a great way to make sure you're prepared for this step, which means that this is really step 2. - Nessus scans (or whatever scanning tool is in your security stack) and information flow that sends scan results to people in positions to address any issues. A culture of security helps as well. I'm a fan of responsibilities being clearly defined so when someone develops a vulnerability management plan, the incident response team should not have to guess or hesitate in their duties. If it needs to be elevated, then let's elevate. Sometimes a breach identifies you as the person or team that needs to take action.
Services Manager at RedCLARA - Cooperación Latino Americana de Redes Avanzadas
Actually, in my view, the first step becomes way before the incident itself. It is about becoming prepared to response to the incident: having a prepared person or team, giving them the authority, training and visibility required to deal with the incident, having the polices and procedures in place, know who to report to and how to escalate reporting of the incident and runing some tests and run the required tests to respond quickly and professionally when the situation occurs.
The next step is to contain the breach or incident and prevent it from spreading or escalating. This may involve isolating affected systems, networks, or devices, disconnecting them from the internet or other networks, blocking malicious traffic or access, changing passwords or credentials, or applying patches or updates. You may also need to activate backup or recovery plans, notify stakeholders, or communicate with the public. The goal is to stop the breach or incident from causing more harm or disruption.
Services Manager at RedCLARA - Cooperación Latino Americana de Redes Avanzadas
Preservation of evidence, which many times implies the counterintuitive measure of not restarting the systems, should be considered.
The third step is to eradicate the breach or incident and remove any traces or remnants of it from your systems, networks, or devices. This may involve deleting or restoring files, data, or software, scanning for malware or vulnerabilities, repairing or replacing damaged hardware, or reinstalling or reconfiguring systems or applications. You may also need to verify the integrity and functionality of your systems, networks, or devices, and ensure that they are compliant with security standards and policies. The goal is to eliminate the breach or incident and restore a clean and secure environment.
The fourth step is to analyze the breach or incident and learn from it. This may involve conducting a root cause analysis, a post-mortem review, a lessons learned session, or a gap analysis. You may also need to collect and document evidence, data, or feedback, and prepare a report or a presentation. The goal is to understand what went wrong, what went well, what can be improved, and what can be prevented in the future.
The final step is to implement the improvements and recommendations that emerged from the analysis. This may involve updating or creating security policies, procedures, or plans, training or educating staff or users, enhancing or acquiring security tools or resources, or testing or auditing security measures or controls. You may also need to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the improvements, and adjust them as needed. The goal is to strengthen your security posture and resilience against future breaches or incidents.