How can you select the right incident response team for your cybersecurity framework?

Selecting the right incident response team for your cybersecurity framework starts with a clear identification of your organization's specific needs and requirements. Conduct a thorough assessment of potential cyber threats and vulnerabilities, taking into account the size, complexity, and industry context of your organization. Consider the types of incidents you may encounter, such as malware infections, data breaches, or denial-of-service attacks.

This is what I follow: Define Team Requirements: Clearly outline the specific skills & qualifications needed for the IR team. Cross-Functional Expertise: Build a team with diverse skills, encompassing areas such as forensics, malware analysis, & network security. Experience & Training: Seek team members with practical experience in incident response. Collaboration Skills: Emphasize the importance of collaboration within the team & with external stakeholders. Incident Handling Protocols: Ensure that team members are familiar with incident handling protocols, including industry best practices & standards. Adaptability: A continual learning mindset is essential in the dynamic field of cybersecurity to address evolving challenges effectively.

Try to assign tasks according to abilities and encourage the entire team to take proactive responsibilities. Encourage and plan participation in events such as CTF and drills to excite the team. Monitor the stress levels of the team very well and ensure that they rest when necessary. Supplement individual and team performance reviews with encouraging and appreciative feedback.

Every organisation has a unique digital ecosystem, built using common platforms comprising various elements like Server OS, End Point OS and configurations, Cloud VMs etc. The first step in finding the right candidates to build the right incident response team, is to get professionals on board who are the experts or well experienced hands on in managing and operating these various elements. Without this being done right, having n number of resources on your team will never help. If you have AWS or Azure cloud infra, make sure there are architects who can take fast action when you need on the cloud environments. Same applies to ensuring presence of windows or linux experts on your team, based on how your digital OS ecosystem is setup.

Understand your organization's specific risks and the critical assets that need protection. This assessment will help determine the skills and expertise required in your incident response team. Identify any regulatory or compliance requirements that may dictate the skills and capabilities your team needs.

I like to borrow from first responders, such as police and fire. The "first person on the scene" becomes the Incident Commander and is responsible for coordinating activities and looping in the other roles. They remain the Incident Commander until they explicitly hand off that role to someone else, even if a more experienced person arrives "on scene". Other critical roles include a scribe and a communications officer. Beyond those 3 core roles, the remainder of the response team will vary over time. It's up to the Incident Commander to make sure you have the right specialists involved at the right times.

Clearly define the roles and responsibilities within your incident response team to ensure effective coordination and a streamlined response process. Identify key positions, such as incident commander, lead investigator, communications coordinator, and technical analysts, and articulate their specific duties. Establish communication protocols, reporting structures, and escalation paths to facilitate a smooth and organized response to cyber incidents.

The ideas of defining roles for an incident response team can sound foreign to a local small business. You may not have the people or resources to field a full "team", but the time you spend in ADVANCE of a cyber incident to do some planning will be a big help. Who is in charge of communications? Who is your insurance company contact? Working with local small businesses, I've seen people unprepared because they never even believed an incident could hit. Without some sort of plan, you risk people jumping to conclusions, speculating, and creating even more chaos and pain. At your next staff meeting, start with a SIMPLE conversation - what would you do? Then start documenting. A one page sheet with some bullet points is a great start.

I think tailoring the roles to the organisation's specific needs is a must. Define distinct roles such as a team leader for coordination and stakeholder communication, a security analyst for incident investigation, a forensics expert for evidence handling, a remediation specialist for system recovery, and a legal advisor for compliance issues. Clearly, document roles in the incident response plan to ensure a structured and effective response tailored to your organisation's size, complexity, and specific cybersecurity requirements.

KB ARTICLE CONTRIBUTION #76: Entry-level roles should NOT require 3-5+ years of security experience, or advanced certifications like a certified information system security professional (CISSP) that require 5 years of experience to acquire, or expert knowledge of Kali Linux and other advanced skills.

Assess the expertise and skills of potential team members based on the identified needs. Look for individuals with diverse skills, including technical, analytical, and communication skills. Consider the level of experience and training in incident response and cybersecurity. Verify that team members have a solid understanding of your organization's IT infrastructure and the specific technologies in use.

Primero evaluar las capacidades del personal interno. No sólo es un reconocimiento sino poner en valor la importancia de conocer la organización y sus procedimientos, a los que sumar capacidades técnicas a partir de conocimientos en herramientas o disciplinas de ciberseguridad. Después conocer la estrategia de recursos humanos para determinar si los recursos que faltan se pueden cubrir vía contratación de profesionales o como un servicio

The best candidate is the one that demonstrates skills on your requirements, so don't focus too much on certifications, as those might bring people that can memorize specific topics. Instead, test your candidates with objective questions and provide scenarios similar to those they will face as a team member, allowing you to get a sense of their technical, problem solving, communication and adaptability skills. Also, don't focus too much on experiences. Give the opportunity for those that did not have an opportunity on that specific role. If the candidate demonstrates capability and answers the scenario questions properly, they can start as Junior and grow as experience is gained.

KB ARTICLE CONTRIBUTION #77: ??PRO TIP: Implementing Open Hiring and Training practices not only saves money, but it also cuts down on months of time spent evaluating and reviewing candidates, plus it reduces attrition rates.

Building an effective incident response team requires recruiting and selecting the right individuals who possess the necessary qualifications, experience, and skills. Define Job Requirements: Before you begin evaluating candidates, it is important to define the job requirements for each role within your incident response team. Conduct Interviews: Interviews are a critical part of the evaluation process. Prepare a list of interview questions that assess the candidates' technical knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. Technical Assessments: Depending on the roles you are hiring for, you may want to conduct technical assessments to evaluate the candidates' skills.

Provide comprehensive training to the incident response team, covering the latest cybersecurity threats, attack methodologies, and response strategies. Equip them with hands-on exercises and simulations to enhance practical skills in identifying, containing, and mitigating security incidents. Continuously update their training to adapt to evolving cyber threats and maintain a proactive incident response capability.

Provide ongoing training to keep the team updated on the latest cybersecurity threats, tools, and techniques. Conduct simulated incident response exercises to test the team's capabilities and identify areas for improvement. Cross-train team members to ensure redundancy and flexibility in case key individuals are unavailable during an incident.

Foster a culture of continuous improvement within your incident response team by encouraging them to actively participate in industry conferences, workshops, and online forums. Exposure to diverse perspectives and experiences not only enhances their knowledge but also cultivates a proactive mindset that anticipates evolving threats. Providing opportunities for professional development, such as certifications and specialized training programs, ensures that your team remains at the forefront of incident response capabilities, ready to adapt to the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity challenges.

Perform a table top exercise at least once a year! Walk through what would happen. Who would be involved. What information is needed. Separate the Executive and Technical teams for at least one exercise forcing each team to learn what questions to ask and what information to provide to make the recovery process easier to manage.

KB ARTICLE CONTRIBUTION #78: Cybersecurity demands a continuous learning mindset to stay ahead of threat actors, so employers need to embrace that mentality by setting aside time devoted to emloyee training, but they also need to provide opportunities to enhance skills via simulated attacks and gamification.

Regular Performance Reviews: Conduct periodic assessments of your team's performance in handling incidents. This includes evaluating their technical skills, decision-making abilities, and effectiveness in mitigating and resolving cybersecurity incidents. Feedback and Perception Analysis: Actively gather feedback from team members and other stakeholders involved in the incident response process. Understanding how the team's actions are perceived and experienced by others can provide valuable insights into areas needing improvement. SWOT Analysis: Perform a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis on your team. This helps in identifying the areas where the team excels and where it needs more resources or training.

Also remember to ask them what THEY would like to do next - even your team members that are strong in one area may want a change or to learn a new skill. LET THEM and ENCOURAGE THEM. Someone who is passionate about a subject is more likely to dive in and become proficient faster...which in turn allows them to show value to your clients faster. It's a win-win.

KB ARTICLE CONTRIBUTION #79: I have never been in an environment where performance reviews actually created a positive outcome, especially when they only happen once a year, but I do believe in providing frequent constructive criticism to correct mistakes as they happen and to help foster continuous improvement efforts.

Regular check-ups: Assess strengths, weaknesses, and feedback to adapt and improve. Always learning: Upskill, diversify, and stay informed to tackle evolving threats. Grow with your company: Expand, streamline, or automate as your needs change.

You constantly have to verify and see how each member of your team operates and function under certain circumstances. There might be a new system in place or a new policy and you have to ensure that they know what they are doing so you save the most time during a real incident. Constant self-reflection is key for success.

Conduct regular drills and simulations to test and refine the team’s effectiveness. Regularly review the team’s performance and make adjustments as necessary.

Stress and Fatigue Monitoring: I can monitor team workload and activity levels to identify potential signs of stress or fatigue. This allows for proactive support like offering breaks, delegating tasks, or providing emotional resources. Performance Reviews and Feedback: I can facilitate individual and team performance reviews. This allows for constructive feedback and recognition of contributions, boosting morale and fostering a sense of accomplishment.

As a manager it’s important to remember that teams succeed or fail together. Incident response (IR) teams who foster collaboration both within and externally with other business areas, will be better prepared at responding to incidents. No one person, not even the boss, is going to see every angle of every issue. When open collaboration is fostered the IR program will continuously improve, as each member builds upon it with their unique perspective. If you’re not sure where to start, a great place is conducting a Lessons Learned session after an incident, simulation, or tabletop exercise. This provides a space for open dialogue which is specifically designed for collaborative input.

Clarity is key: Share goals, plans, and expectations openly. Knowledge for all: Encourage information sharing across departments. Empower your team: Give ownership, decision-making roles, and initiative. Support their well-being: Prioritize training, resources, and open communication. Constant learning: Invest in team development and improvement.

Selecting the ideal incident response team for your cybersecurity framework involves fostering collaboration and trust. Encourage open communication and clear expectations within the team and across departments. Emphasize knowledge sharing and empower team members to contribute their insights and ideas. Involve the team in decision-making processes and provide the necessary support and resources. Cultivate a supportive environment where team members feel valued and motivated to take ownership of their roles. By prioritizing collaboration and fostering a cohesive team dynamic, you can ensure an effective response to cybersecurity incidents.

Remember that incident response is NOT ONLY about technology and cybersecurity, but also about reputation and communication. For this reason, it is crucial to also consider a wide range of profiles when creating an incident response team. This could go from lawyers, to PR experts, and business analysts. ??

Human-AI Partnership: Remember, I'm here to complement your team, not replace it. The most effective approach leverages the strengths of both humans and AI. Delegate tasks to optimize strengths, with humans providing strategic direction and emotional intelligence, and AI handling data analysis and rapid response. Ultimately, the most compelling solutions often lie outside the expected box. Don't be afraid to experiment, explore unconventional approaches, and embrace the power of human-AI collaboration. Let's push the boundaries and build a future where incident response is not just reactive, but proactive and innovative.

KB ARTICLE CONTRIBUTION #80: Following knowledge centered service (KCS) best practices in your knowledge management (KM) efforts will allow you to fast track your Open Hire employees, by creating a baseline of knowledge for them to absorb by searching knowledge base (KB) articles, as they go through training by following along with your incident response playbooks.

You could get seasoned incident responders on a retainer. This of course depends on the size and needs of your company. In that case you would need to appoint liaisons from your company to the IR team.

- Clearly define the roles and responsibilities: L1/L2/L3/SOC analyst - Clearly define MTTR, SLA - Have a good technical training - Have a clear escalation Matrix and we’ll communicated - post ticket analysis and lesson learned