Incident Response
The structured process for detecting, containing, and recovering from a security incident.
Incident response includes preparing responsibilities and capabilities, detecting and analyzing suspicious activity, containing and recovering from incidents, and applying lessons learned. NIST SP 800-61 Revision 3 connects these activities to broader cybersecurity risk management.
A written plan should identify contacts, authority, communication options, evidence handling, and recovery responsibilities. Exercises help test whether those arrangements work in practice.
Connect preparation to daily operations
Incident response works best when asset owners, support providers, leadership, and communications responsibilities are known before an emergency. Current NIST guidance integrates response with broader cybersecurity risk management. Detection and recovery depend on preparation, including usable logs, protected backups, and agreed escalation paths.
What a small-business plan should answer
Specify how staff report suspicious activity, who assesses the situation, who can contain affected systems, and how the team communicates if normal email is unavailable. Include critical vendors and an evidence-preservation process. A short tabletop exercise can reveal missing contacts or permissions without requiring a live incident.
Keep response decisions evidence-based
A suspicious message is not automatically a confirmed breach. Record what is known, what is inferred, and what needs investigation. Notification duties depend on the information and circumstances involved. After recovery, document lessons and assign corrective actions so the response improves controls rather than ending with a closed ticket.
Related terms
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