Principles of Incident Response Management

Incident response management is a structured approach to handling and resolving security breaches or cyberattacks. Its primary goal is to minimise damage, reduce recovery time, and prevent future incidents.

The first principle is preparation, which involves establishing an incident response plan, training personnel, and implementing tools to detect and respond to threats. Regular simulations and exercises are essential to ensure readiness and identify areas for improvement.

The next step is detection and analysis, which focuses on identifying and understanding incidents. Monitoring tools like SIEM systems and network traffic analysers are used to detect anomalies. Once identified, incidents are analysed to determine their scope, severity, and impact, allowing for proper prioritisation and escalation.



Containing an incident is vital to minimise damage and stop it from spreading. This includes immediate actions like isolating affected systems and longer-term steps, such as setting up secure temporary systems. Once contained, the eradication phase focuses on eliminating the root cause, such as removing malware, fixing vulnerabilities, and applying security updates.

Recovery focuses on restoring normal operations. This includes restoring systems from backups, testing them for functionality and security, and monitoring for residual issues. Effective communication during and after an incident is vital, ensuring all stakeholders are informed while maintaining confidentiality and meeting regulatory requirements.

The final phase, post-incident activity, emphasises learning from the event. A detailed review identifies gaps in processes and systems, enabling updates to the response plan and implementation of additional security measures. Continuous improvement is a fundamental principle, requiring regular reviews, staying informed about emerging threats, and fostering a culture of resilience and security awareness within the organisation. Together, these principles provide a comprehensive framework for effectively managing and mitigating security incidents.