Incident Response: Having a Plan in Place For Your Business

A cyber attack can happen to businesses of any size or structure. In order to protect your data and your systems, it is important to have a plan in place. This means having protocols in place for dealing with a cyber threat, and making sure all of your employees are aware of the plan and know what to do if an attack occurs. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of incident response planning and how you can secure a structure that is right for your business.

What is an Incident Response Plan?

An incident response plan is a procedure, or set of procedures, put in place to best prepare a business to tackle a successful cyber attack. This is usually a full plan covering crucial steps including identification of the cyber attack itself and implementation of future steps to prevent a reoccurring attack. The plan is designed to detect, respond to, and limit consequences of a malicious cyber attacks against an organisation’s information systems.

What Does an Incident Response Plan Achieve?

First, it helps to ensure that everyone knows what to do in the event of a cyber attack, the plan and procedures. This can help minimize the damage caused by an attack, as well as help you recover more quickly. Additionally, having a plan in place shows that you take security seriously to clients and suppliers and therefore are prepared to deal with any cyber attacks that may pose a threat. This can help to deter attackers, as they are more likely to target businesses that do not have strong security measures in place.

Investing in an Incident Response Plan

When investing in an incident response plan, you are more than covered in the event of an attack. A plan set in place will not only create a structure for your employees but show your clients and suppliers that you value your security in your business, putting their minds at ease in the event of a cyber attack. An incident response plan includes: identification of the cyber attack, clarification on any malicious activity, implementation controls to prevent any recurrence of attack and regular penetration tests or vulnerability scanning to provide ongoing understanding of your threat landscape.

Why Does Your Business Need a Cyber Attack Response Plan?

Having a cyber attack response plan is essential for businesses in today's digital landscape. The increasing frequency and complexity of cyber attacks make it imperative for organisations to be prepared and equipped to handle such incidents effectively.

Firstly, a cyber attack response plan ensures swift and organised reactions to various types of attacks. In the event of a data breach, the plan outlines the necessary steps to identify and contain the breach, assess the extent of the damage, and initiate recovery procedures. This helps minimize the potential damage caused by the attack and ensures a quicker return to normal business operations.

Furthermore, a response plan helps address insider threats, which can be particularly damaging as they involve trusted individuals with access to sensitive information. The plan should include procedures to detect and respond to suspicious activities, as well as protocols to remove access privileges if necessary. This proactive approach can prevent insider threats from causing significant harm to the organisation.

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Benefits of an Incident Response Plan

There are many benefits, including:

• Reducing the risks of a successful attack.
• Quickly identifying and responding to an attack.
• Minimising the damage caused by an attack.
• Showing that you take security seriously within your organisation.
• Deterring attackers from targeting your business.

All these benefits massively reduce the aftermath of a cyber attack and help your business stay on track and return back to business as soon as possible. Without an incident response plan, the risk of your business being irreversibly damaged is highly likely, so investing is a no brainer.

What’s Included in our Plan?

Our Incident Response Plan here at Pentest People includes:

• Confirmation of attack.
• Identification of the systems affected
• Identification of malicious activity.
• IOC Gathering – Determining the cause of attack.
• Regular Vulnerability Scans.
• Dark Web daily scans.
• Regular Penetration Tests.

To ensure your business safety, enquire today about our Incident Response Service.

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