Essential tools for effective Incident Response Management

Are you confident in your organization's ability to handle a true cyber incident? In today's interconnected world, organizations face an ever-increasing risk of cyber threats that can disrupt operations and compromise sensitive data. It has become imperative for businesses to adopt a proactive approach to cyber resilience, enabling them to respond to and recover from cyber incidents effectively.

In this blog post, our experts, Mathias Caluwaerts (Solution Architect BCP) and Robinson Delaugerre (Incident Response Expert) will provide valuable insights into the key tools and strategies required to minimize downtime and maximize recovery in the event of a cyber incident.

Before you start with the technological side of cyber incident management, it is important to prepare your organization first.

These are the most important steps to effectively prepare your organization for a cyber incident:

• Define responsibilities: Clearly assign responsibilities and priorities to stakeholders based on business needs and threat models.
• Risk analysis: Identify potential threats to your organization and develop mitigation strategies.
• Balance recovery speed and safety: Prioritize recovery activities while considering safety and intensity. Make sure you make a cost analysis of all approaches before you get hit. What will you shut down, and what will stay online in the event of a cyber incident? Prepare for different scenarios.
• Crisis organization: Define processes, implement appropriate tools, train personnel, and validate training through exercises.
• Plan different scenarios: Develop plans for different scenarios, such as ransomware attacks.

If you want a more detailed overview of how to prepare your organization for a cyber crisis (before, during, and after), please check this blog post.

When it comes down to a true cyber incident requiring instant attention and possibly disrupting your entire business, it is important to leverage your technology toolbox.

Most companies have a combination of proactive and reactive tools to deal with a cyber crisis and minimize downtime. Proactive tools focus on preventing or mitigating potential cyber threats in advance, while reactive tools are used to respond to and recover from an ongoing cyber incident.

Here are some commonly used tools in each category:

• Network security: Network security, including segmentation, is a preventive measure in a cybersecurity toolbox. It devides a network into smaller, isolated segments. This limits the potential damage and lateral movement of threats, as they are contained within specific segments, preventing unauthorized access to critical systems and data.
• Firewalls and Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDPS): These tools monitor network traffic, identify and block suspicious activities, and prevent unauthorized access to the company's systems.
• Vulnerability scanners: They scan the company's network and systems to identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities that could be exploited by cyber attackers. This helps companies proactively patch and secure their systems before an attack occurs.
• Hardening: This is implementing security measures to strengthen systems, applications, and networks, reducing vulnerabilities and making them more resistant to attacks.
• Employee training and awareness programs: Companies need to conduct regular cybersecurity training and awareness programs to educate employees about best practices, such as identifying phishing emails, using strong passwords, and following security protocols. This helps to prevent social engineering attacks and human errors that could lead to a cyber crisis.

• SIEM, Security Information, and Event Management (SIEM) Systems: SIEM tools collect and analyze log data from various sources to detect and respond to security incidents in real real-time. They provide visibility into potential threats and help organizations respond quickly to minimize the impact.
• Incident Response Platform (IRP): a centralized system that facilitates coordinating and managing an organization's response to a cyber crisis. It streamlines the process by providing tools for incident detection, analysis, containment, communication, and recovery, enabling an efficient and effective response to minimize the impact of the crisis.
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Solutions: EDR tools monitor and analyze activities on endpoints (such as workstations and servers) to detect and respond to malicious behavior. They can isolate infected systems, contain the spread of malware, and help recover affected endpoints.
• Backup and Disaster Recovery Solutions: Regular data backups and effective disaster recovery plans are crucial in minimizing downtime caused by cyber incidents.

Adapt this list based on your organization's specific needs and requirements. Remember, it is crucial to have the right people to work with the tools and collaborate with the IT and business side.

In our opinion, the most important element on the list is the backups. Backups provide a means to restore critical data and systems, minimizing downtime and ensuring business continuity. They act as a safety net, allowing organizations to recover from cyber crises more efficiently.

However, in many cases, adversaries successfully attack the backup platform! This occurs because these platforms are typically not designed or structured with cyberattacks in mind. Consequently, manipulating a single component can easily render the backups useless. Therefore, it is vital to prioritize designing the backup platform around zero-trust and hardening this specific component to ensure the integrity and reliability of backups. Regularly testing and validating backups is essential to ensure their reliability. Without regular testing, organizations may face the risk of outdated or incomplete backups, which could hinder recovery efforts.

More and more companies are investing in Incident Response retainers to have 24/7 aid in case of emergency. When an incident happens, they can call the cyber experts to help the IT team deal with it. But, it is important to know that external incident responders won't just do it for you. You will have to prepare for the incident response team and discuss your incident response strategy with them in advance, considering both technological and operational/business aspects. In the end, visibility and the right tools and people will determine your response capabilities and, thus, your downtime.

• Make the most of the tools you have: Unfortunately, many organizations deal with budget and expertise restraints, so not everyone has all the tools available. If you have resource constraints, leverage the tools you already have to their full potential and consider outsourcing certain tasks.
• Incorporate realistic threats: Ensure exercises are based on evolving threat landscapes and incorporate realistic constraints. During a real cyber crisis, there is an element of urgency, uncertainty, and the potential for unforeseen circumstances. E.g., a co-worker that is on holiday on the day the crisis happens.
• Learn from experience: Optimize your strategy and plans regularly and, most certainly, after every exercise. Also, keep on training all stakeholders. Learning from real-life scenarios you or your peer have experienced and incorporating these into your training exercises is essential.

Implementing the essential tools and strategies outlined in this blog post can strengthen your organization's cyber crisis management capabilities and improve your incident response plan. Prepare your organization, leverage the right tools, and remain adaptable to manage and overcome cyber crises effectively. Remember, cyber resilience is a continuous journey. Stay informed, stay vigilant, and prioritize proactive measures to protect your organization's valuable assets.