Stop Security Incidents in Their Tracks: Your Customizable IR Plan Template

Introduction

Having a comprehensive Incident Response Plan in place is no longer a luxury but a necessity. With the increasing frequency and severity of cyber attacks, you need to be prepared to respond quickly and effectively to minimize the impact of a breach. That’s why we’ve created a customizable template based on our experience and best practices from leading frameworks such as NIST and SANS.

In this article, we will present the main approaches to building an IR plan and then discuss its efficiency and importance. We will also have a closer look at our customizable Incident Response Plan template, which took the best from every framework and improved it by including an MDR provider every step of the way. We have prepared an extensive Guide in case you have doubts about MDR services and how to choose a reliable provider.

By customizing our comprehensive template, you can create a powerful response plan that aligns with your industry and ensures your staff is prepared to respond quickly and confidently to any incident.

What is an incident response plan?

An incident response plan (IRP), if put in simple words, is a roadmap that outlines how your organization should act during a security incident, who is responsible for taking specific steps, and what these steps are. Its role is vital in minimizing damage and ensuring business continuity in the face of cyberattacks, data breaches, system outages, or other troubles.

It should include the incident response team, the key people needed during the incident, a list of their names, and assigned responsibilities. It also describes the steps and actions required to detect a security incident, understand its impact, and control the damage.

Based on years of experience, our experts at UnderDefense have created a comprehensive security incident response plan template. This template provides a general framework that can be easily adapted to your organization. We have marked every place you must fill out with specific information or change according to the attack’s type.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) includes two components that should not be overlooked:

• Senior leadership approval. Having leadership endorsement gives incident responders confidence and acknowledgment that they can take any action as defined by the plan to contain, eradicate, and recover from an incident. Without this approval in place, teams may be hesitant to act or be required to wait for approvals before taking time-sensitive actions, which could result in financial or reputational damage.
• Incident response lifecycle coverage. The IRP should cover how to detect, analyze, contain, eradicate, and recover from an incident. The IR lifecycle has two crucial parts that should be addressed in preparation and post-incident activities. The incident response plan should define and cover all phases of the incident response lifecycle, including both before and after the incident.

Main types of incident response plan

If you need to create an IRP from scratch, you should know that several popular frameworks exist for building a security incident response plan, each with its strengths and focus areas. You can choose a particular approach or combine several recommendations into one document.

Let’s examine the best recommendations for building an IRP, what elements it should contain, and what details to pay attention to.

NIST incident response plan template

Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), this framework provides a comprehensive approach to incident response. It’s also considered the government-standardized and approved approach to IR. It sets standards and guides various technology industries across the United States.

NIST recommendations are crucial for aligning your organization with U.S. government cybersecurity guidelines. The latest Executive Order 14028 establishes best practices that are strongly encouraged for both government and private sector entities. It’s particularly vital for organizations seeking to do business with U.S. government agencies, as it demonstrates their commitment to strong cybersecurity standards.

The NIST approach to incident response emphasizes that it’s a continuous cycle of improvement rather than a one-time event. It’s about responding to an incident, learning from it, and refining defenses to prevent future attacks.

The NIST incident response consists of four stages:

• Preparation: Proactively establishing incident response capabilities and procedures.
• Detection and Analysis: Identifying and understanding the incident to determine the appropriate response.
• Containment, Eradication, and Recovery: Taking action to mitigate the incident’s impact and restore normal operations.
• Post-Incident Activity: Reviewing the incident response and identifying opportunities for improvement.

When selecting an incident response model, NIST recommends considering the following factors:

• Availability: Do you need 24/7 incident response capabilities, and is on-site presence necessary for immediate response?
• Staffing: Should incident responders be part-time or full-time, and can a virtual team be effective? The IT help desk can serve as the initial point of contact, with part-time responders providing backup.
• Expertise: What level of security knowledge is required, and can internal staff or outsourced teams provide the necessary expertise? While outsourced teams may have stronger security skills, internal staff have a deeper understanding of the organization’s environment and systems.
• Cost: What is the total cost of ownership for an incident response team, including salaries, security tooling, facilities, and communication methods? Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) can also be a costly option.

We strongly advise you to consider those recommendations, which contain the most critical points. Our template also includes the incident response stages described above.

SANS incident response plan template

SANS Institute is the next leading cybersecurity training organization on the list. Their incident response describes a systematic approach to handling a cybersecurity breach (or any incident, for that matter). SANS operates using PICERL and consists of six stages: Preparation, Identification, Containment, Eradication, Recovery, and Lessons Learned.

This structured approach enables organizations to quickly and effectively respond to incidents, minimizing damage and downtime. By following the SANS plan, incident responders can contain and eradicate threats, restore systems and data, and identify areas for improvement to prevent future incidents.

This scheme describes you in detail what activity each stage of incident response should include. It can significantly simplify the process of building your own IR plan because you already have recommendations on what should be done by the IR team step by step.

Additionally, the SANS plan emphasizes the importance of preparation, training, and continuous improvement, ensuring that organizations are better equipped to handle incidents and reduce the risk of future breaches.

ISO/IEC 27001 incident response plan template

The ISO/IEC 27001 isn’t just a gold standard, it’s a roadmap. This internationally recognized framework lays out the essential steps for building a robust Information Security Management System (ISMS). An ISMS empowers businesses to identify, assess, and effectively manage information security risks, safeguarding their most valuable asset: data.

The ISO/IEC 27001 recommendations are widely recognized and respected for managing incidents and breaches. It suggests the following approach to IR:

1. Create an Incident Management Strategy. Define the organization’s incident management objectives, scope, and policies.
2. Establish Incident Management Procedures. Develop procedures for incident identification, reporting, response, containment, and resolution.
3. Identification and Recording of Incidents. Identify and record incidents in a timely and accurate manner.
4. Response to Incidents and Containment. Respond to incidents promptly and contain them to prevent further damage.
5. Reporting of Incidents. Report incidents to relevant stakeholders, including management, customers, and regulatory bodies.
6. Analysis and Investigation of Incidents. Analyze and investigate incidents to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.

The ISO/IEC 27001 recommendations are ideal for organizations just starting out with making incident response plan, as it provides a straightforward and comprehensive approach to managing incidents and breaches. It doesn’t give you actual steps, as our template does, so you need to make the sequence of actions for your IR team.

CIS incident response plan template

The Center for Internet Security (CIS) provides a comprehensive incident response recommendations that helps organizations respond to and manage cybersecurity incidents effectively. It’s based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and is designed to be flexible and adaptable to various organizational needs.

Together with NIST, from a theoretical and technical standpoint, it’s one of the most comprehensive frameworks. You can make your own IRP using the following sections:

• Incident Information.
• Initial Response.
• Incident Description.
• Impact Analysis.
• Incident Response Team (IRT).
• Containment and Eradication.
• Recovery.
• Post-Incident Activities.

Notably, CIS provides a structured approach to documenting and managing cybersecurity incidents. It ensures that all relevant information is captured and that incident response activities are thorough and effective.

We have just reviewed the four most popular recommendations for incident response frameworks that you can convert into your own incident response plan. Although this doesn’t give you a ready-to-use IR plan or customizable template, you can use the most suitable steps or best practices for your company’s approach to handling specific security incidents.

Introducing customizable IRP template by UnderDefense

Take the first step towards a robust incident response strategy with our comprehensive IRP template. Developed by our team of seasoned cybersecurity experts, this template distills years of experience and knowledge gained from working with diverse clients and analyzing industry-recognized best practices. 

You can easily adapt our template to meet your organization’s unique needs and ensure a swift, effective response to security incidents. Our customizable IRP template is designed to help you create a tailored incident response plan that aligns with your organization’s specific requirements. The template includes the following essential components:

1. Purpose and scope: A pre-written section that defines the purpose and scope of your incident response plan, including the types of incidents it will cover, the roles and responsibilities of team members, and the overall goals of the plan. This section sets the foundation for your incident response strategy and ensures that all stakeholders are on the same page.
2. Plan activation: This section provides a step-by-step guide for activating your incident response plan, including the criteria for declaring an incident, the process for notifying team members, and the initial steps to take when responding to an incident. It ensures that your team is prepared to respond quickly and effectively in the event of an incident.
3. Incident response team: Identify the key team members and their roles in responding to incidents, including their responsibilities, communication protocols, and decision-making authority. This section ensures that each team member knows their role and can work together seamlessly to respond to incidents.
4. Incident Response Procedure: A detailed, step-by-step guide for responding to incidents, including the procedures for:
   • Preparation: Pre-incident preparation activities, including training, testing, and maintenance of incident response capabilities.
   • Identification/Detection: Procedures for identifying and detecting incidents, including monitoring, alerting, and initial response activities.
   • Containment: Procedures for containing the incident, including isolating affected systems, stopping the attack, and preventing further damage.
   • Eradication: Procedures for eradicating the incident, including removing the root cause, patching vulnerabilities, and restoring systems to a known good state.
   • Recovery: Procedures for recovering from the incident, including restoring business operations, data, and systems to a normal state.
   • Lessons learned: Procedures for conducting post-incident activities, including incident review, lessons learned, and continuous improvement.
5. Incident communication: Pre-written protocols for communicating incident response efforts to stakeholders, including:
   • Internal communication: Protocols for communicating with internal teams, including notification procedures, status updates, and incident resolution reports.
   • External communication: Protocols for communicating with external stakeholders, including customers, partners, and regulatory bodies, including notification procedures, incident updates, and resolution reports.
6. Incident-specific runbooks: Create customized runbooks for specific incident types, such as ransomware attacks, data breaches, or denial-of-service attacks. These runbooks provide detailed, step-by-step procedures for responding to specific types of incidents, ensuring that your team is prepared to respond quickly and effectively.
7. Annual review and approval of this plan: Schedule regular reviews and approvals to ensure your incident response plan remains effective and up-to-date. This section ensures that your plan is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in your organization, industry, or threat landscape.
8. Appendices: A collection of additional resources and information to support your incident response efforts, including:
   • Alert initiation: A pre-written procedure for initiating alerts and notifications during an incident, including the criteria for alerting team members and stakeholders.
   • Incident proceeding with your MDR provider: This is a step-by-step guide for working with your Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider during an incident, including the roles and responsibilities of the MDR team.
   • Incident response team contact list: A pre-formatted contact list for incident response team members, including phone numbers, email addresses, and other relevant details.
   • Chain of custody form: A customizable template for documenting the chain of custody for evidence collected during an incident, ensuring that evidence is handled and preserved properly.
   • Security incident response report:  A pre-written template for reporting on incident response efforts, including the incident summary, response timeline, and lessons learned.
   • Email incident report templates for incident announcement and post-incident report: Pre-written email templates for communicating incident response efforts to stakeholders, including templates for incident announcements and post-incident reports.

With our easily customizable template, you can customize and implement your incident response plan in minutes, ensuring you’re prepared to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a security incident.

Building an effective incident response plan

We have reviewed the main recommendations for responding to cybersecurity incidents, but more than using them is needed to create an efficient incident response plan. We know what else you need.

Firstly, we have prepared a checklist that will help you stay focused and avoid missing an essential part of your IR procedure. By following these steps, you can create an efficient incident response plan that helps your organization respond to cybersecurity incidents quickly, effectively, and efficiently:

Remember that an effective incident response plan helps minimize the impact of security breaches and protect sensitive data. But it also has more extensive functions in terms of crisis management, which includes:

• Rapid Detection and Containment of Incidents: Effectively addressing security incidents in the shortest possible time minimizes their impact on the organization and its stakeholders.
• Reducing Financial Losses: Prompt and coordinated response decreases potential financial losses arising from information security breaches and subsequent remediation efforts.
• Compliance with Industry Standards and Regulatory Requirements: A well-defined incident response plan aligned with ISO 27001 ensures compliance with industry standards and regulatory obligations.
• Maintaining Stakeholder Trust: Demonstrating a capable and efficient response to breaches fosters trust among customers, partners, and regulators in the organization’s commitment to data security.

By keeping the bigger picture in mind, it’s better to have one solid customizable IRP template that you can easily adjust anytime according to policy changes or a specific type of security incident. Understanding this challenge, UnderDefense has created the most comprehensive IRP template, not forgetting about the role of the MDR provider.

Why incident response plan matters

In today’s digital landscape, cybersecurity incidents are a matter of when, not if. An effective incident response plan is crucial for organizations of all sizes to minimize the impact of information security breaches and protect sensitive data. The benefits of having a well-crafted IR plan are numerous:

Rapid Detection and Containment of Incidents:

• Reduce the attack surface and prevent further damage.
• Minimize the spread of malware and unauthorized access.
• Quickly identify and isolate affected systems and data.

Reducing Financial Losses:

• Decrease potential financial losses arising from information security breaches.
• Reduce the cost of remediation efforts and system downtime.
• Minimize the impact on business operations and revenue.

Compliance with Industry Standards and Regulatory Requirements:

• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory obligations, such as ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR.
• Avoid legal and reputational consequences of non-compliance.
• Demonstrate a commitment to data security and privacy.

Maintaining Stakeholder Trust:

• Foster trust among customers, partners, and regulators in the organization’s commitment to data security.
• Protect the organization’s reputation and brand.
• Ensure business continuity and minimize the risk of reputational damage.

Additional Benefits:

• Improve incident response efficiency and effectiveness.
• Enhance incident response team coordination and communication.
• Identify areas for improvement and optimize incident response processes.
• Reduce the risk of future incidents through proactive measures.

By investing in a well-crafted IR plan template, you can significantly improve your organization’s ability to weather security storms and ensure business continuity.

For example, in IBM’s 2022 Cost of a Data Breach report, nearly three-quarters of organizations said they had a plan, while 63% of those organizations said they regularly tested the plan. The organizations with a response team that tested a response plan saved $2.66 million in breach costs on average versus those with no team and plan testing. Overall, this represents a 58% cost savings, which clearly indicates how crucial efficient IR plan is.

Conclusion

Our IRP template stands out from others in the market by incorporating two critical components often overlooked: a robust communication plan and seamless integration with your MDR provider. Effective communication is crucial during incident response, ensuring all stakeholders are informed and aligned throughout the process.

Template made by experts at UnderDefense includes pre-built email templates for internal and external communication, enabling you to quickly notify teams, customers, partners, and regulatory bodies of incident response efforts. Moreover, we recognize the importance of collaboration between your internal incident response team and your MDR provider.

By choosing our template, you get an easily customizable framework for incident response procedures involving an MDR provider. This ensures that your provider is fully integrated, enabling a swift and effective response to security incidents. Schedule a free consultation with our experts to build a new or optimize your existing incident response procedure, and rest assured that you’re guided every step of the way.