Incident Response Policy

Purpose

This Incident Response Policy outlines the procedures and guidelines to be followed in the event of a security incident, including cyberattacks, data breaches, system failures, or any other events that may disrupt operations, compromise data, or damage the organization's reputation.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and third-party vendors who have access to the organization's systems, networks, and data.

Incident Response Team

The Incident Response Team (IRT) is responsible for managing and coordinating the response to security incidents. The IRT is composed of the following roles:

• Incident Commander: Overall responsibility for managing the incident response.

• Technical Lead: Manages the technical aspects of the incident response.

• Communications Lead: Manages internal and external communications related to the incident.

• Legal Counsel: Provides legal advice and guidance.

• Public Relations: Manages media and public relations.

• Human Resources: Provides support for personnel-related issues.

Incident Response Process

The incident response process consists of the following phases:

1. Preparation:

• Develop and maintain an incident response plan.

• Conduct regular training and awareness programs.

• Establish communication channels and procedures.

• Identify and document critical assets and systems.

2. Identification:

• Detect and identify security incidents.

• Monitor systems and networks for suspicious activity.

• Analyze logs and alerts.

• Receive reports from employees and other stakeholders.

3. Containment:

• Isolate affected systems and networks.

• Prevent the spread of the incident.

• Mitigate the impact of the incident.

4. Eradication:

• Remove the cause of the incident.

• Restore systems and data to a secure state.

5. Recovery:

• Restore normal operations.

• Implement lessons learned to prevent future incidents.

6. Post-Incident Activity:

• Conduct a thorough analysis of the incident.

• Document lessons learned.

• Update the incident response plan.

• Communicate findings and recommendations to management.

Roles and Responsibilities

• All Employees:

• • Report suspected security incidents immediately.

  • Follow instructions from the IRT.

  • Cooperate with the investigation.

• Incident Commander:

• • Assume overall responsibility for managing the incident.

  • Make decisions and provide direction to the IRT.

  • Communicate with senior management and other stakeholders.

• Technical Lead:

• • Manage the technical aspects of the incident response.

  • Coordinate with IT staff and other technical experts.

  • Implement containment and eradication measures.

• Communications Lead:

• • Manage internal and external communications related to the incident.

  • Keep stakeholders informed of the status of the incident.

  • Coordinate with public relations and legal counsel.

Reporting and Escalation

Security incidents should be reported immediately to the IRT through designated channels. The IRT will assess the severity of the incident and escalate it to senior management as needed.

Training and Awareness

All employees will receive regular training on incident response procedures and security awareness.

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure its effectiveness and compliance with industry best practices and regulatory requirements.