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Introduction to Incident Response (Preparation and Identification)

Cyber Security Mastery: From Zero to Hero

The Standard Incident Response Process

Incident Response (IR) is the structured process an organization uses to handle and manage a security breach or cyberattack.

IR typically follows a formalized lifecycle (often based on NIST SP 800-61).

1. Preparation

This phase happens before any incident occurs.

  • Developing an IR plan and policies.
  • Training staff and establishing communication channels.
  • Ensuring monitoring tools (SIEM, EDR) and forensic tools are deployed and ready.

2. Identification

This is when the incident is first detected and analyzed.

  • Detection: An alert fires (e.g., SIEM, EDR, or user report).
  • Verification: Confirming that the event is a genuine security incident (not a false positive).
  • Scoping: Determining the extent of the breach (which systems are affected, what data was accessed, and how long the attacker has been present).