Source: Help Net Security Author: Help Net Security URL: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/03/20/incident-response-pitfalls/
ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:
CISOs must enhance cyber incident response by avoiding common pitfalls, improving planning, communication, exercises, security, and automation for better preparedness.
MAIN POINTS:
- Cyber incident response requires more than technical recovery; it must address business impact, reputation, and legal ramifications.
- An effective response plan should define roles, escalation paths, communication strategies, and be regularly updated.
- Tabletop exercises must be customized, internally owned, and frequently conducted to ensure realistic and actionable insights.
- Lack of timely information sharing can lead to confusion, downtime, and regulatory penalties during an incident.
- Coordination across multiple business functions is crucial for effective cyber incident response.
- Secure, out-of-band communication channels are essential to prevent attackers from accessing response strategies.
- Corporate communication tools may be compromised, necessitating independent backup systems for incident coordination.
- Manual response processes slow reaction times; automation can streamline decision-making and improve efficiency.
- Dynamic, automated response playbooks enable faster, more accurate incident handling.
- Proactive identification of weaknesses strengthens an organization’s overall cyber resilience and response effectiveness.
TAKEAWAYS:
- Incident response must go beyond technical fixes to include legal, reputational, and business considerations.
- Regularly updated and tested response plans are essential for effective cyber incident management.
- Customized, frequent tabletop exercises improve response readiness and prevent them from becoming mere checkbox activities.
- Secure, independent communication channels are necessary to protect response efforts from attackers.
- Automation and dynamic playbooks enhance response speed, accuracy, and efficiency.