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Incident Response Team

5 minutes 5 Questions

An incident response team (IRT) is a group of skilled professionals designated to prepare for, respond to, and manage security incidents within an organization. The IRT is responsible for identifying, investigating, and resolving incidents and works closely with other departments, such as IT, security, legal, and management, to minimize the impact of security incidents. The team comprises of various roles like incident manager, incident analysts, IT technicians, and crisis communicators, who have expertise in specific aspects of incident response. The IRT’s primary goal is to restore the affected systems and ensure that the organization recovers from security incidents promptly and efficiently.

Guide for Incident Response Team

An Incident Response Team (IRT) is a group of individuals who prepare for and respond to any unexpected or adverse situation that can cause disruption to the organization's operations. This can be anything from cyber attacks, security breaches, system failures, or natural disasters.

IMPORTANCE:
The IRT is important as it acts as the first line of defense in protecting an organization's information infrastructure. They are responsible for managing any crisis situation, making sure that business continuity is maintained while limiting the damage and reducing recovery time and cost. The speed and efficiency of the IRT can literally save an organization.

HOW IT WORKS:
IRT follows a specific protocol that generally includes four phases:
1. Detection and Reporting
2. Triage and Analysis
3. Containment and Neutralization
4. Post Incident Activity.

Each phase has its own importance in dealing with incidents, and the efficiency with which these phases are carried out can largely determine the effects of any incident on the organization.

EXAM TIPS: Answering Questions on Incident Response Team:
- Understand the different roles within an IRT.
- Know the importance of having a well-documented and rehearsed IRP (Incident Response Plan).
- Be familiar with the four phases of incident response and what each phase entails.
- Understand how to prioritize incidents.
- Comprehend the importance of post-incident reviews and lessons learned.

Remember, each organization may define the roles of an IRT and the specifics of the incident response process slightly differently, but the most important part is to have a coordinated and rehearsed response to manage the unexpected.

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CISSP - Security Incident Response and Recovery Example Questions

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Question 1

The Incident Response Team identified a malware outbreak in a critical department of your organization. In the containment phase, which additional measure would be the most appropriate?

Correct Answer: Isolate the affected systems from the rest of the network.

To prevent further spread of the malware, isolating the compromised systems from the network is the most appropriate measure in the containment phase. This ensures that the malware will not compromise other systems.

Question 2

In the aftermath of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, the Incident Response Team is evaluating the effectiveness of the response. To inform future strategy, which of the following is the MOST valuable action?

Correct Answer: Review the timeline of events for procedural adherence

After a DDoS attack, one of the most valuable actions the Incident Response Team can take is to review the sequence and timing of the events that occurred during the attack. This step involves examining how the incident unfolded and assessing the effectiveness of the response based on established procedures. By reviewing the timeline for procedural adherence, the team can identify what worked, what didn't, and what can be improved for future incident responses. This review facilitates an understanding of the gaps in the current response plan, and allows the team to make necessary adjustments to their incident response strategy. Creating a new company policy mandating increased bandwidth may not be the most cost-effective or strategic approach to mitigate DDoS attacks. It's akin to applying a bandage without assessing the actual injury. Moreover, increased bandwidth may not be sufficient to prevent future DDoS attacks. Conducting a complete overhaul of the current firewall settings is a reactive measure that doesn't necessarily align with what was learned from the attack. It may not address actual vulnerabilities or inefficiencies in responding to the attack. Implementing stronger encryption on all company communications will not directly prevent DDoS attacks, as these attacks typically target the availability of resources rather than trying to break encryption. While encryption is an important aspect of security, it does not address the specific challenges posed by DDoS attacks.

Question 3

You receive reports that your organization's web server is down. As a part of the Incident Response Team, what is your first step in investigating the situation?

Correct Answer: Begin documenting the incident and gather any relevant logs.

The appropriate first step in investigating a potential incident is to begin documenting the situation and gather any relevant logs. This provides a structured approach and helps in understanding the extent of the issue and identifying the root cause.

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