Becoming a victim of a cyber attack is an imminent reality for all companies
With punitive measures introduced by the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and the NIS (Network and Information Systems) Regulations, how an organisation responds to a cyber incident can often spell the difference between failure and success.
The speed at which you identify and mitigate such incidents makes a significant difference in controlling your risks, cost and exposure. Effective cyber incident management can reduce the risk of future incidents occurring, help you detect incidents at an earlier stage and develop a robust defence against attacks to potentially save your organisation millions.
Free PDF download: Cyber Incident Response Management – A beginner’s guide
Download this paper to:
- Understand what constitutes a cyber incident;
- Learn about the potential consequences of suffering an incident;
- Find out what to include in your incident response plans; and
- Discover a step-by-step incident response process.
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Why do organisations need incident response planning?
Cyber attacks and data breaches are inevitable, so incident response in cyber security is critical. Cyber criminals only need to find one weakness to infiltrate your systems, so it is essential to be prepared when a breach occurs.
The current incident response climate in organisations demonstrates why CIR is not something you can afford to ignore:
175 days
The average number of time that a threat has undetected access in a network. (FireEye M-Trends)
70%
The percentage of organisations that don't have a cyber incident response plan in place and are unprepared to respond to a cyber attack. (PwC Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey)
72hrs
The time period for organisations to report data breaches/incidents under the GDPR and the NIS Regulations. The breach must be reported within 72 hours, or face heavy fines.
2.94m
The average cost for an organisation that has suffered a data breach. (Ponemon Institute’s Cost of a Data Breach Study: Global Overview)
Incident reporting requirements under the GDPR and NIS Directive
Under Article 32 of the GDPR, organisations are obligated to restore the availability of and access to personal data in the event of a physical or technical breach.
Organisations in critical infrastructure also face these obligations under the NIS Directive (EU Directive on security of network and information systems), whereby OES (operators of essential services) and DSPs (digital service providers) are required to adopt incident response measures to ensure recovery following a disruptive incident.
Phase
1. Reconnaissance
- Identify target
- Look for vulnerabilities
Countermeasures
- Monitoring and logging
- Situational awareness
- Collaboration
Phase
2. Attack target
- Exploit vulnerabilities
- Defeat remaining controls
Countermeasures
- Architectural system design
- Standard controls (e.g. ISO 27001)
- Penetration testing
Phase
3. Achieve objectives
- Disruption of systems
- Extraction of data
- Manipulation of information
Countermeasures
- Cyber security incident response planning
- Business continuity and disaster recovery plans
- Cyber security insurance
Frameworks that outline and require incident response measures
Incident response planning is mandated as part of all major cyber security regimes, either directly or indirectly. The following standards require incident response measures:
- ISO 27001, the international standard for an ISMS (information security management system)
- ISO 22301, the international standard for a BCMS (business continuity management system)
- PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
UK government departments also have a responsibility to report cyber incidents under the terms laid out in the security policy framework issued by the Cabinet Office, effectively mandating a CIR for such organisations as well.
Be prepared for any cyber security incident
Gap Assessment
How prepared is your organisation to identify and respond to a cyber incident? Find out in our detailed Cyber Incident Response - Readiness Assessment, which will enable you to receive expert advice on remediation tactics to address any weaknesses, instilling confidence in your organisation that you have a solid plan in place, should an incident occur.
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Why choose IT Governance for cyber security incident management?
- We draw from proven incident response standards to help you define, implement and effectively apply an incident response management programme.
- We offer the full range of incident response services, from identification and containment (including forensic investigation) to recovery and reporting and advising on internal and external communications.
- Our management service is tailored to your needs, business requirements and budget, making it a cost-effective solution.
- We have over 15 years of experience helping organisations achieve local and international compliance with management system standards such as ISO 27001.
- We draw on a wide range of GRC International Group’s relevant services, including penetration testing, payment card expertise and legal advice. We have multi-disciplinary teams with project managers to roll out compliance implementation projects and executive expertise to brief your board and develop suitable strategies.
- We offer on-site or remote assistance.
- We hold the following certifications and accreditations: Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, ISO 9001, BS 10012 and CREST.
- We are a Crown Commercial Service Supplier.
Speak to an expert
Please contact our team for more information on how IT Governance can help with your cyber incident response management.