Cyber Incident Response

Incident response and Disaster recovery readiness

Be Prepared for the Unexpected

Security incidents often occur without warning and, in many cases, remain undetected for extended periods. Organisations can struggle to identify these incidents due to siloed operations or because those responsible for managing threats are overwhelmed by an excessive volume of alerts and noise. These challenges significantly hinder the effectiveness of incident response efforts.

When the Unexpected Happens

When a security incident occurs, organisations need to quickly and forensically understand the nature of the threat and how it infiltrated the network.

This involves reviewing the historical event logs to trace the source and spread of the threat and comparing asset states from before and after the incident. All traces of the adversary should be identified and addressed. This approach supports recovery and highlights opportunities for improving defences and response strategies.

The Importance of Incident Response Planning

Organisations must proactively develop and implement activities to detect, contain, and respond to cyber security incidents. A well-structured response plan ensures clear communication, effective containment, and thorough analysis of an incident. Organisations should continuously integrate lessons learned in updated plans to improve incident response capabilities.

Tailor made, consultative support

We work closely with organisations to enhance their incident response readiness by developing ICS-specific incident response plans to ensure proper mitigations are in place. Our approach includes clearly defining roles and responsibilities for managing incidents, thereby reducing downtime and minimising the severity of events. We conduct dynamic, tailored assessments to evaluate current response capabilities, identify gaps, and recommend targeted improvements.

We perform dynamic, tailored assessments to evaluate current response capabilities, identify gaps, and deliver targeted improvement recommendations. Our experienced consultants actively mitigate risks and implement appropriate measures to safeguard your critical systems.

Risk Assessment and Response Plan Development

A strong incident response strategy begins with identifying vulnerabilities and assessing potential threats to Industrial Control Systems (ICS). Through comprehensive risk assessments, we analyse the potential impact of incidents on control systems, identify vulnerabilities and threats to ICS assets, and recommend customised risk treatments, such as creating segregated environments for critical infrastructure or implementing enhanced security controls.

Following this, we develop incident response plans tailored to your specific needs with the guidance of our experienced cyber consultants.

Our Approach to Response Plan Development

Our experienced consultants will follow best practices to develop your incident response plan, such as the comprehensive guidelines for incident response in NIST Special Publication 800-61

This publication outlines a structured approach to developing an incident response plan comprising four key phases:

Establish and train an incident response team, develop policies and procedures, and ensure necessary tools and resources are in place.

Implement monitoring to identify potential incidents, analyse event data to confirm incidents, and assess their scope and impact.

Contain the incident to prevent further damage, eliminate the root cause, and restore systems to normal operations.

Conduct a thorough review to derive lessons learned, update the incident response plan accordingly, and implement improvements to bolster future responses.

Key Components of an ICS Incident Response Plan

An Industrial Control System (ICS) incident response plan typically includes the following components:

Identify vulnerabilities, potential threats to the control systems, and the types of cyber attacks that could occur.

Detailed instructions on how to detect cyber incidents and assess their severity.

Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for key personnel during a cyber incident.

Guidelines for determining the appropriate response to a cyber incident to contain risks and restore ICS operations to normal while preserving forensic evidence.

A communication response plan outlining how key stakeholders, such as customers and the press, will learn about an incident along with the individuals responsible for communication.