An incident response plan is a documented strategy that sets out how to detect, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity incidents. It ensures organisations can act quickly, reduce damage, and meet regulatory requirements. With the average cost of a data breach in the UK reaching £10,830, having a plan is a business necessity.
What Are the Key Components of an Incident Response Plan?
An incident response plan should define what qualifies as an incident, such as malware infections, unauthorised access, data breaches, denial of service attacks, and insider threats. It must also assign roles and responsibilities so every team member knows what to do and who has decision-making authority.
Communication protocols should explain how incidents are escalated, who must be notified, and what information is shared. The plan must also include step-by-step response procedures for containment, eradication, and recovery, along with requirements for recording evidence and lessons learned.
Who Should Be on Your Incident Response Team?
Your team should include an incident manager to lead the response, security analysts to investigate threats, and IT operations staff to isolate systems and restore services. Legal counsel ensures compliance with data protection laws, while communications specialists handle customer and media messaging. HR representatives should also be involved when dealing with insider threats.
What Incident Categories Should Your Plan Address?
Your plan must address ransomware, malware infections, data breaches, denial of service attacks, and insider threats. Each type requires specific procedures for detection, containment, and recovery.
| Incident Category | Response Priority | Typical Resolution Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ransomware Attack | Critical | 24–72 hours |
| Data Breach | High | 48–96 hours |
| Malware Infection | Medium | 12–48 hours |
| Unauthorised Access | High | 24–48 hours |
| Denial of Service | Critical | 4–24 hours |
How Do You Establish Incident Detection and Reporting Procedures?
Detection should be driven by automated monitoring tools that flag suspicious behaviour, such as repeated login failures or unusual traffic. Staff must also have simple ways to report issues like phishing emails or lost devices.
All reports should be triaged to decide if they require a full response. Incidents must be logged in a central system, with threat intelligence integrated to identify emerging risks quickly.
What Steps Should Your Response Plan Include?
Every incident response plan should follow six clear steps:
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Preparation – set up tools, training, and documentation in advance.
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Detection and analysis – confirm the incident, assess severity, and trigger the plan.
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Containment – isolate affected systems to prevent spread.
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Eradication – remove malware and close attacker access.
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Recovery – restore systems from clean backups and check integrity.
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Post-incident review – record lessons learned and update the plan.
How Often Should Companies Test Their Incident Response Plans?
Tabletop exercises should be run quarterly, technical simulations monthly or bi-monthly, and full-scale incident response tests annually. After every exercise or real incident, teams must review what worked, what failed, and update the plan. The plan should also be reviewed at least once a year, or sooner if systems, teams, or regulations change.
What Legal and Regulatory Requirements Must Your Plan Address?
Your plan must cover GDPR requirements, including notifying the Information Commissioner’s Office within 72 hours of a personal data breach. Organisations covered by the NIS Regulations must report incidents affecting service continuity.
It should also reflect any contractual obligations to notify customers or partners, preserve evidence with proper chain of custody, and meet the requirements of cyber insurance policies, which often set specific timelines and procedures.
Conclusion
A clear incident response plan allows organisations to act decisively, contain damage, and recover quickly. By defining roles, addressing key incident types, setting detection procedures, and testing regularly, businesses can reduce risk and maintain compliance.
Rosca Technologies offers tailored incident response services to help organisations prepare for and manage cyber threats. Contact us today to secure your most valuable digital assets.
