Using an incident response platform is one of the most important ways to prevent and respond to security incidents. It can automate processes and reduce the time to resolve issues.
When an incident occurs, teams of analysts and response specialists are empowered to take action. They prioritize incidents based on their urgency and importance.
Incident response platforms are security tools that can help teams triage and respond to various security incidents.
The first step of effective incident response is detection. IT staff gathers events from log files, monitoring tools, error messages, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems to detect and determine the scope of the incident.
Table of Contents
SIEM
A security information and event management (SIEM) system is a data collection and aggregation technology that assists enterprises in detecting and discovering risks. These systems are designed to collect, store, normalize, and analyze data from various devices and servers.
SIEM tools are popular with enterprise companies because they enable IT teams to monitor and track many devices on the network. In addition, many of these systems include easy integration with other enterprise security controls.
Normalizing data and correlating it enables IT security teams to identify security incidents quickly. In addition, they can soon run their incident response plans and reduce the impact on the business.
For example, the SIEM will alert IT staff if a user is accessing sensitive data without proper authorization. As a result, it will help to thwart attacks from malicious third parties and avoid damage to the business.
Most SIEM tools can be configured to connect to various log data sources. It can be done through agents and agentless services that transfer log data directly from the sources to the SIEM servers.
SOAR
SOAR (Security Orchestration Automation and Response) combines orchestration tools, automation, and security playbooks into a single system that helps teams respond more quickly and effectively to cyberattacks. It also enables more effective data analysis and contextualized intelligence.
SOAR solutions can integrate different vendor tools, reducing operational costs and increasing efficiency. They can also provide a single dashboard for security teams to view all their relevant information in one place.
A good SOAR solution can ingest threat intelligence and automatically correlate it with real-time event data. It takes the load off of SOC analysts and provides immediately actionable information to incident response teams.
Automated actions can significantly reduce the mean time to detect and the mean time to respond. As a result, it reduces alert fatigue and allows security teams to focus on higher-value work.
Moreover, the best SOAR platforms can integrate more threat data from various sources than traditional SIEM tools and systems, providing context to event data and insight into potential threats. It improves scalability and increases the number of alerts a team can handle.
EDR
EDR, or endpoint detection and response, connotes a cybersecurity tool designed to prevent attacks by detecting malicious activity before it compromises an organization’s systems. It also enables security personnel to respond quickly and efficiently when threats breach the perimeter.
EDR solutions collect data from endpoints and send it to a central location like the cloud. This information is then analyzed by algorithms and machine learning technology.
The resulting data is then used to investigate suspicious files or activities. For example, if an attacker downloads a malicious file into the network, EDR will use forensics tools to uncover how that file penetrated the security system.
These tools are invaluable for identifying how a threat got past the perimeter and preventing future exploitation. They can also determine how malicious files interact with other data or applications.
Using various behavioral techniques, effective EDR solutions sift through vast amounts of data and identify indicators of attack (IoAs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs). As a result, organizations can minimize incident response times by looking for these signals and alerting security personnel to the situation.
NTA
Network traffic analysis (NTA) enables cybersecurity teams to detect anomalies and suspicious behaviors in the enterprise network and act quickly to extinguish threats. NTA solutions collect and analyze data from network devices, including routers, switches, firewalls, and servers.
NTA solutions can also decrypt and view encrypted traffic, providing context to help security teams investigate cyberattacks. In addition, it helps ensure that only authorized users access sensitive data and systems.
Behavioral analytics and rule-based detection enable advanced NTA products to identify threats that would go undetected by more traditional solutions. In addition, these tools typically generate few false positives, reducing the number of alerts a team has to review and take action on.
NTA systems can identify all stages of a cyberattack, from initial access to lateral movement and command and control communications. As a result, it allows security specialists to detect and isolate attacks early while ensuring compliance with security guidelines.
ICS
An incident command system (ICS) is a management method for organizing field-level operations during various incidents. It provides a clear command structure that supports the needs of individual agencies and the overall incident management effort.
Emergency services and disaster response agencies widely use ICS. However, it also applies to many other situations and events.
It establishes five functional areas for incident management, including command, operations, planning, logistics, and finance/administration. In addition, its modular organizational structure makes it easy to expand from top to bottom as the incident evolves and functions are delegated.
The operational level includes planning and coordination activities allowing accurate and timely information sharing across the incident response organization. Depending on the incident, these activities can include developing a multi-agency communications system and establishing an incident area command.
ICS also maintains a comprehensive resource management system that includes personnel, equipment, and supplies. It ensures on-scene check-in of all assigned resources and provides a complete file of all incident-related information. In addition, it helps maintain communication connectivity and discipline among responders at the scene of an incident.
