A security incident response program is an essential element of robust cybersecurity for any company in any industry. Planning for data breaches and other security incidents is a best security practice for any organization, and in many industries, such as healthcare, it is a regulatory requirement. It is also a requirement for organizations that need to be compliant with specific frameworks such as PCI DSS.
Despite these facts, incident response planning is often neglected. Reasons range from an organization’s lack of bandwidth or skills to the absence of a budget or executive support.
Regardless of the obstacles, organizations no longer need to operate without the benefit of an incident response program—not when a Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (VCISO) can make it happen for you.
Incident Response Program Services
Our qualified VCISOs provide the following services in developing your incident response program:
Develop Process. Direct and assist in the development of a process that will enable you to promptly detect and respond to data breaches and other security incidents that may pose a risk to the confidential, proprietary, and other sensitive data maintained in your information systems.
Document Program. Formalize the process in an incident response program document specific to your organization and business operations. The program will include procedures for detection, investigation, and reporting of incidents as well as for containment, eradication, and recovery, based on the type of incident. It will include a process for implementing remediation steps in response to a breach or security incident. The program will also encompass communications, including procedures for incident notification internally and externally.
Establish Team. Assist in establishing a security incident response team, who will be responsible for executing the incident response plan the moment a data breach or security incident is discovered.
Test and Train. Guide the team in testing the incident response program, walking through the program steps, helping to train the team in executing the plan, and capturing lessons learned, which can be used to update and improve the incident response program. Periodic testing and training will ensure that your incident response program remains current and viable.
Recommend. Provide related recommendations for any staffing, resources, and budget assets that may be required to support the incident response program and team. We also include timeline and milestone recommendations for the steps involved in developing your program.
In most cases, the development of your incident response program can be addressed as a project with a finite, pre-agreed cost—which makes using a qualified VCISO even more attractive.