Create a CIRT Response Plan for a Typical IT Infrastructure. For this assignment, you will download a Microsoft Word document from JBL. Fill out your answers directly in this document, then submit the completed Word document here. Your responses must exclude references and cover page as a Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and at least four sources cited in APA format. Make sure you cite if you take a piece of someone’s work, very important and your reference should relate to your writing
CIRT Response Plan for a Typical IT Infrastructure
Introduction
Cybersecurity incidents have become increasingly prevalent in today’s digital landscape. An effective Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) response plan is essential for organizations to mitigate and respond to these incidents in a timely and efficient manner. This paper presents a comprehensive CIRT response plan for a typical IT infrastructure, outlining the key steps and considerations for handling cybersecurity incidents.
1. Plan Development
The first step in developing a CIRT response plan is to establish a dedicated team responsible for managing and responding to cybersecurity incidents. This team should consist of individuals with expertise in network security, incident response, and forensic analysis. The team should have a clear understanding of the organization’s IT infrastructure, systems, and critical assets.
2. Incident Identification and Triage
The initial phase of an incident response plan involves identifying potential cybersecurity incidents and triaging them based on their severity and impact on the organization. This can be done through the implementation of intrusion detection systems, log monitoring, and continuous network scanning. The CIRT team should be alerted whenever a potential incident is detected, and a clear procedure should be in place for reporting and escalating incidents.
3. Incident Containment and Investigation
Upon identification of a cybersecurity incident, the CIRT team should take immediate steps to contain the incident to prevent further damage. This may involve isolating affected systems or network segments, disabling compromised user accounts, or reconfiguring firewalls and access controls. Concurrently, the team should initiate a thorough investigation to determine the nature and scope of the incident. This may include collecting and analyzing digital evidence, conducting forensic analysis, and identifying the root cause of the incident.
4. Incident Analysis and Classification
Once the incident has been contained, the CIRT team should conduct a detailed analysis of the incident to understand its implications and potential impact on the organization. This may involve analyzing log files, system configurations, and network traffic. Based on the analysis, the incident should be classified according to severity, impact, and potential risk to the organization. This classification will dictate the subsequent actions to be taken by the CIRT team.
5. Mitigation and Recovery
After the incident has been classified, the CIRT team should develop a plan for mitigating the effects of the incident and facilitating a timely recovery. This may involve restoring from backups, patching vulnerable systems, removing malware, or implementing additional security controls. The team should also consider any legal or regulatory obligations in these processes and ensure that the organization can resume normal operations as quickly as possible.
In conclusion, a well-established CIRT response plan is crucial for organizations to effectively respond to cybersecurity incidents. This plan should outline the key steps and considerations for incident identification, containment, investigation, analysis, and recovery. By implementing a comprehensive CIRT response plan, organizations can minimize the impact of cybersecurity incidents and swiftly restore normal operations.
