Chapter -2 Disaster Recovery,Business Continuity & Incident Response

Incidence Response

Incident Response (IR) is the process of managing and addressing security breaches or cyberattacks to minimize damage and reduce recovery time and costs. Below is an overview of the key terminology and components of Incident Response, along with the different models for an Incident Response Team (IRT).

Incident Response Terminology:

1

Breach

A breach occurs when an attacker gains unauthorized access to an organization's data, systems, or networks. It often involves the exposure or theft of sensitive information.

2

Event

An event refers to any observable occurrence in a system or network. It could be something as simple as a login attempt or a system restart. Not all events are security incidents, but they can indicate potential security issues.

3

Exploit

An exploit is a piece of code, technique, or vulnerability that allows an attacker to gain unauthorized access to a system, application, or network. It takes advantage of weaknesses in a system's security defenses.

4

Incident

An incident is an event or series of events that disrupt normal operations and pose a threat to an organization’s systems or data. Incidents may include breaches, denial-of-service attacks, malware infections, or data leaks.

5

Intrusion

Intrusion refers to unauthorized access or manipulation of a system or network by an attacker. It often implies that the attack has bypassed initial security controls.

6

Threat

A threat is anything that has the potential to exploit a vulnerability and cause harm to the organization, such as hackers, malware, or natural disasters.

7

Vulnerability

A vulnerability is a weakness or flaw in a system, application, or network that can be exploited by a threat to cause damage or unauthorized access. Vulnerabilities can be in software, hardware, or even human processes.

8

Zero day

A zero-day refers to a vulnerability in software or hardware that is unknown to the vendor or developer. It is particularly dangerous because attackers can exploit the flaw before the developer has the opportunity to patch it, leaving systems exposed.

Four Main Components of Incident Response (IR):

Preparation: This phase involves setting up processes, tools, and resources to effectively respond to incidents. It includes developing an incident response policy, training staff, and setting up a communication plan. It’s about ensuring the organization is ready to detect and handle security incidents effectively.

• Example: Creating an incident response playbook, implementing security tools, and conducting regular employee training.

Detection and Analysis: In this phase, the goal is to identify and verify potential security incidents through monitoring, log analysis, and security tools. It’s important to differentiate between false alarms and real incidents. Analysts must analyze the event to understand the severity and scope.

• Example: Using intrusion detection systems (IDS) and security information and event management (SIEM) tools to monitor for signs of suspicious activities.

Containment, Eradication, and Recovery: Once an incident is confirmed, the focus shifts to containing the damage to prevent further spread, eradicating the cause of the incident (e.g., removing malware), and recovering systems to their normal state. This phase aims to minimize the impact of the incident on the organization.

• Example: Isolating affected systems from the network to prevent the spread of malware, cleaning infected systems, and restoring data from backups.

Post-Incident Activity: After the incident is contained and systems are restored, the focus shifts to learning from the incident. This includes conducting a post-attack analysis, identifying lessons learned, updating incident response procedures, and improving security measures to prevent future incidents.

• Example: Creating a report on the incident, conducting a root cause analysis, and implementing stronger security controls to mitigate future risks.

Three Possible Models for an Incident Response Team (IRT):

Leveraged Model

In the leveraged model, an organization uses external resources, such as a third-party security firm or consultants, to provide incident response support. This model is often used when in-house expertise is limited or when a specialized skill set is required.

• Advantages: Access to expertise and resources without the need for a fully dedicated in-house team.

• Disadvantages: May be slower to respond, as external parties may require more time to familiarize themselves with the organization’s environment.

Dedicated Model

In the dedicated model, the organization has a full-time, in-house team responsible for managing all aspects of incident response. This team is always available to handle incidents and maintain security monitoring on an ongoing basis.

• Advantages: Faster response time and better familiarity with the organization's systems and networks.

• Disadvantages: High cost and the need for specialized knowledge and resources.

Hybrid Model

The hybrid model combines both internal resources and external support. The organization may have an in-house incident response team, but in times of high demand or for specialized expertise, they can leverage external resources.

• Advantages: Flexibility in scaling the incident response capacity as needed, combining the benefits of both internal and external resources.

• Disadvantages: Coordination between internal and external teams can be challenging during an incident.

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Business Continuity

Business Continuity (BC) refers to the processes, policies, and procedures an organization puts in place to ensure that critical business functions can continue or quickly resume in the event of a disruption, disaster, or emergency. The goal of business continuity planning is to minimize downtime, protect organizational assets, and ensure that the business can maintain essential operations even during crises such as natural disasters, cyberattacks, or infrastructure failures.

Components of a Business Continuity (BC) plan include:

• List of the BCP Team Members

• Immediate Response Procedures and Checklists

• Notification Systems and Call Trees

• Guidance for Management

• How/When to Enact the Plan

• Contact Numbers for Critical Members of the Supply Chain

• How/When to Enact the Plan (Repeated for Emphasis)

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Disaster Recovery

Disaster Recovery (DR) refers to the strategies, policies, and procedures an organization puts in place to restore its IT infrastructure, systems, applications, and data after a disruptive event such as a natural disaster, cyberattack, hardware failure, or other major incidents. The primary goal of disaster recovery is to ensure the rapid recovery and continuity of critical business operations and IT services, minimizing downtime and financial losses.

Unlike Business Continuity, which focuses on ensuring that business operations continue during a disruption, Disaster Recovery specifically deals with the restoration of IT systems and data after a disaster.

Five possible components to include in a Disaster Recovery (DR) plan:

1. Executive summary providing a high-level overview of the plan

2. Department-specific plans

3. Technical guides for IT personnel responsible for implementing and maintaining critical backup systems

4. Full copies of the plan for critical disaster recovery team members

5. Checklists for certain individuals

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Chapter Resources

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