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Incident Response Plan

This is based on the principals of Incident Command System (ICS), a standardized approach for managing emergencies often used by governments, including the U.S. Federal Government's National Incident Management System (NIMS). The basic idea is that the first person on the scene becomes the Incident Commander (IC) and can delegate roles as more people join, ensuring clarity in roles, decision-making, and communication.

1. Purpose and Scope

This Incident Response Plan (IRP) establishes a structured approach for responding to incidents. The goal is to minimize service disruption, protect assets, and maintain trust.

2. Roles and Responsibilities

2.1 Initial Response and Incident Command

First Responder

The first person to identify or be alerted to the incident becomes the initial Incident Commander (IC).

Responsibilities:

  • Assess the situation and declare an incident.
  • Establish initial priorities and objectives.
  • Communicate with other stakeholders (e.g., management, external parties) as needed.

Incident Commander (IC)

As more personnel join, the IC role may be reassigned to a more senior or experienced individual. The IC has overall responsibility for incident management, decision-making, and ensuring that response actions are coordinated effectively.

2.2 Additional Roles (as team size increases)

As more team members arrive, the IC can delegate specific roles to maintain control and prevent burnout:

Operations Lead: Handles the tactical response activities, coordinates teams, and works to resolve the incident.

Planning Lead: Tracks incident status, documents actions taken, and plans for ongoing or future response needs.

Communications Lead: Manages communication with stakeholders, including management, affected users, and external parties.

Logistics Lead: Coordinates resources and support, including staffing, tools, facilities, and anything the team members need.

2.3 Team Expansion and Handoff

When new responders arrive, they will report to the IC or designated Leads. Handoffs of the IC role should be documented and announced to the team to maintain clarity.

When an IC transition occurs, the outgoing IC provides a situational briefing to ensure continuity and smooth transition of responsibilities.

3. Incident Response Phases

3.1 Detection and Analysis

  • Responsibility: First Responder / Incident Commander.
  • Actions:
  • Determine the type and severity of the incident.
  • Gather initial information (logs, monitoring data).
  • Notify key stakeholders (e.g., engineering lead, IT support).

3.2 Containment, Eradication, and Recovery

  • Responsibility: Operations Lead (if assigned).
  • Actions:
  • Short-term containment: Apply measures to prevent the spread of the incident (e.g., isolating systems).
  • Long-term containment: Implement security controls or patches.
  • Eradication: Remove the root cause (e.g., malware removal, code fixes).
  • Recovery: Restore systems and services to normal operation.

3.3 Post-Incident Activities

  • Responsibility: Planning Lead.
  • Actions:
  • Conduct a post-incident review (postmortem) to document what happened and identify areas for improvement.
  • Develop lessons learned and update the IRP if necessary.
  • Create a final incident report and share with relevant stakeholders.

4. Decision-Making and Command Structure

4.1 Decision Authority

The IC has ultimate decision-making authority. If new personnel arrive or specialized expertise is needed, the IC can delegate decision-making authority for specific areas to the appropriate Lead (e.g., the Operations Lead for technical decisions).

4.2 Communication Flow

The IC is the primary point of contact for all internal and external communication unless a Communications Lead is assigned.

All team members must report their status and actions to their designated Lead, who then reports up to the IC.

4.3 Escalation Protocol

Escalation should be based on predefined criteria such as incident severity, scope, or impact. The IC determines if and when escalation is necessary.

5. Role Transfer Protocol

A Role Transfer Protocol must be followed when a Lead or IC role changes:

  • Conduct a situational briefing: Provide an overview of the incident status, priorities, and ongoing actions.
  • Document the role transfer: Note the date, time, and names of the individuals involved in the transfer.
  • Announce the role transfer: Notify the entire team of the role transfer to maintain clarity.

5. Reporting and Documentation

  • Incident Log: Maintain a real-time log of all activities, decisions, and communication during the incident.
  • Situation Reports: Provide updates to stakeholders at predefined intervals or as requested by the IC.
  • Post-Incident Report: A detailed report outlining the incident timeline, root cause, response actions, and lessons learned.