Incident Response - RFS Cyber Roadmap

Overview

Incident Response is the frontline defense against cyber threats. This comprehensive module covers the complete incident response lifecycle, from initial detection and triage to containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned. You'll learn to effectively respond to security incidents, conduct digital forensics, and implement robust incident response procedures.

Learning Objectives

Master the incident response lifecycle and procedures
Develop expertise in digital forensics and evidence collection
Learn threat hunting and detection techniques
Understand malware analysis in incident response context
Master communication and coordination during incidents
Develop post-incident analysis and improvement skills

🔍 Detection & Triage

Incident Detection

Identifying and detecting security incidents through various monitoring techniques.

SIEM log analysis
Network monitoring and analysis
Endpoint detection and response
User behavior analytics

Initial Triage

Quick assessment and prioritization of security incidents.

Incident classification and severity
Impact assessment techniques
Timeline reconstruction
Initial evidence preservation

Alert Investigation

Investigating security alerts and determining false positives.

Alert correlation and analysis
False positive identification
Escalation procedures
Documentation requirements

🔬 Digital Forensics

Evidence Collection

Proper collection and preservation of digital evidence.

Chain of custody procedures
Disk imaging techniques
Memory dump collection
Network packet capture

Forensic Analysis

Analyzing collected evidence to understand the incident.

File system analysis
Registry analysis
Browser forensics
Email forensics

Timeline Analysis

Creating and analyzing timelines of security incidents.

Timeline creation tools
Event correlation
Attack path reconstruction
Malicious activity identification

🎯 Threat Hunting

Proactive Hunting

Proactively searching for threats and indicators of compromise.

Hypothesis-driven hunting
Threat intelligence integration
Behavioral analysis
Anomaly detection

IOC Development

Creating and using Indicators of Compromise for threat detection.

IOC types and formats
Threat intelligence feeds
Custom IOC creation
IOC validation and testing

MITRE ATT&CK Framework

Using the MITRE ATT&CK framework for threat hunting and analysis.

ATT&CK technique mapping
Tactical analysis
Defense gap identification
Threat actor profiling

🛡️ Containment & Eradication

Incident Containment

Containing security incidents to prevent further damage.

Network segmentation
System isolation
Account suspension
Service shutdown procedures

Malware Removal

Removing malware and malicious artifacts from systems.

Malware identification
Safe removal procedures
Registry cleanup
File system sanitization

System Restoration

Restoring systems to a clean, secure state.

System rebuild procedures
Data restoration from backups
Configuration hardening
Patch deployment

📊 Analysis & Investigation

Root Cause Analysis

Determining the root cause of security incidents.

5 Whys methodology
Fishbone diagram analysis
Vulnerability assessment
Process gap identification

Impact Assessment

Assessing the full impact of security incidents.

Data exposure analysis
Business impact assessment
Compliance implications
Financial impact calculation

Attribution Analysis

Analyzing attacks to identify threat actors and motives.

Threat actor profiling
Attack vector analysis
Motivation assessment
Attribution methodologies

📝 Communication & Reporting

Stakeholder Communication

Communicating effectively with stakeholders during incidents.

Executive communication
Legal team coordination
Public relations management
Customer notification

Incident Documentation

Comprehensive documentation of incident response activities.

Incident response logs
Evidence documentation
Decision tracking
Action item management

Post-Incident Reports

Creating comprehensive post-incident analysis reports.

Executive summary creation
Technical analysis reporting
Lessons learned documentation
Recommendation development

🔄 Recovery & Lessons Learned

System Recovery

Restoring business operations after security incidents.

Recovery planning
Service restoration
Data integrity verification
Performance monitoring

Process Improvement

Improving incident response processes based on lessons learned.

Gap analysis
Process optimization
Training updates
Tool enhancement

Preventive Measures

Implementing preventive measures to avoid similar incidents.

Security control enhancement
Monitoring improvement
Access control updates
Security awareness training

🧪 Hands-on Lab: Incident Response Simulation

Objective: Respond to a simulated security incident from detection to recovery.

Duration: 6-8 hours

Skills Practiced: Incident triage, forensics, containment, documentation, communication

Start Lab Exercise

🛠️ Essential Tools

SIEM & Monitoring

Splunk: Log analysis and SIEM platform
ELK Stack: Open source log analysis
QRadar: IBM security intelligence platform
ArcSight: Enterprise security management

Forensics Tools

Autopsy: Digital forensics platform
Volatility: Memory forensics framework
FTK: Forensic toolkit
X-Ways Forensics: Advanced forensics software

Incident Management

ServiceNow: IT service management
Jira Service Management: Incident tracking
PagerDuty: Incident response orchestration
IBM Resilient: Incident response platform

📋 Recommended Resources

NIST SP 800-61 - Computer Security Incident Handling Guide
SANS Incident Response - Comprehensive incident response training
Digital Forensics and Incident Response - Practical guide
Threat Hunting - Proactive security techniques
Incident Response Playbook - Step-by-step procedures

🎯 Certification Alignment

Incident Response Certifications

This module covers essential incident response certifications:

✅ GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
✅ GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA)
✅ Certified Computer Security Incident Handler
✅ Incident Response and Digital Forensics

📈 Learning Progress

Track your incident response expertise:

Complete the sections above to track your progress

← Back to Roadmap

🚨 Incident Response