Computer Incident Response Teams: Learn Who Does What

Summary: A significant component of a robust cyber incident response plan is assigning roles for your internal and external company response team. Learn why your first call should always be to your IT cyber security network services provider and how they can help assemble the best possible computer incident response team for your SMB.

Computer security incident management has many moving parts. There are a multitude of things to consider. In addition to deciding which employees belong on the computer incident response team, it is equally essential to determine the roles of each member, whether they are internal employees or outside contractors supplying small business IT support.

Cyber Threat Assessments

All cyber security planning should include a detailed understanding of what is at stake. Also, before assembling a computer incident response team, it is crucial to investigate and understand your company’s cyber vulnerabilities and any pertinent expertise within your employee ranks. Although every company has its own risk profile, there are some essential components to every cyber incident response team:

• Team Leaders – Designating team leaders to spearhead the different areas to be addressed in the event of a cyber attack is critical to mitigating and stopping the attack swiftly and efficiently. “Who does what” should not be a random operation, and should never be decided during an attack. When seeking leaders within your company’s ranks, factor in which employees have specific skills and experience.
• Investigators – If you do not have an IT department or employee, you should consider enlisting the help of your small business IT support company to conduct the investigation. They have the knowledge and experience to perform a fast and thorough investigation to identify the breach and lock down your system. They can also help determine if it is necessary to call in cybersecurity specialists to assist in recovery from an attack. IT security experts can also provide a comprehensive cyber threat assessment to analyze areas of your computer network that require additional security.
• Team Communication – Good communication is crucial during a data breach. The employee charged with leading communication is in charge of internal company communications and connecting with all your company’s business partners and external stakeholders to advise them of a breach and deal with any resulting public relations concerns.
• Event Documentation – Documentation of cyber events is imperative. Detailed documentation can help your SMB discover vulnerabilities and learn from previous cyber security mistakes. Good event documentation is a critical part of cyber incident response planning and can be the basis for revising your business’s cyber security policies going forward. Documentation is also required for mandatory cyberattack reporting to regulators and insurers.
• Legal Oversight and Representation – Cyber threats that affect your company can threaten any entity connected to your network. Furthermore, your vendors and clients can also be at risk from any breach you encounter. They, too, can suffer severe damage from your attack. Many SMB owners don’t realize the importance of professional legal oversight and representation when faced with cyber events that expose their networks to attacks. High-compliance businesses such as healthcare providers, law practices and accounting firms are governed by stringent privacy laws and are charged with protecting their clients’ most sensitive private data. Many must provide proof of network security to insurance companies and regulatory agencies. The legal repercussions of a data breach can trigger expensive lawsuits and threaten the reputation and survival of the businesses affected by the breach.

Building A Computer Incident Response Team

Individual and team roles must be identified and assigned in advance. In the planning phase, nothing can be left to chance, and everyone must know their duties in the event of a cyber event. Chaos, vulnerability and uncertainty are part a every cyberattack, so advance management will assist recovery. Team roles include:

• IT Security Experts – Many small businesses cannot afford to have in-house IT staff. Even tech-savvy employees cannot provide the expertise required to help halt and safely recover from a cyberattack. As your company’s security is paramount, it is wise to enlist the help of a small business IT support company that has cybersecurity experts on staff to provide the needed technical support, including a professional cyber threat assessment.
• Internal Incident Responders —Incident responders track what needs to be done and with what priority. They drive all the timelines for the response and follow up with key individuals to maintain strong communication. These individuals might also be charged with your business's ongoing computer security incident management.
• Professional Computer Forensics – It is critical to perform a state-of-the-art computer forensics “deep dive” into your system to gain a clear understanding of what caused the cyberattack. Your IT provider will enlist the help of a trusted cybersecurity expert to help with this.

Computer Security Incident Management Starts Before An Attack

The success of your incident response plan is too vital for penny-pinching. Businesses must weigh the expense of robust cyber security against the potentially catastrophic cost of a severe cyberattack. Computer network security companies are potent assets for SMBs and are a much more cost-effective option for small businesses that lack the budget for a full-time IT staff. Amid today’s cybercrime landscape, your company must adopt a proactive posture in defending your computer network from data breaches. It is foolhardy to assume your business is too small to worry about cybercrime. Cyber thieves count on the complacency of SMBs. However, your business’s commitment to strong cyber incident response planning can help you minimize and recover from a breach and build a high level of trust with your customers and vendors. Remember, every cyber event risks business disruption, damage to reputation, loss of revenue and, in many cases, bankruptcy. Assemble your computer incident response team now, before an attack.