Description

This curriculum spans the design and operationalization of an ISO 27001-aligned incident management function, comparable in scope to a multi-phase internal capability build involving security, legal, IT, and executive teams across prevention, response, and governance functions.

Module 1: Establishing the Incident Management Framework

Define incident scope to include information security events while excluding IT operations alerts, requiring cross-functional agreement between security, IT, and business units.
Select a classification schema (e.g., data breach, system compromise, policy violation) that aligns with organizational risk appetite and regulatory reporting obligations.
Integrate incident management objectives into the ISMS policy documentation to ensure alignment with ISO 27001 Clause 16 requirements.
Assign formal roles (Incident Manager, Coordinator, Technical Analyst) with documented escalation paths and RACI matrices.
Map incident types to existing business continuity and disaster recovery plans to avoid response silos.
Determine thresholds for declaring a major incident based on impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical assets.
Establish a baseline inventory of communication templates for internal stakeholders, legal, and external regulators.
Conduct a gap analysis between current incident handling practices and ISO 27001:2022 control A.5.24 requirements.

Module 2: Designing Incident Detection and Monitoring Capabilities

Configure SIEM correlation rules to reduce false positives while maintaining detection coverage for high-risk scenarios like lateral movement or data exfiltration.
Implement centralized logging for systems in scope of the ISMS, ensuring log retention periods meet audit and forensic needs.
Deploy host-based and network-based detection tools based on asset criticality and threat landscape exposure.
Define minimum monitoring coverage for cloud environments, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, using native and third-party tools.
Establish thresholds for automated alerts based on historical baselines and acceptable noise levels for SOC analysts.
Integrate endpoint detection and response (EDR) telemetry into the incident workflow to accelerate containment decisions.
Document exceptions for systems that cannot meet logging or monitoring standards, including compensating controls.
Validate detection coverage through red team exercises and purple team assessments on a quarterly basis.

Module 3: Incident Response Team Structure and Escalation Protocols

Form a core response team with defined on-call rotations and backup personnel to ensure 24/7 coverage.
Develop escalation matrices that specify when and how to involve legal, PR, executive leadership, and external agencies.
Conduct role-specific tabletop exercises to validate team coordination during high-pressure scenarios.
Implement secure communication channels (e.g., encrypted chat, isolated voice lines) for incident discussions.
Define authority limits for incident commanders, including approval requirements for system isolation or data access.
Integrate third-party forensic providers into the response structure with pre-negotiated contracts and access protocols.
Establish criteria for declaring incident resolution versus long-term monitoring for persistent threats.
Maintain up-to-date contact lists for all team members and external partners, with secure storage and access controls.

Module 4: Incident Triage and Initial Assessment

Apply a standardized triage checklist to determine incident validity, scope, and initial classification within 30 minutes of detection.
Use asset criticality tags to prioritize investigation of affected systems based on business impact.
Preserve volatile data (memory, active connections) before initiating containment actions on compromised endpoints.
Document initial findings in a time-stamped incident log to support audit and legal defensibility.
Initiate threat intelligence lookups to determine if indicators match known adversary TTPs.
Decide whether to monitor attacker behavior (for intelligence gathering) or immediately contain based on risk tolerance.
Assess potential data exposure by correlating access logs with data classification labels.
Notify data protection officers within mandated timeframes when personal data breaches are suspected.

Module 5: Containment, Eradication, and Recovery Procedures

Implement network segmentation or host isolation using predefined firewall rules or endpoint controls based on incident type.
Balance containment speed against forensic integrity, avoiding irreversible actions until evidence is preserved.
Develop playbooks for common eradication tasks, such as malware removal, account deactivation, and backdoor elimination.
Validate clean systems post-eradication through integrity checks and vulnerability scanning before reintroduction to production.
Coordinate system recovery with change management processes to ensure documented and authorized modifications.
Apply security patches or configuration changes to prevent recurrence, with regression testing in non-production environments.
Document all containment and eradication actions taken, including timestamps, personnel, and tools used.
Conduct post-recovery monitoring to confirm threat elimination and absence of residual malicious activity.

Module 6: Evidence Handling and Legal Readiness

Follow chain-of-custody procedures when collecting digital evidence to maintain admissibility in legal proceedings.
Use write-blockers and cryptographic hashing to preserve forensic integrity of disk images and memory dumps.
Store evidence in access-controlled repositories with audit logging of all access and transfers.
Coordinate with legal counsel before collecting data from employee-owned devices under BYOD policies.
Document decisions to not collect certain evidence due to operational or legal constraints.
Prepare forensic reports using standardized formats that support both technical and non-technical audiences.
Define retention periods for incident evidence based on jurisdictional requirements and organizational policy.
Engage external forensic experts under legal privilege when investigations may lead to litigation.

Module 7: Communication and Stakeholder Management

Activate predefined communication plans to notify internal stakeholders (executives, legal, HR) within one hour of major incidents.
Draft external notifications for regulators (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) with legal review prior to submission.
Coordinate public statements with PR to avoid disclosure of forensic details that could aid adversaries.
Maintain a single source of truth for incident status to prevent conflicting messages across teams.
Establish protocols for communicating with law enforcement, including data sharing agreements and jurisdictional limits.
Conduct briefings for board members using risk-based summaries rather than technical details.
Log all external communications with timestamps, recipients, and content for audit and compliance.
Define criteria for when to inform customers about breaches, balancing transparency with legal exposure.

Module 8: Post-Incident Review and Lessons Learned

Conduct structured post-mortems within 72 hours of incident resolution, with mandatory attendance from all involved parties.
Document root causes using methods like 5 Whys or Fishbone diagrams, distinguishing technical and process failures.
Map response delays to specific bottlenecks (e.g., approval lags, tool limitations) for targeted improvement.
Update incident playbooks based on gaps identified during actual response activities.
Track recurring incident types to identify systemic weaknesses requiring strategic investment.
Measure response effectiveness using metrics such as mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR).
Share anonymized incident summaries with peer organizations through ISACs to improve sector resilience.
Integrate findings into risk assessment updates and future ISMS improvement planning.

Module 9: Integration with the ISMS and Continuous Improvement

Map incident data to ISO 27001 risk treatment plans to validate control effectiveness and identify new threats.
Update Statement of Applicability (SoA) based on control gaps revealed during incident investigations.
Use incident trends to inform internal audit scope and frequency for high-risk domains.
Align incident KPIs with top management review inputs for the ISMS.
Revise business impact analyses (BIA) when incidents reveal inaccuracies in asset criticality ratings.
Feed anonymized incident data into staff training programs to enhance threat awareness.
Conduct annual validation of incident response plans through full-scale simulations involving multiple departments.
Review and update incident management procedures during ISMS management reviews to ensure currency.