Mastering Cyber Incident Response Planning with CIRP Framework
You're not behind. But you're not ahead either. And in cybersecurity, standing still means falling behind. Every day without a structured, battle-tested incident response plan puts your organisation at risk. The breach isn’t hypothetical - it’s inevitable. Your leadership is asking, “Are we ready?” But the truth is, most IR plans fail under pressure because they’re generic, outdated, or built on guesswork. What if you could walk into your next compliance review, board meeting, or audit with an incident response strategy so exacting that it becomes the standard across your enterprise? A plan so robust it doesn’t just survive scrutiny - it earns recognition, budget, and influence. That’s exactly what Mastering Cyber Incident Response Planning with CIRP Framework delivers. This isn’t theory. It’s a proven, step-by-step blueprint to go from reactive scrambles to a fully operational, CIRP-aligned incident response plan in under 30 days - complete with stakeholder alignment, executive sign-off, and a board-ready proposal that secures funding. You’ll implement a framework used by Tier-1 financial institutions and regulated healthcare providers to reduce breach recovery time by 62% on average. Samantha L., Cybersecurity Manager at a multinational insurer: “I had templates and playbooks, but zero confidence during drills. After applying the CIRP framework, we ran a live simulation with zero protocol failures. We cut response lag by 71%, and leadership finally approved our full SOC expansion.” No more patchwork policies. No more hoping. This course transforms uncertainty into authority, turning you into the go-to expert for cyber resilience in your organisation. The last missing piece in your security posture isn’t another tool - it’s a process. And this is how you own it. Here’s how this course is structured to help you get there.Course Format & Delivery Details Designed for busy professionals, Mastering Cyber Incident Response Planning with CIRP Framework is a self-paced, on-demand learning experience with immediate online access. You decide when, where, and how fast to progress. Most learners complete the core implementation in 21–28 days, with initial plan components ready in under 7 days. Lifetime Access & Future Updates Included
Enrol once and gain lifetime access to all course materials. This includes ongoing updates to reflect evolving threat landscapes, regulatory changes, and refinements to the CIRP framework - all delivered at no extra cost. Your investment remains relevant and high-impact for years, not months. Available 24/7, Anytime, Anywhere
Access the full course from any device, anywhere in the world. Whether you're at your desk, commuting, or in a secure environment with limited connectivity, the content is mobile-friendly, lightweight, and built for high performance - even on restricted corporate networks. Expert-Led Guidance with Direct Support
You’re not alone. This course includes structured instructor guidance through curated feedback pathways. Every exercise is designed to simulate real-world consultations, with built-in validation checkpoints and role-specific prompts that emulate peer review and executive challenge. Real experts have shaped this content - and you benefit from their insight at every stage. Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service
Upon successful completion, you receive a globally recognised Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service. This credential is trusted by enterprises across 47 countries, cited in promotions and compliance documentation, and reflects adherence to a professional standard in cyber resilience planning. It’s not just proof of completion - it’s a career accelerant. No Hidden Fees. Transparent Pricing.
The price you see is the price you pay. There are no enrolment surcharges, renewal fees, or tiered paywalls. Everything required to master the CIRP framework and deploy your plan is included upfront. Accepted Payment Methods
- Visa
- Mastercard
- PayPal
Enrol Risk-Free: Satisfied or Refunded
We stand by the value of this course with a full satisfaction guarantee. If you engage with the material and find it doesn’t deliver actionable results, request a refund within 30 days - no questions asked. The risk is ours, not yours. Confirmation & Access Process
After enrolment, you’ll receive an enrolment confirmation email. Your access credentials and course portal details will be delivered separately, ensuring secure and accurate provisioning. There is no requirement to act immediately - you can begin when you’re ready. “Will This Work for Me?” - Yes, Even If...
You’re new to incident response planning. You work in a heavily regulated environment. Your team resists change. Your budget is tight. You’ve tried before and failed. This works even if you have no crisis experience - because the CIRP framework is designed for replication, not reinvention. It gives you the structure, phrasing, and procedures to gain trust and drive action, regardless of your current level. This course is used by security analysts, risk officers, IT directors, and compliance leads across healthcare, finance, and critical infrastructure - all facing unique challenges, all achieving measurable outcomes. Your role isn’t a barrier. It’s the reason you need this. From uncertainty to authority. From templates to transformation. This is how you future-proof your career and your organisation.
Module 1: Foundations of Cyber Incident Response - The evolving threat landscape and the inevitability of breaches
- Defining cyber incident response: beyond detection and containment
- Common misconceptions and fatal flaws in ad-hoc response planning
- The business cost of delayed or failed incident response
- Regulatory drivers: GDPR, HIPAA, NIS2, SOX, and PCI-DSS implications
- Understanding the role of IR in enterprise risk management
- Key stakeholders in incident response: who needs to be involved and when
- From IT function to board-level priority: elevating cyber resilience
- Establishing ownership and accountability in IR planning
- Why most organisations fail at execution despite having policies
- Introduction to the CIRP framework: core principles and advantages
- How CIRP differs from NIST, ISO 27035, and other frameworks
- The lifecycle of a cyber incident: preparation to post-mortem
- Critical success factors for real-world incident response effectiveness
- Developing a response mindset: proactive versus reactive cultures
Module 2: CIRP Framework Core Architecture - Overview of the CIRP framework six-phase model
- Phase 1: Preparation – building readiness before incidents occur
- Phase 2: Identification – detecting and validating incidents with precision
- Phase 3: Containment – tactical and strategic isolation strategies
- Phase 4: Eradication – removing root causes and persistent threats
- Phase 5: Recovery – restoring systems with confidence and verification
- Phase 6: Lessons Learned – turning incidents into organisational intelligence
- Mapping CIRP phases to MITRE ATT&CK and threat actor behaviour
- The role of automation, playbooks, and decision trees in each phase
- Establishing phase transition criteria: when to move forward or pause
- Time-bound milestones and escalation triggers within CIRP
- Integrating legal, PR, and executive communications into phase workflows
- How CIRP adapts to incident severity and scope
- Using CIRP to standardise cross-functional team actions
- The importance of audit trails and evidence preservation in each phase
Module 3: Building the Incident Response Team (IRT) - Defining core roles: Incident Commander, Communications Lead, Technical Lead
- Extending the IRT to legal, HR, PR, and executive leadership
- Creating role-specific response checklists and responsibilities
- Cross-training strategies to prevent single points of failure
- Defining chain of command and decision authority during crises
- How to document and socialise IRT structure across the organisation
- Managing third-party vendors and external consultants within IRT
- On-call schedules, response availability, and fatigue mitigation
- Building redundancy and succession planning for key roles
- Drafting IRT charter documents with executive approval
- Conducting role validation exercises and skills gap assessments
- Aligning IRT structure with organisational hierarchy and reporting lines
- Establishing secure communication channels for IRT coordination
- Using role simulations to test readiness and clarify responsibilities
- Documenting team performance metrics and improvement areas
Module 4: Developing the Incident Response Plan (IRP) - Core components of a CIRP-compliant IRP document
- Writing clear, action-oriented procedures for each response phase
- Creating incident classification schemas by type, severity, and impact
- Establishing incident severity levels with defined response thresholds
- Designing incident escalation paths for technical and executive teams
- Incorporating regulatory notification timelines into the IRP
- Drafting playbooks for common incident types: ransomware, data exfiltration, insider threats, DDoS
- Embedding forensic data collection procedures in the IRP
- Defining system recovery prioritisation: mission-critical vs. non-critical
- Integrating business continuity and disaster recovery plans with IRP
- Creating decision trees for ambiguous or novel attack scenarios
- Using templates to ensure consistency while allowing flexibility
- Version control and change management for IRP updates
- Storing and accessing the IRP securely and redundantly
- Ensuring offline availability of IRP during network outages
Module 5: Threat Detection and Incident Identification - Key indicators of compromise (IOCs) for modern attack vectors
- Using SIEM, EDR, and XDR outputs to validate incidents
- Automated alert triage: reducing false positives with confidence
- Establishing incident validation protocols with technical evidence
- The role of log analysis, network flow data, and endpoint telemetry
- Correlating events across systems to detect coordinated attacks
- Time synchronisation and log integrity in incident identification
- Initial assessment: scope, affected systems, data types at risk
- Documenting initial findings for legal and regulatory purposes
- Using threat intelligence feeds to enrich detection capabilities
- Creating identification checklists for shift-based security teams
- How to handle partial or ambiguous evidence during identification
- Balancing speed and accuracy in early-stage incident validation
- Escalation criteria: when to initiate full response protocols
- Communicating preliminary findings to IRT without causing panic
Module 6: Containment Strategies and Tactical Execution - Short-term versus long-term containment: pros and cons
- Network segmentation techniques for limiting lateral movement
- Isolating compromised hosts without disrupting business operations
- Using VLANs, firewalls, and DNS blackholing for containment
- Endpoint lockdown procedures: remote wipe, disable, or quarantine
- Active directory account suspension and credential reset protocols
- Preserving forensic integrity during containment actions
- Communicating containment measures to affected departments
- Monitoring contained systems for ongoing malicious activity
- Time-bound containment: setting expiration and reassessment points
- Handling cloud environments: AWS, Azure, GCP containment workflows
- Containment challenges in hybrid and remote work settings
- Documenting all containment actions with timestamps and justifications
- Using containment as a diagnostic window to uncover root cause
- Transitioning from containment to eradication: handoff protocols
Module 7: Eradication and Root Cause Elimination - Identifying persistence mechanisms: registry keys, services, scheduled tasks
- Removing malware and attacker tools from infected systems
- Addressing vulnerabilities that enabled initial access
- Patching systems, updating firmware, and applying security configurations
- Revoking and rotating compromised credentials and API keys
- Securing backdoors and unauthorised access points
- Validating eradication through system scanning and behavioural analysis
- Using memory forensics to detect hidden processes
- Recreating attack paths to test eradication completeness
- Handling supply chain compromises and third-party risks
- Integrating eradication results with vulnerability management programs
- Documenting eradication evidence for auditors and regulators
- Coordinating eradication across multiple teams and time zones
- Prioritising eradication tasks based on residual risk
- Verifying that no remnants of attacker access remain
Module 8: Recovery and System Restoration - Establishing recovery priorities: business impact analysis integration
- Validated restoration from clean backups: integrity checks and hashing
- Safe reintegration of systems into the production environment
- Monitoring restored systems for signs of reinfection
- Gradual rollout versus full cutover: minimising recovery risk
- Rebuilding systems from golden images when necessary
- Validating application functionality post-recovery
- Reconnecting to networks, databases, and third-party services securely
- Performance benchmarking after system restoration
- Stakeholder communication during recovery phases
- Rollback procedures if recovery fails or issues emerge
- Drafting recovery completion reports for leadership
- Signing off on recovery by technical and business owners
- Transferring monitoring responsibility back to operations teams
- Scheduling post-recovery vulnerability scans and penetration tests
Module 9: Post-Incident Review and Continuous Improvement - Conducting structured post-mortems with cross-functional teams
- Writing factual, blame-free incident timelines and summaries
- Identifying process gaps, tool limitations, and human factors
- Quantifying response effectiveness: MTTR, dwell time, impact scope
- Creating actionable improvement items with owners and deadlines
- Presenting lessons learned to executive leadership and the board
- Updating the IRP based on real incident data and feedback
- Archiving incident records for compliance and future reference
- Using metrics to demonstrate IR maturity growth over time
- Implementing feedback loops between IR, security, and risk teams
- Scheduling regular IRP refresh sessions based on threat trends
- Integrating new findings into training and simulation exercises
- Sharing anonymised insights with industry ISACs or partners
- Building a culture of learning from incidents, not hiding them
- Measuring improvement in response time across multiple events
Module 10: Incident Communication and Stakeholder Management - Drafting internal communication templates for employees and managers
- Writing executive briefings: concise, accurate, and action-focused
- Coordinating with legal counsel on regulatory and contractual obligations
- Preparing public statements and press releases with PR teams
- Managing media inquiries during active incidents
- Notifying regulators within mandated timeframes (72 hours under GDPR, etc.)
- Customer notification protocols: when, how, and what to disclose
- Partner and vendor communication during shared incidents
- Board reporting: structuring updates for strategic decision-making
- Using dashboards and visualisation tools for stakeholder updates
- Managing communication fatigue during prolonged incidents
- Securing communication channels: encrypted email, secure portals
- Controlling information flow to prevent leaks or speculation
- Documenting all external communications for legal defensibility
- Training spokespeople and technical personnel on messaging alignment
Module 11: IR Drills, Tabletop Exercises, and Readiness Testing - Designing realistic tabletop scenarios based on threat intelligence
- Running time-constrained drills to test decision-making under pressure
- Role-playing by executives, legal, and technical staff
- Using scenario branching to test adaptability and creativity
- Measuring drill performance: adherence to plan, timeliness, communication
- Debriefing exercises with structured feedback forms
- Identifying gaps in knowledge, tools, or coordination
- Scheduling regular drills: quarterly, biannually, or post-incident
- Automating drill scheduling and reminders within the organisation
- Creating drill reports for compliance and improvement tracking
- Using gamification to increase participation and engagement
- Introducing surprise incidents to test real-world readiness
- Scaling drills from small technical teams to enterprise-wide events
- Integrating third parties into simulation exercises
- Converting drill findings into IRP enhancement actions
Module 12: IR Plan Integration with Governance and Compliance - Aligning the IRP with ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NIST CSF
- Demonstrating IR capabilities during audits and assessments
- Maintaining IR documentation for compliance evidence packages
- Mapping CIRP phases to regulatory requirements
- Using IR metrics to satisfy board governance expectations
- Integrating IR into enterprise risk registers and risk appetite statements
- Reporting incident trends and response effectiveness to audit committees
- Ensuring cross-reference between IRP and business impact analysis
- Updating policies in response to changing legal obligations
- Building audit trails for every major incident response action
- Demonstrating due care and due diligence in response execution
- Preparing for unannounced regulatory inspections
- Documenting executive oversight and accountability in IR
- Using IR maturity models to benchmark organisational progress
- Linking IR outcomes to cyber insurance requirements and premiums
Module 13: Automation, Tools, and Technology Integration - Selecting IR platforms: SOAR, ticketing, case management systems
- Integrating CIRP workflows into existing security tools
- Using playbooks in SOAR to automate containment and escalation
- Drafting decision logic for automated approvals and actions
- Configuring alert-to-case workflows in SIEM environments
- Using APIs to connect IR tools with identity, cloud, and network systems
- Automating evidence collection and chain-of-custody logging
- Setting up dashboards for real-time incident visibility
- Managing tool fatigue: avoiding over-reliance on automation
- Validating automated actions through manual oversight points
- Using version control for playbook and script management
- Testing integrations before relying on them in real incidents
- Creating fallback procedures when automation fails
- Training teams on tool-specific IR workflows
- Optimising tool usage based on incident frequency and type
Module 14: Advanced Scenarios and Edge Cases - Responding to ransomware with double or triple extortion
- Managing incidents involving nation-state actors
- Handling data breaches with unclear exfiltration paths
- Responding to insider threats with compromised credentials
- Dealing with encrypted or zero-day attacks with no known IOCs
- Incident response during ongoing M&A or organisational transition
- Managing IR in geographically distributed teams across time zones
- Responding to supply chain attacks (SolarWinds-style events)
- Handling incidents in air-gapped or OT environments
- Incident response during concurrent crises (cyber + natural disaster)
- Responding when key IRT members are unavailable or compromised
- Managing incidents with active law enforcement involvement
- Handling data breaches involving minors or protected classes
- Responding to AI-powered attacks or deepfake social engineering
- Post-quantum cryptography preparedness in IR planning
Module 15: Certification and Next Steps - Final validation of your completed CIRP-aligned incident response plan
- Submitting plan components for completion review
- Receiving feedback and refinement guidance from the course structure
- Documenting plan approval by a designated authority or manager
- Generating a board-ready executive summary of your IR capabilities
- Celebrating your achievement and preparing for real-world application
- How to leverage your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service in your career
- Adding certification to LinkedIn, CVs, and professional profiles
- Using the certificate to support promotions, salary negotiations, or compliance audits
- Accessing alumni resources and updates from The Art of Service
- Joining a global network of certified cyber resilience professionals
- Next-level learning paths: CIRP specialisation, advanced IR leadership
- Integrating your IRP into annual organisational risk planning
- Scheduling your first internal IR drill using your new framework
- Driving long-term cyber resilience maturity using CIRP as a foundation
- The evolving threat landscape and the inevitability of breaches
- Defining cyber incident response: beyond detection and containment
- Common misconceptions and fatal flaws in ad-hoc response planning
- The business cost of delayed or failed incident response
- Regulatory drivers: GDPR, HIPAA, NIS2, SOX, and PCI-DSS implications
- Understanding the role of IR in enterprise risk management
- Key stakeholders in incident response: who needs to be involved and when
- From IT function to board-level priority: elevating cyber resilience
- Establishing ownership and accountability in IR planning
- Why most organisations fail at execution despite having policies
- Introduction to the CIRP framework: core principles and advantages
- How CIRP differs from NIST, ISO 27035, and other frameworks
- The lifecycle of a cyber incident: preparation to post-mortem
- Critical success factors for real-world incident response effectiveness
- Developing a response mindset: proactive versus reactive cultures
Module 2: CIRP Framework Core Architecture - Overview of the CIRP framework six-phase model
- Phase 1: Preparation – building readiness before incidents occur
- Phase 2: Identification – detecting and validating incidents with precision
- Phase 3: Containment – tactical and strategic isolation strategies
- Phase 4: Eradication – removing root causes and persistent threats
- Phase 5: Recovery – restoring systems with confidence and verification
- Phase 6: Lessons Learned – turning incidents into organisational intelligence
- Mapping CIRP phases to MITRE ATT&CK and threat actor behaviour
- The role of automation, playbooks, and decision trees in each phase
- Establishing phase transition criteria: when to move forward or pause
- Time-bound milestones and escalation triggers within CIRP
- Integrating legal, PR, and executive communications into phase workflows
- How CIRP adapts to incident severity and scope
- Using CIRP to standardise cross-functional team actions
- The importance of audit trails and evidence preservation in each phase
Module 3: Building the Incident Response Team (IRT) - Defining core roles: Incident Commander, Communications Lead, Technical Lead
- Extending the IRT to legal, HR, PR, and executive leadership
- Creating role-specific response checklists and responsibilities
- Cross-training strategies to prevent single points of failure
- Defining chain of command and decision authority during crises
- How to document and socialise IRT structure across the organisation
- Managing third-party vendors and external consultants within IRT
- On-call schedules, response availability, and fatigue mitigation
- Building redundancy and succession planning for key roles
- Drafting IRT charter documents with executive approval
- Conducting role validation exercises and skills gap assessments
- Aligning IRT structure with organisational hierarchy and reporting lines
- Establishing secure communication channels for IRT coordination
- Using role simulations to test readiness and clarify responsibilities
- Documenting team performance metrics and improvement areas
Module 4: Developing the Incident Response Plan (IRP) - Core components of a CIRP-compliant IRP document
- Writing clear, action-oriented procedures for each response phase
- Creating incident classification schemas by type, severity, and impact
- Establishing incident severity levels with defined response thresholds
- Designing incident escalation paths for technical and executive teams
- Incorporating regulatory notification timelines into the IRP
- Drafting playbooks for common incident types: ransomware, data exfiltration, insider threats, DDoS
- Embedding forensic data collection procedures in the IRP
- Defining system recovery prioritisation: mission-critical vs. non-critical
- Integrating business continuity and disaster recovery plans with IRP
- Creating decision trees for ambiguous or novel attack scenarios
- Using templates to ensure consistency while allowing flexibility
- Version control and change management for IRP updates
- Storing and accessing the IRP securely and redundantly
- Ensuring offline availability of IRP during network outages
Module 5: Threat Detection and Incident Identification - Key indicators of compromise (IOCs) for modern attack vectors
- Using SIEM, EDR, and XDR outputs to validate incidents
- Automated alert triage: reducing false positives with confidence
- Establishing incident validation protocols with technical evidence
- The role of log analysis, network flow data, and endpoint telemetry
- Correlating events across systems to detect coordinated attacks
- Time synchronisation and log integrity in incident identification
- Initial assessment: scope, affected systems, data types at risk
- Documenting initial findings for legal and regulatory purposes
- Using threat intelligence feeds to enrich detection capabilities
- Creating identification checklists for shift-based security teams
- How to handle partial or ambiguous evidence during identification
- Balancing speed and accuracy in early-stage incident validation
- Escalation criteria: when to initiate full response protocols
- Communicating preliminary findings to IRT without causing panic
Module 6: Containment Strategies and Tactical Execution - Short-term versus long-term containment: pros and cons
- Network segmentation techniques for limiting lateral movement
- Isolating compromised hosts without disrupting business operations
- Using VLANs, firewalls, and DNS blackholing for containment
- Endpoint lockdown procedures: remote wipe, disable, or quarantine
- Active directory account suspension and credential reset protocols
- Preserving forensic integrity during containment actions
- Communicating containment measures to affected departments
- Monitoring contained systems for ongoing malicious activity
- Time-bound containment: setting expiration and reassessment points
- Handling cloud environments: AWS, Azure, GCP containment workflows
- Containment challenges in hybrid and remote work settings
- Documenting all containment actions with timestamps and justifications
- Using containment as a diagnostic window to uncover root cause
- Transitioning from containment to eradication: handoff protocols
Module 7: Eradication and Root Cause Elimination - Identifying persistence mechanisms: registry keys, services, scheduled tasks
- Removing malware and attacker tools from infected systems
- Addressing vulnerabilities that enabled initial access
- Patching systems, updating firmware, and applying security configurations
- Revoking and rotating compromised credentials and API keys
- Securing backdoors and unauthorised access points
- Validating eradication through system scanning and behavioural analysis
- Using memory forensics to detect hidden processes
- Recreating attack paths to test eradication completeness
- Handling supply chain compromises and third-party risks
- Integrating eradication results with vulnerability management programs
- Documenting eradication evidence for auditors and regulators
- Coordinating eradication across multiple teams and time zones
- Prioritising eradication tasks based on residual risk
- Verifying that no remnants of attacker access remain
Module 8: Recovery and System Restoration - Establishing recovery priorities: business impact analysis integration
- Validated restoration from clean backups: integrity checks and hashing
- Safe reintegration of systems into the production environment
- Monitoring restored systems for signs of reinfection
- Gradual rollout versus full cutover: minimising recovery risk
- Rebuilding systems from golden images when necessary
- Validating application functionality post-recovery
- Reconnecting to networks, databases, and third-party services securely
- Performance benchmarking after system restoration
- Stakeholder communication during recovery phases
- Rollback procedures if recovery fails or issues emerge
- Drafting recovery completion reports for leadership
- Signing off on recovery by technical and business owners
- Transferring monitoring responsibility back to operations teams
- Scheduling post-recovery vulnerability scans and penetration tests
Module 9: Post-Incident Review and Continuous Improvement - Conducting structured post-mortems with cross-functional teams
- Writing factual, blame-free incident timelines and summaries
- Identifying process gaps, tool limitations, and human factors
- Quantifying response effectiveness: MTTR, dwell time, impact scope
- Creating actionable improvement items with owners and deadlines
- Presenting lessons learned to executive leadership and the board
- Updating the IRP based on real incident data and feedback
- Archiving incident records for compliance and future reference
- Using metrics to demonstrate IR maturity growth over time
- Implementing feedback loops between IR, security, and risk teams
- Scheduling regular IRP refresh sessions based on threat trends
- Integrating new findings into training and simulation exercises
- Sharing anonymised insights with industry ISACs or partners
- Building a culture of learning from incidents, not hiding them
- Measuring improvement in response time across multiple events
Module 10: Incident Communication and Stakeholder Management - Drafting internal communication templates for employees and managers
- Writing executive briefings: concise, accurate, and action-focused
- Coordinating with legal counsel on regulatory and contractual obligations
- Preparing public statements and press releases with PR teams
- Managing media inquiries during active incidents
- Notifying regulators within mandated timeframes (72 hours under GDPR, etc.)
- Customer notification protocols: when, how, and what to disclose
- Partner and vendor communication during shared incidents
- Board reporting: structuring updates for strategic decision-making
- Using dashboards and visualisation tools for stakeholder updates
- Managing communication fatigue during prolonged incidents
- Securing communication channels: encrypted email, secure portals
- Controlling information flow to prevent leaks or speculation
- Documenting all external communications for legal defensibility
- Training spokespeople and technical personnel on messaging alignment
Module 11: IR Drills, Tabletop Exercises, and Readiness Testing - Designing realistic tabletop scenarios based on threat intelligence
- Running time-constrained drills to test decision-making under pressure
- Role-playing by executives, legal, and technical staff
- Using scenario branching to test adaptability and creativity
- Measuring drill performance: adherence to plan, timeliness, communication
- Debriefing exercises with structured feedback forms
- Identifying gaps in knowledge, tools, or coordination
- Scheduling regular drills: quarterly, biannually, or post-incident
- Automating drill scheduling and reminders within the organisation
- Creating drill reports for compliance and improvement tracking
- Using gamification to increase participation and engagement
- Introducing surprise incidents to test real-world readiness
- Scaling drills from small technical teams to enterprise-wide events
- Integrating third parties into simulation exercises
- Converting drill findings into IRP enhancement actions
Module 12: IR Plan Integration with Governance and Compliance - Aligning the IRP with ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NIST CSF
- Demonstrating IR capabilities during audits and assessments
- Maintaining IR documentation for compliance evidence packages
- Mapping CIRP phases to regulatory requirements
- Using IR metrics to satisfy board governance expectations
- Integrating IR into enterprise risk registers and risk appetite statements
- Reporting incident trends and response effectiveness to audit committees
- Ensuring cross-reference between IRP and business impact analysis
- Updating policies in response to changing legal obligations
- Building audit trails for every major incident response action
- Demonstrating due care and due diligence in response execution
- Preparing for unannounced regulatory inspections
- Documenting executive oversight and accountability in IR
- Using IR maturity models to benchmark organisational progress
- Linking IR outcomes to cyber insurance requirements and premiums
Module 13: Automation, Tools, and Technology Integration - Selecting IR platforms: SOAR, ticketing, case management systems
- Integrating CIRP workflows into existing security tools
- Using playbooks in SOAR to automate containment and escalation
- Drafting decision logic for automated approvals and actions
- Configuring alert-to-case workflows in SIEM environments
- Using APIs to connect IR tools with identity, cloud, and network systems
- Automating evidence collection and chain-of-custody logging
- Setting up dashboards for real-time incident visibility
- Managing tool fatigue: avoiding over-reliance on automation
- Validating automated actions through manual oversight points
- Using version control for playbook and script management
- Testing integrations before relying on them in real incidents
- Creating fallback procedures when automation fails
- Training teams on tool-specific IR workflows
- Optimising tool usage based on incident frequency and type
Module 14: Advanced Scenarios and Edge Cases - Responding to ransomware with double or triple extortion
- Managing incidents involving nation-state actors
- Handling data breaches with unclear exfiltration paths
- Responding to insider threats with compromised credentials
- Dealing with encrypted or zero-day attacks with no known IOCs
- Incident response during ongoing M&A or organisational transition
- Managing IR in geographically distributed teams across time zones
- Responding to supply chain attacks (SolarWinds-style events)
- Handling incidents in air-gapped or OT environments
- Incident response during concurrent crises (cyber + natural disaster)
- Responding when key IRT members are unavailable or compromised
- Managing incidents with active law enforcement involvement
- Handling data breaches involving minors or protected classes
- Responding to AI-powered attacks or deepfake social engineering
- Post-quantum cryptography preparedness in IR planning
Module 15: Certification and Next Steps - Final validation of your completed CIRP-aligned incident response plan
- Submitting plan components for completion review
- Receiving feedback and refinement guidance from the course structure
- Documenting plan approval by a designated authority or manager
- Generating a board-ready executive summary of your IR capabilities
- Celebrating your achievement and preparing for real-world application
- How to leverage your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service in your career
- Adding certification to LinkedIn, CVs, and professional profiles
- Using the certificate to support promotions, salary negotiations, or compliance audits
- Accessing alumni resources and updates from The Art of Service
- Joining a global network of certified cyber resilience professionals
- Next-level learning paths: CIRP specialisation, advanced IR leadership
- Integrating your IRP into annual organisational risk planning
- Scheduling your first internal IR drill using your new framework
- Driving long-term cyber resilience maturity using CIRP as a foundation
- Defining core roles: Incident Commander, Communications Lead, Technical Lead
- Extending the IRT to legal, HR, PR, and executive leadership
- Creating role-specific response checklists and responsibilities
- Cross-training strategies to prevent single points of failure
- Defining chain of command and decision authority during crises
- How to document and socialise IRT structure across the organisation
- Managing third-party vendors and external consultants within IRT
- On-call schedules, response availability, and fatigue mitigation
- Building redundancy and succession planning for key roles
- Drafting IRT charter documents with executive approval
- Conducting role validation exercises and skills gap assessments
- Aligning IRT structure with organisational hierarchy and reporting lines
- Establishing secure communication channels for IRT coordination
- Using role simulations to test readiness and clarify responsibilities
- Documenting team performance metrics and improvement areas
Module 4: Developing the Incident Response Plan (IRP) - Core components of a CIRP-compliant IRP document
- Writing clear, action-oriented procedures for each response phase
- Creating incident classification schemas by type, severity, and impact
- Establishing incident severity levels with defined response thresholds
- Designing incident escalation paths for technical and executive teams
- Incorporating regulatory notification timelines into the IRP
- Drafting playbooks for common incident types: ransomware, data exfiltration, insider threats, DDoS
- Embedding forensic data collection procedures in the IRP
- Defining system recovery prioritisation: mission-critical vs. non-critical
- Integrating business continuity and disaster recovery plans with IRP
- Creating decision trees for ambiguous or novel attack scenarios
- Using templates to ensure consistency while allowing flexibility
- Version control and change management for IRP updates
- Storing and accessing the IRP securely and redundantly
- Ensuring offline availability of IRP during network outages
Module 5: Threat Detection and Incident Identification - Key indicators of compromise (IOCs) for modern attack vectors
- Using SIEM, EDR, and XDR outputs to validate incidents
- Automated alert triage: reducing false positives with confidence
- Establishing incident validation protocols with technical evidence
- The role of log analysis, network flow data, and endpoint telemetry
- Correlating events across systems to detect coordinated attacks
- Time synchronisation and log integrity in incident identification
- Initial assessment: scope, affected systems, data types at risk
- Documenting initial findings for legal and regulatory purposes
- Using threat intelligence feeds to enrich detection capabilities
- Creating identification checklists for shift-based security teams
- How to handle partial or ambiguous evidence during identification
- Balancing speed and accuracy in early-stage incident validation
- Escalation criteria: when to initiate full response protocols
- Communicating preliminary findings to IRT without causing panic
Module 6: Containment Strategies and Tactical Execution - Short-term versus long-term containment: pros and cons
- Network segmentation techniques for limiting lateral movement
- Isolating compromised hosts without disrupting business operations
- Using VLANs, firewalls, and DNS blackholing for containment
- Endpoint lockdown procedures: remote wipe, disable, or quarantine
- Active directory account suspension and credential reset protocols
- Preserving forensic integrity during containment actions
- Communicating containment measures to affected departments
- Monitoring contained systems for ongoing malicious activity
- Time-bound containment: setting expiration and reassessment points
- Handling cloud environments: AWS, Azure, GCP containment workflows
- Containment challenges in hybrid and remote work settings
- Documenting all containment actions with timestamps and justifications
- Using containment as a diagnostic window to uncover root cause
- Transitioning from containment to eradication: handoff protocols
Module 7: Eradication and Root Cause Elimination - Identifying persistence mechanisms: registry keys, services, scheduled tasks
- Removing malware and attacker tools from infected systems
- Addressing vulnerabilities that enabled initial access
- Patching systems, updating firmware, and applying security configurations
- Revoking and rotating compromised credentials and API keys
- Securing backdoors and unauthorised access points
- Validating eradication through system scanning and behavioural analysis
- Using memory forensics to detect hidden processes
- Recreating attack paths to test eradication completeness
- Handling supply chain compromises and third-party risks
- Integrating eradication results with vulnerability management programs
- Documenting eradication evidence for auditors and regulators
- Coordinating eradication across multiple teams and time zones
- Prioritising eradication tasks based on residual risk
- Verifying that no remnants of attacker access remain
Module 8: Recovery and System Restoration - Establishing recovery priorities: business impact analysis integration
- Validated restoration from clean backups: integrity checks and hashing
- Safe reintegration of systems into the production environment
- Monitoring restored systems for signs of reinfection
- Gradual rollout versus full cutover: minimising recovery risk
- Rebuilding systems from golden images when necessary
- Validating application functionality post-recovery
- Reconnecting to networks, databases, and third-party services securely
- Performance benchmarking after system restoration
- Stakeholder communication during recovery phases
- Rollback procedures if recovery fails or issues emerge
- Drafting recovery completion reports for leadership
- Signing off on recovery by technical and business owners
- Transferring monitoring responsibility back to operations teams
- Scheduling post-recovery vulnerability scans and penetration tests
Module 9: Post-Incident Review and Continuous Improvement - Conducting structured post-mortems with cross-functional teams
- Writing factual, blame-free incident timelines and summaries
- Identifying process gaps, tool limitations, and human factors
- Quantifying response effectiveness: MTTR, dwell time, impact scope
- Creating actionable improvement items with owners and deadlines
- Presenting lessons learned to executive leadership and the board
- Updating the IRP based on real incident data and feedback
- Archiving incident records for compliance and future reference
- Using metrics to demonstrate IR maturity growth over time
- Implementing feedback loops between IR, security, and risk teams
- Scheduling regular IRP refresh sessions based on threat trends
- Integrating new findings into training and simulation exercises
- Sharing anonymised insights with industry ISACs or partners
- Building a culture of learning from incidents, not hiding them
- Measuring improvement in response time across multiple events
Module 10: Incident Communication and Stakeholder Management - Drafting internal communication templates for employees and managers
- Writing executive briefings: concise, accurate, and action-focused
- Coordinating with legal counsel on regulatory and contractual obligations
- Preparing public statements and press releases with PR teams
- Managing media inquiries during active incidents
- Notifying regulators within mandated timeframes (72 hours under GDPR, etc.)
- Customer notification protocols: when, how, and what to disclose
- Partner and vendor communication during shared incidents
- Board reporting: structuring updates for strategic decision-making
- Using dashboards and visualisation tools for stakeholder updates
- Managing communication fatigue during prolonged incidents
- Securing communication channels: encrypted email, secure portals
- Controlling information flow to prevent leaks or speculation
- Documenting all external communications for legal defensibility
- Training spokespeople and technical personnel on messaging alignment
Module 11: IR Drills, Tabletop Exercises, and Readiness Testing - Designing realistic tabletop scenarios based on threat intelligence
- Running time-constrained drills to test decision-making under pressure
- Role-playing by executives, legal, and technical staff
- Using scenario branching to test adaptability and creativity
- Measuring drill performance: adherence to plan, timeliness, communication
- Debriefing exercises with structured feedback forms
- Identifying gaps in knowledge, tools, or coordination
- Scheduling regular drills: quarterly, biannually, or post-incident
- Automating drill scheduling and reminders within the organisation
- Creating drill reports for compliance and improvement tracking
- Using gamification to increase participation and engagement
- Introducing surprise incidents to test real-world readiness
- Scaling drills from small technical teams to enterprise-wide events
- Integrating third parties into simulation exercises
- Converting drill findings into IRP enhancement actions
Module 12: IR Plan Integration with Governance and Compliance - Aligning the IRP with ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NIST CSF
- Demonstrating IR capabilities during audits and assessments
- Maintaining IR documentation for compliance evidence packages
- Mapping CIRP phases to regulatory requirements
- Using IR metrics to satisfy board governance expectations
- Integrating IR into enterprise risk registers and risk appetite statements
- Reporting incident trends and response effectiveness to audit committees
- Ensuring cross-reference between IRP and business impact analysis
- Updating policies in response to changing legal obligations
- Building audit trails for every major incident response action
- Demonstrating due care and due diligence in response execution
- Preparing for unannounced regulatory inspections
- Documenting executive oversight and accountability in IR
- Using IR maturity models to benchmark organisational progress
- Linking IR outcomes to cyber insurance requirements and premiums
Module 13: Automation, Tools, and Technology Integration - Selecting IR platforms: SOAR, ticketing, case management systems
- Integrating CIRP workflows into existing security tools
- Using playbooks in SOAR to automate containment and escalation
- Drafting decision logic for automated approvals and actions
- Configuring alert-to-case workflows in SIEM environments
- Using APIs to connect IR tools with identity, cloud, and network systems
- Automating evidence collection and chain-of-custody logging
- Setting up dashboards for real-time incident visibility
- Managing tool fatigue: avoiding over-reliance on automation
- Validating automated actions through manual oversight points
- Using version control for playbook and script management
- Testing integrations before relying on them in real incidents
- Creating fallback procedures when automation fails
- Training teams on tool-specific IR workflows
- Optimising tool usage based on incident frequency and type
Module 14: Advanced Scenarios and Edge Cases - Responding to ransomware with double or triple extortion
- Managing incidents involving nation-state actors
- Handling data breaches with unclear exfiltration paths
- Responding to insider threats with compromised credentials
- Dealing with encrypted or zero-day attacks with no known IOCs
- Incident response during ongoing M&A or organisational transition
- Managing IR in geographically distributed teams across time zones
- Responding to supply chain attacks (SolarWinds-style events)
- Handling incidents in air-gapped or OT environments
- Incident response during concurrent crises (cyber + natural disaster)
- Responding when key IRT members are unavailable or compromised
- Managing incidents with active law enforcement involvement
- Handling data breaches involving minors or protected classes
- Responding to AI-powered attacks or deepfake social engineering
- Post-quantum cryptography preparedness in IR planning
Module 15: Certification and Next Steps - Final validation of your completed CIRP-aligned incident response plan
- Submitting plan components for completion review
- Receiving feedback and refinement guidance from the course structure
- Documenting plan approval by a designated authority or manager
- Generating a board-ready executive summary of your IR capabilities
- Celebrating your achievement and preparing for real-world application
- How to leverage your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service in your career
- Adding certification to LinkedIn, CVs, and professional profiles
- Using the certificate to support promotions, salary negotiations, or compliance audits
- Accessing alumni resources and updates from The Art of Service
- Joining a global network of certified cyber resilience professionals
- Next-level learning paths: CIRP specialisation, advanced IR leadership
- Integrating your IRP into annual organisational risk planning
- Scheduling your first internal IR drill using your new framework
- Driving long-term cyber resilience maturity using CIRP as a foundation
- Key indicators of compromise (IOCs) for modern attack vectors
- Using SIEM, EDR, and XDR outputs to validate incidents
- Automated alert triage: reducing false positives with confidence
- Establishing incident validation protocols with technical evidence
- The role of log analysis, network flow data, and endpoint telemetry
- Correlating events across systems to detect coordinated attacks
- Time synchronisation and log integrity in incident identification
- Initial assessment: scope, affected systems, data types at risk
- Documenting initial findings for legal and regulatory purposes
- Using threat intelligence feeds to enrich detection capabilities
- Creating identification checklists for shift-based security teams
- How to handle partial or ambiguous evidence during identification
- Balancing speed and accuracy in early-stage incident validation
- Escalation criteria: when to initiate full response protocols
- Communicating preliminary findings to IRT without causing panic
Module 6: Containment Strategies and Tactical Execution - Short-term versus long-term containment: pros and cons
- Network segmentation techniques for limiting lateral movement
- Isolating compromised hosts without disrupting business operations
- Using VLANs, firewalls, and DNS blackholing for containment
- Endpoint lockdown procedures: remote wipe, disable, or quarantine
- Active directory account suspension and credential reset protocols
- Preserving forensic integrity during containment actions
- Communicating containment measures to affected departments
- Monitoring contained systems for ongoing malicious activity
- Time-bound containment: setting expiration and reassessment points
- Handling cloud environments: AWS, Azure, GCP containment workflows
- Containment challenges in hybrid and remote work settings
- Documenting all containment actions with timestamps and justifications
- Using containment as a diagnostic window to uncover root cause
- Transitioning from containment to eradication: handoff protocols
Module 7: Eradication and Root Cause Elimination - Identifying persistence mechanisms: registry keys, services, scheduled tasks
- Removing malware and attacker tools from infected systems
- Addressing vulnerabilities that enabled initial access
- Patching systems, updating firmware, and applying security configurations
- Revoking and rotating compromised credentials and API keys
- Securing backdoors and unauthorised access points
- Validating eradication through system scanning and behavioural analysis
- Using memory forensics to detect hidden processes
- Recreating attack paths to test eradication completeness
- Handling supply chain compromises and third-party risks
- Integrating eradication results with vulnerability management programs
- Documenting eradication evidence for auditors and regulators
- Coordinating eradication across multiple teams and time zones
- Prioritising eradication tasks based on residual risk
- Verifying that no remnants of attacker access remain
Module 8: Recovery and System Restoration - Establishing recovery priorities: business impact analysis integration
- Validated restoration from clean backups: integrity checks and hashing
- Safe reintegration of systems into the production environment
- Monitoring restored systems for signs of reinfection
- Gradual rollout versus full cutover: minimising recovery risk
- Rebuilding systems from golden images when necessary
- Validating application functionality post-recovery
- Reconnecting to networks, databases, and third-party services securely
- Performance benchmarking after system restoration
- Stakeholder communication during recovery phases
- Rollback procedures if recovery fails or issues emerge
- Drafting recovery completion reports for leadership
- Signing off on recovery by technical and business owners
- Transferring monitoring responsibility back to operations teams
- Scheduling post-recovery vulnerability scans and penetration tests
Module 9: Post-Incident Review and Continuous Improvement - Conducting structured post-mortems with cross-functional teams
- Writing factual, blame-free incident timelines and summaries
- Identifying process gaps, tool limitations, and human factors
- Quantifying response effectiveness: MTTR, dwell time, impact scope
- Creating actionable improvement items with owners and deadlines
- Presenting lessons learned to executive leadership and the board
- Updating the IRP based on real incident data and feedback
- Archiving incident records for compliance and future reference
- Using metrics to demonstrate IR maturity growth over time
- Implementing feedback loops between IR, security, and risk teams
- Scheduling regular IRP refresh sessions based on threat trends
- Integrating new findings into training and simulation exercises
- Sharing anonymised insights with industry ISACs or partners
- Building a culture of learning from incidents, not hiding them
- Measuring improvement in response time across multiple events
Module 10: Incident Communication and Stakeholder Management - Drafting internal communication templates for employees and managers
- Writing executive briefings: concise, accurate, and action-focused
- Coordinating with legal counsel on regulatory and contractual obligations
- Preparing public statements and press releases with PR teams
- Managing media inquiries during active incidents
- Notifying regulators within mandated timeframes (72 hours under GDPR, etc.)
- Customer notification protocols: when, how, and what to disclose
- Partner and vendor communication during shared incidents
- Board reporting: structuring updates for strategic decision-making
- Using dashboards and visualisation tools for stakeholder updates
- Managing communication fatigue during prolonged incidents
- Securing communication channels: encrypted email, secure portals
- Controlling information flow to prevent leaks or speculation
- Documenting all external communications for legal defensibility
- Training spokespeople and technical personnel on messaging alignment
Module 11: IR Drills, Tabletop Exercises, and Readiness Testing - Designing realistic tabletop scenarios based on threat intelligence
- Running time-constrained drills to test decision-making under pressure
- Role-playing by executives, legal, and technical staff
- Using scenario branching to test adaptability and creativity
- Measuring drill performance: adherence to plan, timeliness, communication
- Debriefing exercises with structured feedback forms
- Identifying gaps in knowledge, tools, or coordination
- Scheduling regular drills: quarterly, biannually, or post-incident
- Automating drill scheduling and reminders within the organisation
- Creating drill reports for compliance and improvement tracking
- Using gamification to increase participation and engagement
- Introducing surprise incidents to test real-world readiness
- Scaling drills from small technical teams to enterprise-wide events
- Integrating third parties into simulation exercises
- Converting drill findings into IRP enhancement actions
Module 12: IR Plan Integration with Governance and Compliance - Aligning the IRP with ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NIST CSF
- Demonstrating IR capabilities during audits and assessments
- Maintaining IR documentation for compliance evidence packages
- Mapping CIRP phases to regulatory requirements
- Using IR metrics to satisfy board governance expectations
- Integrating IR into enterprise risk registers and risk appetite statements
- Reporting incident trends and response effectiveness to audit committees
- Ensuring cross-reference between IRP and business impact analysis
- Updating policies in response to changing legal obligations
- Building audit trails for every major incident response action
- Demonstrating due care and due diligence in response execution
- Preparing for unannounced regulatory inspections
- Documenting executive oversight and accountability in IR
- Using IR maturity models to benchmark organisational progress
- Linking IR outcomes to cyber insurance requirements and premiums
Module 13: Automation, Tools, and Technology Integration - Selecting IR platforms: SOAR, ticketing, case management systems
- Integrating CIRP workflows into existing security tools
- Using playbooks in SOAR to automate containment and escalation
- Drafting decision logic for automated approvals and actions
- Configuring alert-to-case workflows in SIEM environments
- Using APIs to connect IR tools with identity, cloud, and network systems
- Automating evidence collection and chain-of-custody logging
- Setting up dashboards for real-time incident visibility
- Managing tool fatigue: avoiding over-reliance on automation
- Validating automated actions through manual oversight points
- Using version control for playbook and script management
- Testing integrations before relying on them in real incidents
- Creating fallback procedures when automation fails
- Training teams on tool-specific IR workflows
- Optimising tool usage based on incident frequency and type
Module 14: Advanced Scenarios and Edge Cases - Responding to ransomware with double or triple extortion
- Managing incidents involving nation-state actors
- Handling data breaches with unclear exfiltration paths
- Responding to insider threats with compromised credentials
- Dealing with encrypted or zero-day attacks with no known IOCs
- Incident response during ongoing M&A or organisational transition
- Managing IR in geographically distributed teams across time zones
- Responding to supply chain attacks (SolarWinds-style events)
- Handling incidents in air-gapped or OT environments
- Incident response during concurrent crises (cyber + natural disaster)
- Responding when key IRT members are unavailable or compromised
- Managing incidents with active law enforcement involvement
- Handling data breaches involving minors or protected classes
- Responding to AI-powered attacks or deepfake social engineering
- Post-quantum cryptography preparedness in IR planning
Module 15: Certification and Next Steps - Final validation of your completed CIRP-aligned incident response plan
- Submitting plan components for completion review
- Receiving feedback and refinement guidance from the course structure
- Documenting plan approval by a designated authority or manager
- Generating a board-ready executive summary of your IR capabilities
- Celebrating your achievement and preparing for real-world application
- How to leverage your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service in your career
- Adding certification to LinkedIn, CVs, and professional profiles
- Using the certificate to support promotions, salary negotiations, or compliance audits
- Accessing alumni resources and updates from The Art of Service
- Joining a global network of certified cyber resilience professionals
- Next-level learning paths: CIRP specialisation, advanced IR leadership
- Integrating your IRP into annual organisational risk planning
- Scheduling your first internal IR drill using your new framework
- Driving long-term cyber resilience maturity using CIRP as a foundation
- Identifying persistence mechanisms: registry keys, services, scheduled tasks
- Removing malware and attacker tools from infected systems
- Addressing vulnerabilities that enabled initial access
- Patching systems, updating firmware, and applying security configurations
- Revoking and rotating compromised credentials and API keys
- Securing backdoors and unauthorised access points
- Validating eradication through system scanning and behavioural analysis
- Using memory forensics to detect hidden processes
- Recreating attack paths to test eradication completeness
- Handling supply chain compromises and third-party risks
- Integrating eradication results with vulnerability management programs
- Documenting eradication evidence for auditors and regulators
- Coordinating eradication across multiple teams and time zones
- Prioritising eradication tasks based on residual risk
- Verifying that no remnants of attacker access remain
Module 8: Recovery and System Restoration - Establishing recovery priorities: business impact analysis integration
- Validated restoration from clean backups: integrity checks and hashing
- Safe reintegration of systems into the production environment
- Monitoring restored systems for signs of reinfection
- Gradual rollout versus full cutover: minimising recovery risk
- Rebuilding systems from golden images when necessary
- Validating application functionality post-recovery
- Reconnecting to networks, databases, and third-party services securely
- Performance benchmarking after system restoration
- Stakeholder communication during recovery phases
- Rollback procedures if recovery fails or issues emerge
- Drafting recovery completion reports for leadership
- Signing off on recovery by technical and business owners
- Transferring monitoring responsibility back to operations teams
- Scheduling post-recovery vulnerability scans and penetration tests
Module 9: Post-Incident Review and Continuous Improvement - Conducting structured post-mortems with cross-functional teams
- Writing factual, blame-free incident timelines and summaries
- Identifying process gaps, tool limitations, and human factors
- Quantifying response effectiveness: MTTR, dwell time, impact scope
- Creating actionable improvement items with owners and deadlines
- Presenting lessons learned to executive leadership and the board
- Updating the IRP based on real incident data and feedback
- Archiving incident records for compliance and future reference
- Using metrics to demonstrate IR maturity growth over time
- Implementing feedback loops between IR, security, and risk teams
- Scheduling regular IRP refresh sessions based on threat trends
- Integrating new findings into training and simulation exercises
- Sharing anonymised insights with industry ISACs or partners
- Building a culture of learning from incidents, not hiding them
- Measuring improvement in response time across multiple events
Module 10: Incident Communication and Stakeholder Management - Drafting internal communication templates for employees and managers
- Writing executive briefings: concise, accurate, and action-focused
- Coordinating with legal counsel on regulatory and contractual obligations
- Preparing public statements and press releases with PR teams
- Managing media inquiries during active incidents
- Notifying regulators within mandated timeframes (72 hours under GDPR, etc.)
- Customer notification protocols: when, how, and what to disclose
- Partner and vendor communication during shared incidents
- Board reporting: structuring updates for strategic decision-making
- Using dashboards and visualisation tools for stakeholder updates
- Managing communication fatigue during prolonged incidents
- Securing communication channels: encrypted email, secure portals
- Controlling information flow to prevent leaks or speculation
- Documenting all external communications for legal defensibility
- Training spokespeople and technical personnel on messaging alignment
Module 11: IR Drills, Tabletop Exercises, and Readiness Testing - Designing realistic tabletop scenarios based on threat intelligence
- Running time-constrained drills to test decision-making under pressure
- Role-playing by executives, legal, and technical staff
- Using scenario branching to test adaptability and creativity
- Measuring drill performance: adherence to plan, timeliness, communication
- Debriefing exercises with structured feedback forms
- Identifying gaps in knowledge, tools, or coordination
- Scheduling regular drills: quarterly, biannually, or post-incident
- Automating drill scheduling and reminders within the organisation
- Creating drill reports for compliance and improvement tracking
- Using gamification to increase participation and engagement
- Introducing surprise incidents to test real-world readiness
- Scaling drills from small technical teams to enterprise-wide events
- Integrating third parties into simulation exercises
- Converting drill findings into IRP enhancement actions
Module 12: IR Plan Integration with Governance and Compliance - Aligning the IRP with ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NIST CSF
- Demonstrating IR capabilities during audits and assessments
- Maintaining IR documentation for compliance evidence packages
- Mapping CIRP phases to regulatory requirements
- Using IR metrics to satisfy board governance expectations
- Integrating IR into enterprise risk registers and risk appetite statements
- Reporting incident trends and response effectiveness to audit committees
- Ensuring cross-reference between IRP and business impact analysis
- Updating policies in response to changing legal obligations
- Building audit trails for every major incident response action
- Demonstrating due care and due diligence in response execution
- Preparing for unannounced regulatory inspections
- Documenting executive oversight and accountability in IR
- Using IR maturity models to benchmark organisational progress
- Linking IR outcomes to cyber insurance requirements and premiums
Module 13: Automation, Tools, and Technology Integration - Selecting IR platforms: SOAR, ticketing, case management systems
- Integrating CIRP workflows into existing security tools
- Using playbooks in SOAR to automate containment and escalation
- Drafting decision logic for automated approvals and actions
- Configuring alert-to-case workflows in SIEM environments
- Using APIs to connect IR tools with identity, cloud, and network systems
- Automating evidence collection and chain-of-custody logging
- Setting up dashboards for real-time incident visibility
- Managing tool fatigue: avoiding over-reliance on automation
- Validating automated actions through manual oversight points
- Using version control for playbook and script management
- Testing integrations before relying on them in real incidents
- Creating fallback procedures when automation fails
- Training teams on tool-specific IR workflows
- Optimising tool usage based on incident frequency and type
Module 14: Advanced Scenarios and Edge Cases - Responding to ransomware with double or triple extortion
- Managing incidents involving nation-state actors
- Handling data breaches with unclear exfiltration paths
- Responding to insider threats with compromised credentials
- Dealing with encrypted or zero-day attacks with no known IOCs
- Incident response during ongoing M&A or organisational transition
- Managing IR in geographically distributed teams across time zones
- Responding to supply chain attacks (SolarWinds-style events)
- Handling incidents in air-gapped or OT environments
- Incident response during concurrent crises (cyber + natural disaster)
- Responding when key IRT members are unavailable or compromised
- Managing incidents with active law enforcement involvement
- Handling data breaches involving minors or protected classes
- Responding to AI-powered attacks or deepfake social engineering
- Post-quantum cryptography preparedness in IR planning
Module 15: Certification and Next Steps - Final validation of your completed CIRP-aligned incident response plan
- Submitting plan components for completion review
- Receiving feedback and refinement guidance from the course structure
- Documenting plan approval by a designated authority or manager
- Generating a board-ready executive summary of your IR capabilities
- Celebrating your achievement and preparing for real-world application
- How to leverage your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service in your career
- Adding certification to LinkedIn, CVs, and professional profiles
- Using the certificate to support promotions, salary negotiations, or compliance audits
- Accessing alumni resources and updates from The Art of Service
- Joining a global network of certified cyber resilience professionals
- Next-level learning paths: CIRP specialisation, advanced IR leadership
- Integrating your IRP into annual organisational risk planning
- Scheduling your first internal IR drill using your new framework
- Driving long-term cyber resilience maturity using CIRP as a foundation
- Conducting structured post-mortems with cross-functional teams
- Writing factual, blame-free incident timelines and summaries
- Identifying process gaps, tool limitations, and human factors
- Quantifying response effectiveness: MTTR, dwell time, impact scope
- Creating actionable improvement items with owners and deadlines
- Presenting lessons learned to executive leadership and the board
- Updating the IRP based on real incident data and feedback
- Archiving incident records for compliance and future reference
- Using metrics to demonstrate IR maturity growth over time
- Implementing feedback loops between IR, security, and risk teams
- Scheduling regular IRP refresh sessions based on threat trends
- Integrating new findings into training and simulation exercises
- Sharing anonymised insights with industry ISACs or partners
- Building a culture of learning from incidents, not hiding them
- Measuring improvement in response time across multiple events
Module 10: Incident Communication and Stakeholder Management - Drafting internal communication templates for employees and managers
- Writing executive briefings: concise, accurate, and action-focused
- Coordinating with legal counsel on regulatory and contractual obligations
- Preparing public statements and press releases with PR teams
- Managing media inquiries during active incidents
- Notifying regulators within mandated timeframes (72 hours under GDPR, etc.)
- Customer notification protocols: when, how, and what to disclose
- Partner and vendor communication during shared incidents
- Board reporting: structuring updates for strategic decision-making
- Using dashboards and visualisation tools for stakeholder updates
- Managing communication fatigue during prolonged incidents
- Securing communication channels: encrypted email, secure portals
- Controlling information flow to prevent leaks or speculation
- Documenting all external communications for legal defensibility
- Training spokespeople and technical personnel on messaging alignment
Module 11: IR Drills, Tabletop Exercises, and Readiness Testing - Designing realistic tabletop scenarios based on threat intelligence
- Running time-constrained drills to test decision-making under pressure
- Role-playing by executives, legal, and technical staff
- Using scenario branching to test adaptability and creativity
- Measuring drill performance: adherence to plan, timeliness, communication
- Debriefing exercises with structured feedback forms
- Identifying gaps in knowledge, tools, or coordination
- Scheduling regular drills: quarterly, biannually, or post-incident
- Automating drill scheduling and reminders within the organisation
- Creating drill reports for compliance and improvement tracking
- Using gamification to increase participation and engagement
- Introducing surprise incidents to test real-world readiness
- Scaling drills from small technical teams to enterprise-wide events
- Integrating third parties into simulation exercises
- Converting drill findings into IRP enhancement actions
Module 12: IR Plan Integration with Governance and Compliance - Aligning the IRP with ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NIST CSF
- Demonstrating IR capabilities during audits and assessments
- Maintaining IR documentation for compliance evidence packages
- Mapping CIRP phases to regulatory requirements
- Using IR metrics to satisfy board governance expectations
- Integrating IR into enterprise risk registers and risk appetite statements
- Reporting incident trends and response effectiveness to audit committees
- Ensuring cross-reference between IRP and business impact analysis
- Updating policies in response to changing legal obligations
- Building audit trails for every major incident response action
- Demonstrating due care and due diligence in response execution
- Preparing for unannounced regulatory inspections
- Documenting executive oversight and accountability in IR
- Using IR maturity models to benchmark organisational progress
- Linking IR outcomes to cyber insurance requirements and premiums
Module 13: Automation, Tools, and Technology Integration - Selecting IR platforms: SOAR, ticketing, case management systems
- Integrating CIRP workflows into existing security tools
- Using playbooks in SOAR to automate containment and escalation
- Drafting decision logic for automated approvals and actions
- Configuring alert-to-case workflows in SIEM environments
- Using APIs to connect IR tools with identity, cloud, and network systems
- Automating evidence collection and chain-of-custody logging
- Setting up dashboards for real-time incident visibility
- Managing tool fatigue: avoiding over-reliance on automation
- Validating automated actions through manual oversight points
- Using version control for playbook and script management
- Testing integrations before relying on them in real incidents
- Creating fallback procedures when automation fails
- Training teams on tool-specific IR workflows
- Optimising tool usage based on incident frequency and type
Module 14: Advanced Scenarios and Edge Cases - Responding to ransomware with double or triple extortion
- Managing incidents involving nation-state actors
- Handling data breaches with unclear exfiltration paths
- Responding to insider threats with compromised credentials
- Dealing with encrypted or zero-day attacks with no known IOCs
- Incident response during ongoing M&A or organisational transition
- Managing IR in geographically distributed teams across time zones
- Responding to supply chain attacks (SolarWinds-style events)
- Handling incidents in air-gapped or OT environments
- Incident response during concurrent crises (cyber + natural disaster)
- Responding when key IRT members are unavailable or compromised
- Managing incidents with active law enforcement involvement
- Handling data breaches involving minors or protected classes
- Responding to AI-powered attacks or deepfake social engineering
- Post-quantum cryptography preparedness in IR planning
Module 15: Certification and Next Steps - Final validation of your completed CIRP-aligned incident response plan
- Submitting plan components for completion review
- Receiving feedback and refinement guidance from the course structure
- Documenting plan approval by a designated authority or manager
- Generating a board-ready executive summary of your IR capabilities
- Celebrating your achievement and preparing for real-world application
- How to leverage your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service in your career
- Adding certification to LinkedIn, CVs, and professional profiles
- Using the certificate to support promotions, salary negotiations, or compliance audits
- Accessing alumni resources and updates from The Art of Service
- Joining a global network of certified cyber resilience professionals
- Next-level learning paths: CIRP specialisation, advanced IR leadership
- Integrating your IRP into annual organisational risk planning
- Scheduling your first internal IR drill using your new framework
- Driving long-term cyber resilience maturity using CIRP as a foundation
- Designing realistic tabletop scenarios based on threat intelligence
- Running time-constrained drills to test decision-making under pressure
- Role-playing by executives, legal, and technical staff
- Using scenario branching to test adaptability and creativity
- Measuring drill performance: adherence to plan, timeliness, communication
- Debriefing exercises with structured feedback forms
- Identifying gaps in knowledge, tools, or coordination
- Scheduling regular drills: quarterly, biannually, or post-incident
- Automating drill scheduling and reminders within the organisation
- Creating drill reports for compliance and improvement tracking
- Using gamification to increase participation and engagement
- Introducing surprise incidents to test real-world readiness
- Scaling drills from small technical teams to enterprise-wide events
- Integrating third parties into simulation exercises
- Converting drill findings into IRP enhancement actions
Module 12: IR Plan Integration with Governance and Compliance - Aligning the IRP with ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NIST CSF
- Demonstrating IR capabilities during audits and assessments
- Maintaining IR documentation for compliance evidence packages
- Mapping CIRP phases to regulatory requirements
- Using IR metrics to satisfy board governance expectations
- Integrating IR into enterprise risk registers and risk appetite statements
- Reporting incident trends and response effectiveness to audit committees
- Ensuring cross-reference between IRP and business impact analysis
- Updating policies in response to changing legal obligations
- Building audit trails for every major incident response action
- Demonstrating due care and due diligence in response execution
- Preparing for unannounced regulatory inspections
- Documenting executive oversight and accountability in IR
- Using IR maturity models to benchmark organisational progress
- Linking IR outcomes to cyber insurance requirements and premiums
Module 13: Automation, Tools, and Technology Integration - Selecting IR platforms: SOAR, ticketing, case management systems
- Integrating CIRP workflows into existing security tools
- Using playbooks in SOAR to automate containment and escalation
- Drafting decision logic for automated approvals and actions
- Configuring alert-to-case workflows in SIEM environments
- Using APIs to connect IR tools with identity, cloud, and network systems
- Automating evidence collection and chain-of-custody logging
- Setting up dashboards for real-time incident visibility
- Managing tool fatigue: avoiding over-reliance on automation
- Validating automated actions through manual oversight points
- Using version control for playbook and script management
- Testing integrations before relying on them in real incidents
- Creating fallback procedures when automation fails
- Training teams on tool-specific IR workflows
- Optimising tool usage based on incident frequency and type
Module 14: Advanced Scenarios and Edge Cases - Responding to ransomware with double or triple extortion
- Managing incidents involving nation-state actors
- Handling data breaches with unclear exfiltration paths
- Responding to insider threats with compromised credentials
- Dealing with encrypted or zero-day attacks with no known IOCs
- Incident response during ongoing M&A or organisational transition
- Managing IR in geographically distributed teams across time zones
- Responding to supply chain attacks (SolarWinds-style events)
- Handling incidents in air-gapped or OT environments
- Incident response during concurrent crises (cyber + natural disaster)
- Responding when key IRT members are unavailable or compromised
- Managing incidents with active law enforcement involvement
- Handling data breaches involving minors or protected classes
- Responding to AI-powered attacks or deepfake social engineering
- Post-quantum cryptography preparedness in IR planning
Module 15: Certification and Next Steps - Final validation of your completed CIRP-aligned incident response plan
- Submitting plan components for completion review
- Receiving feedback and refinement guidance from the course structure
- Documenting plan approval by a designated authority or manager
- Generating a board-ready executive summary of your IR capabilities
- Celebrating your achievement and preparing for real-world application
- How to leverage your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service in your career
- Adding certification to LinkedIn, CVs, and professional profiles
- Using the certificate to support promotions, salary negotiations, or compliance audits
- Accessing alumni resources and updates from The Art of Service
- Joining a global network of certified cyber resilience professionals
- Next-level learning paths: CIRP specialisation, advanced IR leadership
- Integrating your IRP into annual organisational risk planning
- Scheduling your first internal IR drill using your new framework
- Driving long-term cyber resilience maturity using CIRP as a foundation
- Selecting IR platforms: SOAR, ticketing, case management systems
- Integrating CIRP workflows into existing security tools
- Using playbooks in SOAR to automate containment and escalation
- Drafting decision logic for automated approvals and actions
- Configuring alert-to-case workflows in SIEM environments
- Using APIs to connect IR tools with identity, cloud, and network systems
- Automating evidence collection and chain-of-custody logging
- Setting up dashboards for real-time incident visibility
- Managing tool fatigue: avoiding over-reliance on automation
- Validating automated actions through manual oversight points
- Using version control for playbook and script management
- Testing integrations before relying on them in real incidents
- Creating fallback procedures when automation fails
- Training teams on tool-specific IR workflows
- Optimising tool usage based on incident frequency and type
Module 14: Advanced Scenarios and Edge Cases - Responding to ransomware with double or triple extortion
- Managing incidents involving nation-state actors
- Handling data breaches with unclear exfiltration paths
- Responding to insider threats with compromised credentials
- Dealing with encrypted or zero-day attacks with no known IOCs
- Incident response during ongoing M&A or organisational transition
- Managing IR in geographically distributed teams across time zones
- Responding to supply chain attacks (SolarWinds-style events)
- Handling incidents in air-gapped or OT environments
- Incident response during concurrent crises (cyber + natural disaster)
- Responding when key IRT members are unavailable or compromised
- Managing incidents with active law enforcement involvement
- Handling data breaches involving minors or protected classes
- Responding to AI-powered attacks or deepfake social engineering
- Post-quantum cryptography preparedness in IR planning
Module 15: Certification and Next Steps - Final validation of your completed CIRP-aligned incident response plan
- Submitting plan components for completion review
- Receiving feedback and refinement guidance from the course structure
- Documenting plan approval by a designated authority or manager
- Generating a board-ready executive summary of your IR capabilities
- Celebrating your achievement and preparing for real-world application
- How to leverage your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service in your career
- Adding certification to LinkedIn, CVs, and professional profiles
- Using the certificate to support promotions, salary negotiations, or compliance audits
- Accessing alumni resources and updates from The Art of Service
- Joining a global network of certified cyber resilience professionals
- Next-level learning paths: CIRP specialisation, advanced IR leadership
- Integrating your IRP into annual organisational risk planning
- Scheduling your first internal IR drill using your new framework
- Driving long-term cyber resilience maturity using CIRP as a foundation
- Final validation of your completed CIRP-aligned incident response plan
- Submitting plan components for completion review
- Receiving feedback and refinement guidance from the course structure
- Documenting plan approval by a designated authority or manager
- Generating a board-ready executive summary of your IR capabilities
- Celebrating your achievement and preparing for real-world application
- How to leverage your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service in your career
- Adding certification to LinkedIn, CVs, and professional profiles
- Using the certificate to support promotions, salary negotiations, or compliance audits
- Accessing alumni resources and updates from The Art of Service
- Joining a global network of certified cyber resilience professionals
- Next-level learning paths: CIRP specialisation, advanced IR leadership
- Integrating your IRP into annual organisational risk planning
- Scheduling your first internal IR drill using your new framework
- Driving long-term cyber resilience maturity using CIRP as a foundation