Post-Cyber Incident - What Happens After a Breach?

As businesses become increasingly reliant on technology, the risk of cybersecurity breaches is becoming more and more of a reality. While it’s important to take steps to prevent cyber security breaches, it’s also important to be prepared for the aftermath of a breach. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some critical phases after a cyber security breach and technologies that aid in quick response.

While this is not a comprehensive list of recommendations for securing your environment, it will provide some basic guidelines for the steps to take after a breach and the technologies that allow an incident response team to act quickly and decisively. It should also be noted that most of these technologies play a role in all phases of incidence response.

Step One:  Assess the Damage

The first step after a cyber security breach is to assess the damage. This means determining what data was compromised, who was affected, and what steps must be taken to mitigate the damage. It’s important to act quickly and decisively to contain the breach and prevent further damage.  

Damage Assessment Technologies 

• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Provides real-time monitoring, detection, and response capabilities for endpoints such as computers, laptops, and mobile devices. It uses a combination of endpoint security agents, analytics, and threat intelligence to detect malicious activity on endpoints and respond to them in a timely manner. EDR solutions can detect malicious activity such as malware, ransomware, and malicious network traffic, as well as suspicious user behavior. 

• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) with User & Entity Behavior Analysis (UEBA) A powerful combination of technologies that can help organizations detect, investigate, and respond to cyber threats. SIEM provides real-time monitoring and analysis of security events from multiple sources, while UEBA uses machine learning and analytics to detect anomalous user and entity behavior. Together, these technologies can provide organizations with a comprehensive view of their security posture and help them quickly identify and respond to potential threats. 

Step Two:  Remediate Risks

Once the damage has been assessed, it’s important to take steps to prevent similar breaches in the future. This may involve implementing new security measures, such as two-factor authentication, or updating existing security protocols. It’s also important to review the incident with staff to ensure that everyone is aware of the risks and how to prevent them in the future. 

Remediation Technologies

• Threat and Vulnerability Management The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating threats and vulnerabilities in an organization's IT systems involves the use of various tools and techniques to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities, assess their impact, and develop strategies to mitigate or eliminate them. The goal of threat and vulnerability management is to reduce the risk of a security breach or attack but is also useful for identifying vulnerabilities opened during a breach, or systems vulnerable to similar attack methods attackers utilized.  

• Cybersecurity Training and Security-Minded Culture Cybersecurity training is essential for any organization that wants to protect its data and systems from malicious actors. Training should include identifying and responding to cyber threats, understanding the importance of data security, and developing secure coding practices. Additionally, organizations should create a security-minded culture by emphasizing the importance of cybersecurity and encouraging employees to take ownership of their security responsibilities. This can be done through regular security awareness training, security policies, and rewards for employees who demonstrate good security practices. 

Step Three:  Cyber Incident Reporting & Notification

Finally, it’s important to communicate with customers and other stakeholders about the breach. This may involve issuing a public statement, providing updates on the situation, and assisting affected customers. It’s important to be transparent and honest about the situation and to take responsibility for the breach. Knowing with confidence what has been compromised assists in communicating clearly and promptly following a breach.  

Cyber Incident Reporting & Notification Technologies

• Information Rights Management with Auditing A security technology that helps organizations protect their sensitive data from unauthorized access and use. It controls who can access, view, modify, print, or forward a document. It also provides an audit trail of who has accessed the document and what changes have been made. 

No one wants to experience a cyber security breach, but preparing for the aftermath is important. By taking the right steps, businesses can minimize the damage and ensure that similar breaches don’t happen in the future. 

No two investigations are the same. It’s important to note the technologies provided are not a hard and fast ruleset for incident response. Consult your security team or Managed Security Services Provider regarding the tools most applicable in your environment.