Definition
Incident response (IR) is the organized approach an organization takes to address and manage the aftermath of a security breach or cyberattack. It involves a set of procedures designed to detect, analyze, contain, eradicate, and recover from security incidents. In practice, IR teams follow a structured plan to minimize damage, reduce recovery time and costs, and prevent future occurrences. This process is crucial for maintaining business continuity and protecting sensitive data. For example, if a ransomware attack encrypts critical files, the IR plan dictates how to isolate infected systems, identify the strain, restore data from backups, and patch vulnerabilities. A common confusion is with disaster recovery, which focuses on restoring IT infrastructure after a widespread outage, whereas IR is specifically about handling security events. Incident response is a core topic on certifications like CompTIA Security+, CySA+, and CISSP.