Cyber Incident Response Plan

Turn Panic to Prepared

When it comes to cyber security, the question is not if an incident will occur but when. This is just the reality of not only hosting or access services online, but just simply being being online.

A Cyber Incident Response Plan (CIRP) establishes a plan to prepare for, detect, respond to, and recover from incidents when they arise. By documenting clear responsibilities and procedures, a CIRP creates coordinated action, minimising harm and accelerating recovery at a time when chaos can overwhelm the team responding.

The Value of a CIRP

Organisations without a plan usually respond reactively, in a disorganised and error-prone manner. The absence of a plan increases downtime, costs, and reputational risk. A CIRP addresses this by ensuring that:

• Incidents are identified quickly and acted upon before escalation.
• Teams understand assigned responsibilities, reducing confusion in high-pressure situations.
• Internal and external communication follows a defined pathway.
• Recovery procedures are documented, repeatable, and continuously improved.

In addition to strengthening operational resilience, a CIRP supports compliance with frameworks such as the Essential Eight and the Information Security Manual (ISM). More importantly, it provides a practical playbook that bridges strategic planning and operational execution.

Core Phases of a Cyber Incident Response Plan

Response plans typically follow six interconnected phases:

Preparation:

• Define the incident types covered (phishing, ransomware, malicious or accidental actions).
• Establish an Incident Response Team (IRT) with clear roles (with backups to fill in).
• Set communication and escalation pathways.
• Conduct training, awareness, and simulation exercises.

Identification:

• Detect anomalies through monitoring tools, log analysis, or user reporting.
• Classify incidents by severity and business impact. (e.g. A single compromised user account may be classified as low severity, whereas ransomware affecting payment systems represents a critical incident.)

Containment:

• Apply short-term actions such as isolating affected systems.
• Implement longer-term strategies, including network segmentation or enhanced monitoring.
• Containment serves as a barrier, preventing disruption from spreading further into the organisation.

Eradication:

• Remove the root cause, including malicious software, compromised credentials, or misconfigurations.
• Apply relevant security updates and revoke access where necessary.

Recovery:

• Restore systems from verified backups.
• Monitor carefully for reinfection indicators.
• Restore services in a controlled, staged approach to avoid reintroducing vulnerabilities.

Lessons Learned:

(After action debriefs )

• Conduct a structured review to evaluate the effectiveness of the response.
• Update security policies, technical controls, and awareness programs.
• Feed findings directly into CIRP revisions to improve readiness for future incidents.

Communication and Coordination

Incident response plans not only requires technical responses and measures but also need to incorporate a clear communication plan. An effective CIRP should define:

• Reporting mechanisms (e.g. hotline, ticketing systems).
• Responsibilities for communicating with regulators, employees and customers Especially if there are regulatory reporting requirements or the impact potentially extends customers or business partners.
• Rules governing what information is shared, how, and when.

Clear communication prevents misinformation, ensures compliance with reporting obligations, and protects organisational partners and reputation.

Testing and Continuous Improvement

A CIRP is only as effective if it s practice and refinement. This can include:

• Tabletop exercises: scenario-based, dry run walkthroughs and discussions that test decision-making.
• Red team/blue team exercises: adversarial simulations that stress-test procedures under realistic conditions. (consultants)
• Periodic reviews: annual updates to reflect evolving threats, technology changes, or business priorities.

Even limited testing, such as a one-hour tabletop exercise, can reveal weaknesses that remain hidden during daily operations.

Integration the Cybersecurity Strategy

An incident response plan does not operate in isolation. It a pillar in the organisations broader security framework. In the Essential Eight, the CIRP supports recovery and detection controls, ensuring technical defences are matched with operational readiness. As well as the ISM by providing the formal requirements for incident response processes

Integration with these frameworks contribute to and demonstrates a strategic maturity level and improves resilience against evolving cyber threats.

Where to Start?

A practical starting point in developing or strengthening a CIRP, organisations often focus first on:

• Assigning an incident response coordinator.
• Establishing a single reporting channel for suspected incidents.
• Documenting the most likely incident types based on business risks.
• Scheduling an initial tabletop exercise with key stakeholders.

These steps provide a foundation that a more comprehensive, continuously improved plan can be developed.

A Cyber Incident Response Plan is more than a static document; it is a structured process that equips organisations to face cyber threats head-on. Through preparation, detection, containment, recovery, and review, a CIRP ensures that incidents are met with a swift, coordinated, and effective response.

When properly integrated into broader cybersecurity strategies, a CIRP supports compliance and ensures that critical operations can resume faster and continue in the face of inevitable cyber incidents.