Incident Response Policy
Document Version: 1.0
Last Reviewed: July 19, 2025
Owner: Security Officer
1. Purpose
This policy defines the requirements and procedures for identifying, managing, and responding to security incidents to minimize business impact and support timely recovery in accordance with SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all information systems, personnel, contractors, and third-party service providers handling data, systems, or services managed by the organization.
3. Policy
3.1 Incident Identification and Reporting
- All employees must immediately report suspected or confirmed security incidents to the security team via designated communication channels (e.g., security@example.com or ticketing system).
- Indicators of compromise (IOCs) shall be monitored using security tools (e.g., SIEM, IDS/IPS, EDR).
- Incidents may include but are not limited to:
- Unauthorized access to systems or data
- Malware or ransomware infection
- Denial-of-service attacks
- Data breaches or leakage
- Insider threats
3.2 Incident Response Process
The organization follows a 6-phase incident response lifecycle:
- Preparation
- Maintain and test incident response playbooks and tools.
- Train personnel on incident identification and handling.
- Detection and Analysis
- Correlate logs and alerts to confirm incidents.
- Classify incidents by severity and type (low, medium, high, critical).
- Containment
- Short-term containment to isolate impacted systems.
- Long-term containment via patching, access revocation, or reconfiguration.
- Eradication
- Remove the root cause of the incident (e.g., malware, misconfigurations).
- Apply system hardening and validation.
- Recovery
- Restore affected systems and data from backups if necessary.
- Monitor systems to confirm stability and absence of reinfection.
- Lessons Learned
- Conduct a post-incident review (PIR) within 10 business days.
- Update response procedures and technical controls accordingly.
3.3 Communication and Escalation
- The Security Officer coordinates internal and external communications.
- Notify relevant stakeholders, including legal counsel and affected customers, where appropriate.
- Escalate critical incidents to executive leadership immediately.
3.4 Documentation and Evidence Handling
- Maintain detailed logs of all response actions taken.
- Preserve forensic evidence when applicable.
- Incident reports must be stored securely and retained for at least 3 years.
3.5 Third-Party Coordination
- Third-party service providers must notify the organization of any incident that may impact systems or data.
- The organization will coordinate with third parties to contain and resolve incidents as needed.
4. Roles and Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Security Officer | Lead incident response, reporting, and communication |
| IT Operations | Assist with containment, recovery, and forensic data |
| Legal Counsel | Advise on regulatory impact and notification requirements |
| All Employees | Promptly report incidents and comply with response procedures |
5. Training and Testing
- Conduct annual incident response training for relevant personnel.
- Perform tabletop exercises or simulations at least once per year.
6. Compliance and Review
- This policy is reviewed annually or upon significant changes in the threat landscape or business operations.
- Non-compliance may result in disciplinary action in accordance with HR policy.