SANS Incident Response: 6-Step Process & Critical Best Practices

What Is SANS Incident Response Framework? 

The SANS incident response framework is a structured approach used by organizations to manage and mitigate cyber security incidents effectively. It incorporates actionable steps and guidelines that help responders identify, analyze, and contain security threats swiftly. This framework ensures a thorough and organized response to cyber incidents, reducing potential impacts on business operations and security infrastructure.

Built on best practices and extensive research, the SANS framework equips organizations with the necessary tools and processes to respond to various types of cyber threats. By standardizing the incident response process, entities can ensure consistency and efficiency in handling security breaches, minimizing damage and rapidly restoring normal operations.

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Why Is SANS Providing Recommendations on Incident Response?

SANS describes itself as a “cooperative for information security thought leadership”. It is a not-for-profit organization that focuses on security research and education. SANS provides recommendations on incident response to enhance organizational preparedness against cyber threats. Its guidelines emphasize the need for readiness in the face of increasing and evolving digital threats, helping organizations secure their data and systems effectively.

The recommendations also promote a structured training agenda for incident response teams. By providing detailed and practical response strategies, SANS aims to elevate the skill sets of cybersecurity professionals. This empowerment drives better outcomes during security incidents and paves the way for a fortified cyber-security posture within organizations.

In addition to its incident response framework, SANS provides a range of educational resources including blogs, white papers, courses, and its Graduate Certificate in Incident Response which includes four of its recognized GIAC certifications.

6 Steps of the SANS Incident Response Process 

The SANS incident response process includes the following steps: preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned.

Step 1: Preparation

The first step in the SANS Incident Response process involves setting up the right tools, policies, and procedures ahead of any incident, ensuring that the response team can act quickly and efficiently. This phase includes training staff, creating incident response protocols, and establishing communication strategies both internally and externally.

Organizations must also focus on robust documentation during this stage. This means gathering and storing reliable contact information for key personnel, delineating clear roles and responsibilities, and ensuring all team members have access to necessary resources. Being well-prepared reduces chaos and enables more controlled management of incidents.

Step 2: Identification

Identification is crucial in recognizing the signs of a cyber incident. It involves monitoring and analyzing data to detect any anomalies that indicate a security breach. Effective identification requires advanced security systems and a skilled team capable of discerning potential threats from benign events quickly. By identifying an incident early, organizations can minimize the potential damage inflicted.

To strengthen this phase, businesses should invest in continuous training and sophisticated security technology. Upgrading detection capabilities means responders can spot and escalate incidents accurately, ensuring that they are addressed with appropriate urgency and precision.

Step 3: Containment

Containment focuses on limiting the spread and impact of the incident. Immediate and long-term strategies are applied to prevent further damage while maintaining business continuity. This step might involve segregating the network, blocking malicious traffic, or disabling compromised accounts. Effective containment saves resources and offers more time to plan and execute a strategic eradication process.

In developing a containment strategy, it’s important to strike a balance between strong defensive actions and maintenance of essential business functions. Swift decision-making supported by clear, predefined containment plans enables immediate stabilization of the situation.

Step 4: Eradication

After containment, the eradication step involves removing the threat from the environment entirely. This could mean deleting malicious files, uninstalling compromised software, or remedying vulnerabilities that were exploited. A thorough investigation determines the root cause of the incident to address all aspects of the breach effectively.

Eradication best practices require precise coordination and documentation, ensuring that no remnants of the threat remain. This step restores the integrity of the systems and prepares them for safe recovery, reducing the risk of reoccurrence.

Step 5: Recovery

In the recovery stage, systems are restored and returned to normal operation, ensuring they are free from any security loopholes. This phase includes rigorously testing the systems to verify security and conducting comprehensive system monitoring to confirm the normal functionality. Recovery actions must align with business priorities, and systems should be brought back online in a controlled manner.

Recovery plans should be tailored to reduce future risks, incorporating lessons learned from the incident. This proactive adaptation will strengthen systems against forthcoming security challenges.

Step 6: Lessons Learned

This final step involves analyzing the incident from start to finish to identify successes and shortcomings. The lessons learned are documented and used to reinforce the incident response plan, reducing the chances of similar incidents occurring in the future. A thorough review promotes continuous improvement and adjustment of strategies, which are essential for adapting to the evolving landscape of cyber threats.

Engaging all stakeholders in this review process ensures a comprehensive understanding of the incident and fosters a culture of continual security improvement within the organization.

Best Practices for Building Your SANS Incident Response Plan 

Establish a Qualified Incident Response Team

A foundation of the SANS incident response process is to form a qualified incident response team. This team should comprise experts in various areas of cybersecurity, each bringing a unique skill set to address complex security challenges effectively. Adequate training and regular skills updates ensure the team can handle evolving cyber threats proficiently.

It’s crucial for organizations to empower their teams with the autonomy to make swift decisions during incidents. This empowerment, paired with clear procedural guidelines, makes it easier for the team to respond to and mitigate the impacts of incidents.

Establish Processes and Procedures

Establishing clear processes and procedures is fundamental to the operational effectiveness of incident response. This involves defining the steps to be followed during each phase of the incident response, from preparation to recovery. Documenting these procedures ensures consistency in handling incidents and reduces the likelihood of critical steps being overlooked during a crisis.

Procedures should include guidelines for the use of tools, handling evidence, documenting incidents, and decision-making processes. Regular reviews and updates of these procedures ensure they remain effective and relevant in the changing cybersecurity landscape.

List Outside Stakeholders

Identifying and listing outside stakeholders is crucial in preparing for and managing cybersecurity incidents. These stakeholders include external partners, suppliers, service providers, law enforcement agencies, industry peers, regulatory bodies, and the media. Having a clear understanding of these relationships and the roles these stakeholders play during an incident ensures a more comprehensive and coordinated response.

The list should include contact details and any relevant information on how and when to engage these stakeholders, considering legal or contractual obligations that might influence these interactions.

Prepare a Communications Plan

A robust communications plan is essential for effective incident response. This plan outlines how information about a security incident is communicated within the organization and to external parties. It includes protocols for escalating issues to higher management, contacting IT support, and notifying stakeholders. The plan ensures that all parties are informed appropriately and in a timely manner to facilitate swift and coordinated action.

The plan should also address communication with external entities such as law enforcement, regulatory bodies, and media. It’s crucial to define who is authorized to speak on behalf of the company to avoid miscommunication and ensure that the organization’s response is perceived as competent and transparent.

Implement Advanced Detection Capabilities

Implementing advanced detection capabilities is key to improving the identification phase of the incident response. This includes using sophisticated tools and technologies like intrusion detection systems (IDS), security information and event management (SIEM) systems, and advanced threat protection (ATP) solutions. These tools help in detecting anomalies, monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity, and providing real-time alerts that enable rapid response to potential threats.

Ongoing investment in these technologies, along with regular updates and maintenance, ensures that the detection capabilities keep pace with evolving cyber threats.

Reinforce use of Network Segmentation

Network segmentation plays a crucial role in containment by isolating affected areas of the network to prevent the spread of threats. It involves structuring the network in a way that compartments critical data and systems, making it difficult for intruders to access sensitive information. 

Effective segmentation serves as a robust defense mechanism, minimizing the impact of breaches on critical assets and simplifying incident response.

Perform Root Cause Analysis

Performing root cause analysis is crucial in the eradication phase of the incident response. This analysis helps in identifying the underlying vulnerabilities or flaws that allowed a security breach to occur. By understanding the root cause, organizations can implement more effective remediations that prevent future occurrences of similar incidents.

Root cause analysis should be thorough and systematic, utilizing tools and methodologies like fishbone diagrams, the five whys technique, or fault tree analysis. This ensures comprehensive understanding and resolution of the core issues.

Use Trusted Recovery

Trusted recovery is crucial in the recovery phase of the SANS incident response process. This practice ensures that systems and applications are restored to a secure state, free from any influence of the incident. Trusted recovery involves verifying the integrity of software and data before it is reintroduced into the operational environment. 

This includes using clean backups, applying necessary patches, and conducting rigorous testing to confirm that all systems are functioning normally and securely. Implementing trusted recovery processes is vital to maintaining trust in system operations and the overall security posture of the organization.

Clarify How to Review and Report Security Findings

An important part of an incident response process is to establish a structured approach to assessing and documenting the outcomes of security investigations. This process should include guidelines on gathering evidence, analyzing data, and documenting findings in a way that is clear and actionable. The procedure for reporting these findings should ensure that relevant stakeholders, including decision-makers and technical teams, receive the information they need to act effectively.

It is also important to establish norms for how often reviews should occur and under what circumstances, ensuring that the organization can adapt quickly to new information about potential threats.

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