When you consider that according to the Sophos State of Ransomware in 2021 report, 66% of manufacturing and production organisations surveyed reported an increase in the complexity of cyber attacks in 2021, the chances of being hit by a cyber attack is not a case of if, but when. 

As cyberattacks are becoming more common and evolved in their complexity, many enterprises are leveraging cybersecurity as a service (CSaaS) – a security model where outsourced specialists provide on-demand security solutions. By leveraging such services, organisations can ensure 24/7 threat hunting, detection and response capabilities through managed detection and response (MDR), which is a key feature of CSaaS. 

However, MDR is only a part of the solution. To fully benefit from CSaaS models, organisations need to have a detailed incident response plan in place. With the help of MDR and holistic response planning, organisations can build a complete security operation that protects them against ever-intensifying threats.

To achieve robust internal alignment and streamlined collaboration, here are five key steps to developing a thorough response plan: 

1) Stay agile

It is important to keep in mind that some components of incident response plans will require a flexible approach. Even with a solid plan in place, organisations need to be able to adapt to new threat evolutions and to modify their incident response plan accordingly.

2) Prioritise cross-team collaboration

All areas of an organisation are affected by a cyberattack. Therefore, it is important to ensure all teams – including finance, legal, marketing, PR and IT – are involved in the decision-making process and risk assessment.

3) Maintain good IT environment hygiene

A robust IT environment reduces the risk of incidents occurring. Hence, it is important to keep a regular check on security controls to help resolve unpatched vulnerabilities, such as open remote desktop protocol (RDP) ports.

4) Keep a hard copy of incident response plans

Ensure you have a physical copy of your incident response plan on hand. If a company is ever attacked, digital copies of the strategy may be among the files encrypted.

5) Leverage MDR specialists with incident response experience

Even the most experienced internal security team can benefit from an MDR operations team with extensive industry knowledge and experience dealing with active attacks. These service providers are well educated about the specific threats that are lurking and know how to respond quickly and efficiently.