What is a common step in the incident response process following a breach?

The identification of affected systems is a fundamental step in the incident response process following a breach. This phase involves pinpointing which systems or components within the organization’s infrastructure have been compromised or impacted by the security incident. Accurately identifying the affected systems is critical because it allows the incident response team to understand the scope of the breach, assess the potential risk and impact, and formulate an appropriate response strategy.

This step is essential for gathering evidence and understanding how the breach occurred, which can inform both remediation efforts and future prevention measures. By determining which systems are affected, organizations can better prioritize their response and recovery efforts, ensuring that critical assets are secured and that the breach does not spread further.

Other steps, although important, come at different stages of the incident response process. For example, restoring normal operations often occurs after the immediate response and containment of the incident. Communication with the public is handled later in the process, typically when it’s clear what has been compromised and how to inform stakeholders. Implementing detective controls is a proactive measure rather than a reactive step following a breach.