Incident Response

At Checkdone IT, we believe that the true measure of cybersecurity strength is not in preventing every incident – but in how quickly and effectively you respond when things go wrong. Strong Incident Response (IR) capabilities ensure that you can identify, contain and recover from cyber threats with minimal impact on operations, reputation and trust.

Cyber incidents can range from phishing attacks and malware infections to unauthorised access, insider threats or large-scale breaches. Whatever the source, your goal should be the same: respond quickly, contain the risk, and learn from it to improve future resilience.

Structured and Proactive

An IR approach is based on a structured six-phase response model that ensures consistency, accountability and clarity throughout the incident lifecycle:

1. Preparation – Building playbooks, assigning roles, and ensuring tools, training and communication channels are ready

2. Detection and Analysis – Rapid identification of suspicious activities through monitoring systems, threat intelligence and user reports

3. Containment – Isolating affected systems to limit damage while maintaining continuity

4. Eradication – Removing malicious components and identifying the root cause

5. Recovery – Restoring systems and verifying integrity

6. Lessons Learned – Conducting a detailed review and updating processes and defences

Tools, Forms and Collaboration

An IR policy should include processes for maintaining a centralised incident register where each event is logged with full context: source, impact, actions taken, timeline and resolution. A standard set of documentation should be produced for each incident:

• Incident Intake Form

• Containment and Eradication Checklist

• Post-Incident Review Template

• Evidence Handling Record

As a process step, you could require that all forms are completed by the response team and reviewed during weekly SOC (Security Operations Centre) briefings.

A broader governance and risk framework should also be integrated into your IR process. High impact incidents are escalated and linked to relevant risk entries in your Enterprise Risk Register, ensuring that incident trends inform strategic decisions.

Automation and Intelligence

Where possible, use automation to reduce detection and response time. This is where SOAR comes in. Alerts from SIEM, EDR, XDR and other security platforms are automatically correlated and triaged using pre-defined rules. Incidents requiring human analysis are prioritised based on severity and business impact.

Building Resilience

Incident response isn’t just about cleaning up after an attack – it’s about building a culture of preparedness. Regular tabletop exercises, red team simulations and cross-departmental workshops help you test your playbooks and improve coordination under pressure.

Ready When It Matters Most

Cyber incidents are not a matter of ‘if’ – they are a matter of ‘when’. That’s why incident response is a core capability, not a reactive measure. Through disciplined planning, structured execution and continuous improvement, you can ensure that when incidents do occur, your team is ready – and so is your business.