In the world of sports, playbooks provide teams with plans of action. The same principle applies to cybersecurity. While companies can’t predict when or how attacks may occur, having an up-to-date security playbook, also known as an incident response plan, helps IT teams implement a targeted response that minimizes overall risk.
Surprisingly, many companies don’t have a comprehensive security playbook. Instead, they opt for isolated responses that may provide short-term relief but fail to effectively address the root causes. According to a recent study, more than a third of midsized companies (36 percent) don’t have a formal incident response plan. Additionally, while most companies back up their data, over half (58 percent) don’t test their backups daily.
Let’s take a closer look at what companies should include in their playbooks, how to keep them up to date, and the importance of having a playbook in place before a security incident occurs.
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What to Include in a Cybersecurity Playbook
Recent data shows that more than 72 percent of global firms have fallen victim to ransomware attacks in the past year. These attacks often start with spam emails and malicious links that compromise staff accounts.
Therefore, companies can’t afford to create security responses on the fly. Instead, they need security playbooks that provide details about common threats and effective response tactics.
When an attacker strikes, a well-written security playbook includes details on:
- Responsibilities: Clearly defining which staff members handle specific tasks, such as pinpointing attack vectors, identifying compromise points, and isolating key systems.
- Contact chain: Establishing a callout chain that is regularly updated to ensure the right people are contacted immediately when an attack occurs.
- Backup plans: Including contingency plans in case a key person is unavailable due to illness, vacation, or leaving the company.
- Handling specific incidents: Describing how to handle specific incidents like stolen credentials, ransomware attacks, or compromised endpoints, including detection, identification, and remediation.
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How to Keep Your Cybersecurity Playbook Current
Just as threat actors constantly evolve their tactics, incident response plans must be adaptable. For example, cyber attackers recently used a fake Windows update to infect and compromise business and government devices. Security playbooks need to address these new challenges.
Ideally, playbooks should be reviewed quarterly and updated annually to ensure they still address potential threats. Companies should also conduct simulated attacks regularly to test the effectiveness of their playbooks.
Playbooks aren’t just for incident detection and response. Cybersecurity insurers may require companies to provide their playbooks before offering coverage. It’s also crucial for companies to update their response plans when adopting new technologies. For instance, deploying public cloud services for customer-facing applications introduces new connections and attack surfaces, necessitating playbook updates.
72%
The percentage of global firms that have been targeted by ransomware in the past year.
Source: Statista, Cyber Crime and Security Report, 2023