INTRODUCTION – Incident Investigation and Response
This training is an excellent event for educating attendees on the processes of detection, investigation, analysis, and response regarding incidents. It takes learners through the intricacies of recognizing and addressing security incidents based on a carefully curated syllabus on entry and exit points in turnaround and goes along with accompanying skills that empower the learner to exercise good cybersecurity procedures. Aspects to be analyzed for participants would include suspicious file hashes and the importance of documentation and evidence collection throughout detection and response.
One topic that we will focus on is a form of art called “approximating the chronology of an incident through effective mapping of artifacts”, which can serve for improving one’s forensic capabilities while also providing at least some of the necessary skills for composing a very detailed timeline of incidents. By combining theoretical concepts with practical exercises, this course guarantees adequate preparation for participants to handle and respond to cybersecurity incidents in a professional environment.
Aim of learning:
- Carry out artifact investigations to analyze and verify security incidents, collecting pertinent evidence and deriving conclusions about the nature of the incident.
- Demonstrate best practices in documentation throughout the incident response lifecycle integrating accurate record-keeping, chain of custody, and reporting.
- Measure alerts with evidence and follow triaging procedures for prioritizing and categorizing incidents based on severity and impact.
- Identify containment, eradication, and recovery actions for any incident, specifically minimizing damage, resetting the future possibility of occurrence, and restoring normal operations.
- Include processes and procedures that are involved in post-incident phases, like lessons learned, reports, and so on.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: INCIDENT DETECTION AND VERIFICATION
1. Do detection tools have limitations in their detection capabilities?
- Yes (CORRECT)
- No
Detection tools have indeed been essential for real-time alerts and visibility into any potential security incident when applied in the cybersecurity framework. Still, detection tools have intrinsic limitations as they rely on defined rules or signatures; hence will not be able to cover new threats or highly sophisticated attacks. For example, they can dip into known patterns of malicious activity, but at the same time, they will miss new or zero-day attacks that do not fit any of the known signatures.
2. Why do security analysts refine alert rules? Select two answers.
- To reduce false positive alerts (CORRECT)
- To increase alert volumes
- To improve the accuracy of detection technologies (CORRECT)
- To create threat intelligence
The security analysts polish alerting rules to improve precision in detection technologies and minimize false positive alerts. These are the alterations that have been made to the rules to match what they are intended to detect.
3. Fill in the blank: _____ involves the investigation and validation of alerts.
- Analysis (CORRECT)
- Honeypot
- Detection
- Threat hunting
Analysis involves the investigation and validation of alerts.
4. What are some causes of high alert volumes? Select two answers.
- Refined detection rules
- Broad detection rules (CORRECT)
- Sophisticated evasion techniques
- Misconfigured alert settings (CORRECT)
Excessive alert volumes are caused by misconfigured alert settings and overly broad detection rules.
5. What actions do security analysts perform during the Detection and Analysis phase of the NIST Incident Response Lifecycle? Select two answers.
- Create incident response plans
- Validate security alerts (CORRECT)
- Investigate security alerts (CORRECT)
- Configure alert settings
Detection and analysis is part of the entire NIST Incident Response Lifecycle where a security analyst studies and verifies security alerts.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: RESPONSE AND RECOVERY
1. A security analyst in a security operations center (SOC) receives an alert. The alert ticket describes the detection of the download of a possible malware file on an employee’s computer. Which step of the triage process does this scenario describe?
- Add context
- Collect and analyze
- Receive and assess (CORRECT)
- Assign priority
In this scenario, it depicts the step of “Receive and Assess,” which is the first phase in the triage process. At this step, the alert gets received by a security analyst for an assessment of its validity.
2. What is triage?
- The ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptions
- The prioritizing of incidents according to their level of importance or urgency (CORRECT)
- A document that outlines the procedures to sustain business operations during and after a significant disruption
- The process of returning affected systems back to normal operations
By severity or urgency, triage refers to the act of prioritizing or matching incidents.
3. Fill in the blank: _____ is the act of limiting and preventing additional damage caused by an incident.
- Recovery
- Resilience
- Containment (CORRECT)
- Eradication
Containment refers to a type of damage control activity that seeks to minimize impacts before further damage can occur.
4. Which examples describe actions related to the eradication of an incident? Select two answers.
- Investigate logs to verify the incident
- Complete a vulnerability scan (CORRECT)
- Apply a patch (CORRECT)
- Develop a business continuity plan
Examples of eradication actions which eliminate threats from within a system, include performing a vulnerability scan and applying patches to the vulnerability.
5. What are the benefits of documentation? Select three answers.
- Standardization (CORRECT)
- Clarity (CORRECT)
- Transparency (CORRECT)
- Detection
The huge benefits of documentation are transparency, standardization, and clarity. Documentation refers to any form of recorded material meant for a specific purpose. Transparency gives some team members sufficient access to relevant information and hence promotes openness and communication.
6. What steps are included in the third phase of the NIST Incident Response Lifecycle? Select three answers.
- Eradication (CORRECT)
- Recovery (CORRECT)
- Containment (CORRECT)
- Triage
The third phase of the NIST Incident Response Lifecycle is the Containment, Eradication, and Recovery phases. In Containment, further sophistry is restricted, and the damage consequent of the incident is also mitigated.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: POST-INCIDENT ACTIONS
1. Which section of a final report contains a high-level overview of the security incident?
- Agenda
- Timeline
- Recommendations Executive summary (CORRECT)
The executive summary part of the final report needs to summarize the high-end security incidents-in terms of major concerns and consequences-as among the senior stakeholders.
2. What are the goals of a lessons learned meeting? Select two answers.
- Develop a final report
- Identify an employee to blame
- Review and reflect on a security incident (CORRECT)
- Identify areas of improvement (CORRECT)
It is from the lessons learned that these meetings will be items within which security teams may be able to reflect on and review an incident concerning actions taken within the security arena, but identifying what went well and what needs to increase effectiveness for future response improvement.
3. Fill in the blank: In the NIST Incident Response Lifecycle, reviewing an incident to identify areas for improvement during incident handling is known as the _____.
- Preparation phase
- Containment, Eradication and Recovery phase
- Detection and Analysis phase
- Post-incident activity phase (CORRECT)
It is in the Post-Incident Activity phase that the incident is reviewed to discover lessons learned in incident handling, according to the NIST Incident Response Life Cycle.
4. An organization has recovered from a ransomware attack that resulted in a significant disruption to their business operations. To review the incident, the security team hosts a lessons learned meeting. The team realizes that they could have restored the affected systems more quickly if they had a backup and recovery plan in place. Which question would have most likely helped the security team come to this conclusion?
- When did the incident happen?
- How was the incident detected?
- Who discovered the incident?
- What could have been done differently? (CORRECT)
Security teams can identify specific weaknesses in their incident response process when they evaluate what could have been done differently, such as investigating a lack of backup and recovery plans.
5. Which of the following activities do security teams perform during the Post-incident activity phase of the NIST Incident Response Lifecycle? Select two answers.
- Identify areas for improvement and learning. (CORRECT)
- Perform a vulnerability test.
- Create a final report. (CORRECT)
- Isolate affected systems.
Security teams finalize a report during the Post-Incident Activity phase of the NIST Incident Response Lifecycle and identify what might be improved or learned from the event.
MODULE 3 CHALLENGE
1. Which step of the NIST Incident Response Lifecycle involves the investigation and validation of alerts?
- Detection
- Recovery
- Discovery
- Analysis (CORRECT)
2. An organization is completing its annual compliance audit. The people performing the audit have access to any relevant information, including records and documents. Which documentation benefit does this scenario outline?
- Transparency (CORRECT)
- Accuracy
- Organization
- Consistency
3. An organization is working on implementing a new security tool, and a security analyst has been tasked with developing workflow documentation that outlines the process for using the tool. Which documentation benefit does this scenario outline?
- Quality
- Standardization (CORRECT)
- Transparency
- Clarity
4. A member of the forensics department of an organization receives a computer that requires examination. On which part of the chain of custody form should they sign their name and write the date?
- Custody log (CORRECT)
- Description of the evidence
- Purpose of transfer
- Evidence movement
5. Which statement best describes the functionality of automated playbooks?
- They use automation to execute tasks and response actions. (CORRECT)
- They require the combination of human intervention and automation to execute tasks.
- They require the use of human intervention to execute tasks.
- They use a combination of flowcharts and manual input to execute tasks and response actions.
6. What are the steps of the triage process in the correct order?
- Assign priority, receive and assess, collect and analyze
- Receive and assess, assign priority, collect and analyze (CORRECT)
- Receive and assess, collect and analyze, assign priority
- Collect and analyze, assign priority, receive and assess
7. What are the steps of the third phase of the NIST Incident Response Lifecycle? Select three answers.
- Containment (CORRECT)
- Response
- Eradication (CORRECT)
- Recovery (CORRECT)
8. Which step of the NIST Incident Response Lifecycle involves returning affected systems back to normal operations?
- Recovery (CORRECT)
- Response
- Eradication
- Containment
9. Two weeks after an incident involving ransomware, the members of an organization want to review the incident in detail. Which of the following actions should be done during this review? Select all that apply.
- Determine the person to blame for the incident.
- Create a final report. (CORRECT)
- Determine how to improve future response processes and procedures. (CORRECT)
- Schedule a lessons learned meeting that includes all parties involved with the security incident. (CORRECT)
10. What does a final report contain? Select three.
- Timeline (CORRECT)
- Recommendations (CORRECT)
- Incident details (CORRECT)
- Updates
11. In the NIST Incident Response Lifecycle, what is the term used to describe the prompt discovery of security events?
- Validation
- Preparation
- Detection (CORRECT)
- Investigation
12. Which of the following does a semi-automated playbook use? Select two.
- Threat intelligence
- Automation (CORRECT)
- Human intervention (CORRECT)
- Crowdsourcing
13. Fill in the blank: Eradication is the complete _____ of all the incident elements from affected systems.
- prevention
- disconnection
- removal (CORRECT)
- isolation
14. Chain of custody documents establish proof of which of the following? Select two answers.
- Quality
- Reliability (CORRECT)
- Integrity (CORRECT)
- Validation
15. After a security incident involving an exploited vulnerability due to outdated software, a security analyst applies patch updates. Which of the following steps does this task relate to?
- Prevention
- Response
- Eradication (CORRECT)
- Reimaging
16. Fill in the blank: A lessons learned meeting should be held within ____ weeks of an incident.
- two (CORRECT)
- three
- four
- five
17. Which documentation provides a comprehensive review of an incident?
- Lessons learned meeting
- Timeline
- Final report (CORRECT)
- New technology
18. What are the benefits of documentation during incident response? Select three answers.
- Quality
- Standardization (CORRECT)
- Transparency (CORRECT)
- Clarity (CORRECT)
19. Fill in the blank: Inconsistencies in the collection and logging of evidence cause a _____ chain of custody.
- broken (CORRECT)
- missing
- secure
- forensic
20. Fill in the blank: Containment is the act of limiting and _____ additional damage caused by an incident.
- preventing (CORRECT)
- eradicating
- removing
- detecting
21. What questions can be asked during a lessons learned meeting? Select three answers.
- What time did the incident happen? (CORRECT)
- What were the actions taken for recovery? (CORRECT)
- What could have been done differently? (CORRECT)
- Which employee is to blame?
22. What are examples of how transparent documentation can be useful? Select all that apply.
- Demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements (CORRECT)
- Providing evidence for legal proceedings (CORRECT)
- Meeting cybersecurity insurance requirements (CORRECT)
- Defining an organization’s security posture
23. During a lessons learned meeting following an incident, a meeting participant wants to identify actions that the organization can take to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Which section of the final report should they refer to for this information?
- Detection
- Recommendations (CORRECT)
- Timeline
- Executive summary
CONCLUSION – Incident Investigation and Response
This unit features complete and in-depth travel within the cybersecurity community, from primary concepts and advanced practices to scene settings of real-world application. It ensures that well-rounded participants develop an understanding of incident detection and response.
The course would furnish students with a blend of theory and practice, thus allowing them to develop practical skills for a working life in the volatile domain of cybersecurity. Students learn to master the steps required to detect incidents, conduct an investigation, and analyze data.
An extensive emphasis on analyzing artifacts, writing documentation, and preserving evidence makes for a solid forensic foundation building up to a generalist’s eye view. This is a fine example of maintaining excellence in cybersecurity to ready its participants to tackle industry challenges with skill and assuredness. It is a well-laid basis for those who wish to make a difference in incident detection and response.