Communication and Coordination During Incident Response

Lesson 22/35 | Study Time: 15 Min

Course: ISO 27035 Information Security Incident Manager Course

Effective communication and coordination form the backbone of successful incident response.

When an incident occurs, the ability to disseminate accurate and timely information to relevant stakeholders—internal teams, management, external partners, customers, and regulatory bodies—is essential for minimizing damage and restoring normal operations.

Clear communication fosters collaboration, enhances situational awareness, and ensures roles and responsibilities are aligned throughout the incident lifecycle.

Aspects of Communication During Incident Response

The following aspects outline key practices for managing information flow and stakeholder engagement throughout the response process.

1. Assign a Communications Lead: Designate a single point of contact responsible for managing and controlling all incident communications. This role ensures consistent messaging and prevents conflicting information.

2. Establish Communication Channels: Determine and prepare channels for internal and external communication before an incident occurs. Common tools include dedicated status pages, email notifications, workplace chat platforms like Slack or Teams, phone trees, and social media updates.

3. Timely and Clear Messaging: Provide updates early and regularly to avoid misinformation and speculation. Messages should be clear, concise, and tailored to the audience’s level of understanding—technical details for IT teams and simplified summaries for executives or customers.

4. Stakeholder Identification: Understand who needs to be informed at different stages of the incident, including operational teams, senior management, legal, PR, vendors, and customers. Communication plans should specify the information needs and frequency for each group.

5. Maintain Controlled Information Flow: Balance transparency with confidentiality by controlling the release of sensitive information to prevent inadvertent exposure or legal issues.

6. Use Pre-Prepared Templates: Develop and maintain communication templates for incident notification, updates, and resolution messages. Templates speed up communication and ensure consistency.

7. Feedback and Coordination: Enable two-way communication to allow stakeholders to ask questions, report observations, and provide input. This feedback loop enhances response effectiveness and trust.

8. Documentation: Record all communications, decisions, and actions taken for accountability, post-incident analysis, and compliance reporting.

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Scott Hamilton

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Profile

Class Sessions

1- Definition and Significance of Information Security Incidents 2- Types of Security Incidents and Threat Landscape Overview 3- Incident Management Objectives and Benefits 4- Overview of Relevant Standards: ISO/IEC 27035 and Alignment with ISO/IEC 27001 5- Roles and Responsibilities of an Information Security Incident Manager 6- Incident Management Lifecycle Phases 7- Developing and Implementing Incident Management Policies and Procedures 8- Establishing Governance and Organizational Support 9- Incident Classification and Prioritization Techniques 10- Stakeholder Identification and Communication Planning 11- Building an Incident Response Team and Defining Roles 12- Tools, Technologies, and Resources for Incident Management 13- Incident Readiness: Training, Awareness, and Simulation Exercises 14- Establishing Incident Detection and Reporting Mechanisms 15- Coordination with External Entities (Law Enforcement, Vendors, CERTs) 16- Methods and Technologies for Incident Detection and Monitoring (SIEM, IDS/IPS, Logs) 17- Incident Validation and Initial Assessment Techniques 18- Root Cause Analysis and Forensic Considerations 19- Documentation and Evidence Handling Procedures 20- Escalation Processes and Decision Making 21- Strategies for Incident Containment and Mitigation 22- Communication and Coordination During Incident Response 23- Managing Resources and Response Teams Effectively 24- Handling Multiple Concurrent Incidents 25- Documentation and Tracking of Response Actions 26- Eradication Techniques and Removal of Threats 27- System Restoration, Recovery Planning, and Business Continuity Considerations 28- Post-Incident Review and Lessons Learned Workshops 29- Reporting and Compliance Obligations 30- Continuous Improvement and Updating Incident Management Policies 31- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Incident Management Programs 32- Incident Trend Analysis and Reporting Techniques 33- Internal and External Reporting Requirements 34- Conducting Audits and Maturity Assessments 35- Lessons Learned Integration and Feedback Loops to Improve Processes

Communication and Coordination During Incident Response

Scott Hamilton

Class Sessions

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