Part 3 of a series

In today’s threat landscape, cyber incidents are no longer a question of “if” but “when.” Businesses of all sizes must be prepared to detect, respond to, and recover from cyber attacks to minimise damage and ensure business continuity. A Cyber Incident Response Plan (CIRP) is a structured approach to handling cyber security threats effectively, reducing downtime, and mitigating financial and reputational losses.

At Frame Secure, we specialise in helping organisations build and refine their Cyber Incident Response Plans, ensuring they are practical, actionable, and aligned with real-world threats. Our expertise spans industry-leading frameworks, proactive threat hunting, and incident response readiness, giving businesses the confidence to respond decisively when an attack occurs.

A well-crafted CIRP provides a clear roadmap for organisations to follow when responding to security incidents. Without a plan in place, businesses risk chaos, regulatory penalties, and prolonged recovery times. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to build an effective Cyber Incident Response Plan aligned with industry best practices, including frameworks like the ACSC’s Essential Eight, the NIST CSF, and MITRE ATT&CK.

Understanding Cyber Incidents

A cyber incident is any event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an organisation’s digital assets. Some common types of incidents include:

    • Ransomware Attacks – Malicious software encrypts data, demanding payment for decryption.
    • Data Breaches – Unauthorised access to sensitive information, leading to data leaks.
    • Business Email Compromise (BEC) – Attackers impersonate executives to defraud organisations.
    • DDoS Attacks – Overloading networks to disrupt business operations.
    • Insider Threats – Employees or contractors misusing access to harm the organisation.

Each of these threats requires a tailored response strategy, reinforcing the importance of a structured incident response plan.

Key Components of a Cyber Incident Response Plan

A strong CIRP is built on a phased approach to managing incidents. Following industry best practices, your plan should include five core phases:

1. Preparation

Before an incident occurs, organisations must ensure they are ready to detect, respond, and recover efficiently. This includes:

    • Assembling an Incident Response Team (IRT) – Clearly define roles and responsibilities for security personnel, IT teams, legal representatives, and executive leadership.
    • Conducting a Crown Jewels Analysis – Identify and prioritise critical assets that need the highest level of protection.
    • Implementing Security Controls – Strengthen defences with multi-factor authentication (MFA), endpoint protection, vulnerability management, and data encryption.
    • Developing Incident Categories – Classify incidents based on severity (e.g., minor security alerts vs. major breaches requiring external notification).
    • Legal and Compliance Considerations – Understand reporting obligations under laws like the Australian Privacy Act 1988, which mandates data breach notifications.
2. Detection & Analysis

Once an attack occurs, rapid detection and analysis are crucial for limiting damage. Organisations should:

    • Monitor Networks & Systems – Use SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tools, threat intelligence feeds, and endpoint detection to flag suspicious activities.
    • Analyse Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) – Look for anomalies such as unauthorised logins, unusual data transfers, or unexpected system changes.
    • Gather Forensic Evidence – Preserve logs, affected files, and system snapshots to aid in investigation and regulatory compliance.

A good practice is to align detection strategies with the MITRE ATT&CK framework, which provides a comprehensive tactic-based approach to identifying attacker behaviours.

3. Containment & Eradication

After detecting a cyber incident, immediate containment is necessary to prevent further damage. Steps include:

    • Isolating Infected Systems – Disconnect compromised devices from the network.
    • Blocking Malicious IPs – Implement firewall rules to prevent further unauthorised access.
    • Revoking Compromised Credentials – Reset passwords and enable MFA for affected accounts.

For ransomware attacks, containment also involves identifying the infection source, removing unauthorised access, and restoring affected data from backups. It may also be necessary to engage the services of an entity that specialises in recovering from ransomware attacks, as it is possible that your organisation’s backups have also been compromised.

4. Recovery

Once the threat has been removed, the focus shifts to restoring normal business operations:

    • Restoring Data from Backups – Ensure clean, uncompromised copies of critical data are used.
    • Testing Systems Before Going Live – Validate integrity before resuming operations.
    • Enhancing Security Controls – Strengthen policies and infrastructure to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A well-executed recovery phase minimises downtime and prevents repeat attacks, ensuring business resilience.

5. Post-Incident Review & Continuous Improvement

Every incident presents a learning opportunity. Organisations should:

    • Conduct a Post-Mortem Analysis – Document what happened, how the response was handled, and areas for improvement.
    • Refine Policies & Procedures – Update security controls based on incident findings.
    • Train Employees – Educate staff on new threats and reinforce cyber security best practices.

A continuous improvement approach ensures that your CIRP evolves with emerging threats.

Creating an Incident Response Playbook

An Incident Response Playbook is a set of predefined, step-by-step response guides for different types of cyber incidents. Each playbook should include:

    1. Incident Type & Severity Level – Minor security alerts vs. full-scale breaches.
    2. Escalation Procedures – When to involve executives, legal teams, or external cyber security firms.
    3. Communication Plan – Internal alerts for employees, customer notifications, and legal reporting requirements.
    4. Technical Response Steps – Specific containment, eradication, and recovery actions.
    5. Regulatory Compliance Guidelines – Necessary legal reporting steps (e.g., Notifiable Data Breach Scheme in Australia).

Having a well-defined playbook ensures faster response times and reduces human error in crisis situations.

Compliance & Legal Considerations

Failing to respond to cyber incidents properly can result in hefty regulatory fines. Organisations should be aware of:

    • Privacy Act 1988 – Requires businesses to notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and affected individuals of data breaches.
    • Cyber Insurance Considerations – Ensure policies cover incident response costs, legal fees, and reputational damage.
    • Cooperation with Law Enforcement – Engage authorities like the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) for major security breaches.

By embedding legal and compliance steps into the CIRP, organisations can mitigate financial risks and reputational harm.

Testing & Refining the CIRP

A CIRP is only effective if tested regularly. Key strategies include:

    • Tabletop Exercises – Simulate incident scenarios for the response team.
    • Red Team Drills – Ethical hackers attempt to breach systems to test response capabilities.
    • Live Incident Simulations – Conduct mock ransomware or data breach attacks to assess response readiness.

Regularly updating the CIRP based on testing outcomes ensures that teams remain proactive rather than reactive.

Building a Cyber-Resilient Culture

Even the most comprehensive CIRP will fail without proper cyber security culture. Organisations must:

    • Train Employees Regularly – Conduct phishing simulations and security awareness workshops.
    • Encourage Incident Reporting – Foster a blame-free environment where employees report suspicious activities without fear.
    • Gain Leadership Buy-In – Cyber security must be a business priority, not just an IT concern.

A well-informed workforce is the first line of defence against cyber threats.

Conclusion

Cyber Incident Response Plan is a non-negotiable necessity in today’s digital environment. By preparing, detecting, containing, recovering, and learning from incidents, businesses can limit damage, maintain regulatory compliance, and build resilience against evolving cyber threats.

At Frame Secure, we bring deep expertise in cybersecurity strategy and incident response, helping organisations build robust, actionable plans that align with best-practice frameworks and real-world threats.

The Essential Eight, NIST, and MITRE ATT&CK frameworks provide an excellent foundation, but ultimately, a strong security culture and proactive testing are key to long-term cyber resilience.

Cyber threats will continue to evolve—will your organisation be ready to respond?