Critical Elements of an Effective Incident Report

An incident reportdocuments security breaches, outlines response actions, and provides prevention strategies.

✅1. Timeline of Events (A)

Provides achronological sequenceof the incident.

Helps analystsreconstruct attacksand understand attack vectors.

Example:

08:30 AM– Suspicious login detected.

08:45 AM– SOC investigation begins.

09:10 AM– Endpoint isolated.

✅2. Steps Taken to Resolve the Issue (C)

Documentscontainment, eradication, and recovery efforts.

Ensures teamsfollow response procedures correctly.

Example:

Blocked malicious IPs, revoked compromised credentials, and restored affected systems.

✅3. Recommendations for Future Prevention (E)

Suggestssecurity improvementsto prevent future attacks.

Example:

Enhance SIEM correlation rules, enforce multi-factor authentication, or update firewall rules.

❌Incorrect Answers:

B. Financial implications of the incident→ Important for executives,not crucial for an incident report.

D. Names of all employees involved→ Avoidsexposing individualsand focuses on security processes.

????Additional Resources:

Splunk Incident Response Documentation

NIST Computer Security Incident Handling Guide