What is the goal of a security incident response plan?

The goal of a security incident response plan is fundamentally to minimize the impact and recovery time from a security breach. This plan outlines the procedures that an organization should follow when responding to a security incident, aiming to effectively manage and mitigate the effects of such events on the organization’s operations, assets, and reputation.

By focusing on quick and efficient response, the plan helps contain incidents, ensures that necessary actions are taken to remediate vulnerabilities, and facilitates a structured recovery process to restore normal operations as swiftly as possible. This includes identifying the nature of the incident, assessing damage, implementing containment strategies, and communicating internally and externally as appropriate.

In contrast, reporting incidents to the press could be a part of public relations management but is not a primary goal of the response plan itself. Identifying personnel involved in incidents might be an element of investigation, but it does not directly address the overarching goal of minimizing impact and recovery time. Allocating additional funds for security measures is a strategic decision that may arise as a consequence of incidents, but it is not a goal of the incident response plan per se.