How to Perform a Post-Incident Analysis

Oh no — another security incident has slipped through the cracks! But before you start pointing fingers, it’s important to make educated analyses through a proper post incident analysis.

What is Post-Incident Analysis?

Post-incident analysis, also known as a post-mortem analysis or an after-action review, is a systematic and structured approach to examining a security incident after it has occurred.

For a post incident analysis example, consider a company that experienced a data breach: they would investigate the incident’s causes, impacts, and the effectiveness of their response, ultimately leading to improved security measures.

The primary goal of post-incident analysis is to gain valuable insights that can be used to improve an organization’s overall security posture, incident response capabilities, and prevention strategies.

A well-executed post-incident analysis goes beyond simply identifying what went wrong. It:

• Delves deep into the how and why of the incident
• Uncovers systemic weaknesses
• Discovers procedural gaps
• Finds areas for improvement

It’s important to note that post-incident analysis is not about placing blame or punishing individuals. Instead, it’s an opportunity for collective learning and improvement.

Key Steps in Performing a Post-Incident Analysis

To ensure a thorough and effective post-incident analysis, it’s essential to follow a structured approach. Let’s break down the key steps involved in this process:

Prepare for the Analysis

This involves assembling the right team, gathering necessary resources, and setting clear objectives for the analysis. Start by identifying key stakeholders who should be involved in the process, including IT security personnel, affected department heads, and senior management representatives.

Next, establish a timeline for the analysis and define specific goals. These goals might include identifying the root cause of the incident, assessing the effectiveness of the incident response, and developing recommendations for future improvements. It’s also crucial to ensure that all team members understand their roles and responsibilities throughout the analysis process.

During this preparation phase, gather all relevant documentation related to the incident, including initial reports, logs, and any communication records. This information will serve as the foundation for your analysis and help ensure a comprehensive review of the incident.

Collect and Preserve Evidence

Once you’re prepared, the next critical step is to collect and preserve all relevant evidence related to the incident. This process should be meticulous and thorough to ensure that no crucial information is overlooked or lost.

Start by securing all affected systems and devices. This may involve creating forensic images of hard drives, capturing memory dumps, and preserving network logs. It’s essential to maintain the integrity of this evidence by following proper chain of custody procedures and documenting each step of the collection process.

Gather all available data sources, including system logs, security camera footage, access records, and any other relevant information. Don’t forget to collect non-technical evidence as well, such as witness statements or physical security records if applicable.

Remember that the goal is to create a comprehensive post incident analysis report, so be thorough in your evidence collection and documentation of findings.

Analyze the Incident Timeline

With all the evidence collected, it’s time to piece together a detailed timeline of the incident. This step involves reconstructing the sequence of events from the initial compromise to the discovery of the incident and the subsequent response.

Organize the collected data chronologically. Look for key events, such as the initial point of entry, any lateral movement within the network, data exfiltration attempts, and the activation of security controls. Pay close attention to any anomalies or unexpected activities that might provide clues about the attacker’s methods or motivations.

You can also use visual aids like timelines or flowcharts to help illustrate the sequence of events. This can make it easier to identify patterns, gaps in security controls, or points where the incident could have been detected or prevented earlier.

As you analyze the timeline, consider questions such as:

• How long did the attacker have access before being detected?
• What actions did they take during this time?
• How effective were existing security measures in detecting and responding to the incident?

Identify the Root Cause

This step involves digging deeper than just the immediate trigger of the incident to uncover the underlying factors that made the incident possible.

You can use the “5 Whys” method to probe beyond surface-level explanations.

For example, if a phishing email led to a data breach, ask why the email wasn’t caught by filters, why the user clicked on it, why they had access to sensitive data, and so on. This approach can help reveal systemic issues or vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.

Consider both technical and non-technical factors in your analysis. Was the incident caused by a software vulnerability, a misconfiguration, or human error? Were there gaps in security awareness training or unclear security policies that contributed to the incident?

Remember: there may be multiple contributing factors to an incident. The goal is to identify all of these factors so that comprehensive preventive measures can be developed.

Assess the Impact

After identifying the root cause, it’s important to assess the full impact of the incident on your organization. This assessment should cover both immediate and potential long-term consequences.

Start by quantifying the direct impacts, like data loss, system downtime, or financial costs related to the incident response. Then, consider the broader implications, which might include reputational damage, loss of customer trust, regulatory fines, or legal liabilities.

Assess the effectiveness of your incident response plan during the event and evaluate the impact on your employees and internal operations.

• Did it work as intended?
• Were there any gaps or areas where the response could have been more efficient or effective?
• Did the incident affect productivity?
• Are there any lingering concerns or increased stress levels among staff that need to be addressed?

Develop Remediation Strategies

The final step in the post-incident analysis process is to develop concrete strategies to address the issues identified and prevent similar incidents in the future. This is where all the insights gathered from the previous steps come together to create actionable plans for improvement.

Start by prioritizing the vulnerabilities and weaknesses uncovered during your analysis. Focus on addressing the root causes identified earlier, as these will likely have the most significant impact on preventing future incidents.

Develop specific, measurable, and time-bound recommendations for each identified issue. These might include technical solutions like patching vulnerabilities or implementing new security controls, as well as procedural changes such as updating security policies or enhancing employee training programs.

Best Practices for Effective Post-Incident Analysis

To maximize the value of your post-incident analysis, consider implementing these best practices:

Establish a Clear Incident Response Plan

Having a well-defined incident response plan in place before an incident occurs is crucial. This plan should outline the steps to be taken during and after an incident, including the post-incident analysis process. It should clearly define roles and responsibilities, communication protocols, and the criteria for initiating a post-incident analysis.

Foster a Blame-Free Culture

Create an environment where team members feel safe to share information openly and honestly during the post-incident analysis. Emphasize that the goal is learning and improvement, not finding someone to blame.

Sometimes, the most valuable insights come from unexpected sources or from looking at the incident from different angles.

Document Everything

Thorough documentation is crucial throughout the post-incident analysis process. Keep detailed records of all findings, decisions, and recommendations. This documentation will be invaluable for future reference and for demonstrating due diligence to auditors or regulators.

Implement a standardized post incident analysis form to ensure consistency in your documentation across different incidents and to streamline the analysis process.

This can also help streamline the analysis process and make it easier to compare incidents over time.

Involve the Right Stakeholders

Ensure that all relevant stakeholders are involved in the post-incident analysis process. This might include IT security personnel, affected business units, legal teams, and senior management.

Each stakeholder brings a unique perspective that can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the incident and its impacts. Their involvement also helps ensure buy-in for any recommended changes or improvements.

Use Automated Tools and Technologies

Leverage automated tools and technologies to support your post-incident analysis efforts. This might include security information and event management (SIEM) systems, log analysis tools, or specialized forensic software.

These tools can help you collect and analyze large volumes of data more efficiently, identify patterns or anomalies that might be missed by manual analysis, and generate detailed reports to support your findings.

Keep All Your Data Secure with Qohash!

While post-incident analysis is crucial for learning from security incidents, preventing them in the first place is even better.

Our advanced data security solutions provide comprehensive protection for your sensitive information, helping you identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

With Qohash, you can strengthen your overall security posture and reduce the likelihood of incidents occurring. Strengthen your data security posture and request a demo today!