What is a primary objective of incident response planning?

A primary objective of incident response planning is to prepare an organization to respond effectively to a cybersecurity incident. This involves developing a structured approach that ensures all stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities during an incident. The planning process includes establishing communication protocols, identifying critical assets, and determining the necessary resources and actions to contain, mitigate, and recover from a cybersecurity event.

Effective incident response planning does not focus on preventing all incidents, as this is often unrealistic due to the evolving nature of cyber threats. Instead, it acknowledges that incidents may occur and aims to minimize their impact and swiftly restore normal operations. While training employees and addressing user errors are important, these are components of a broader security strategy rather than the primary focus of incident response planning itself. The ultimate goal is to enhance the organization's resilience and ability to handle incidents efficiently.