[1]
Incident Response Playbook: Phishing Attack
Objective: To effectively respond to and mitigate the impact of a phishing attack on our organization.
1. Detection
Key Actions:
- Monitoring: Utilize email filtering solutions to monitor for potential phishing emails. Look for
suspicious sender addresses, unusual links, and unexpected attachments.
- User Reports: Encourage employees to report suspicious emails promptly. Create an easy reporting
process.
- Threat Intelligence: Leverage threat intelligence feeds to stay updated on known phishing campaigns
targeting similar organizations.
Indicators of Compromise (IoCs):
- Unexpected emails requesting sensitive information.
- Emails containing urgent language or threats.
- Unusual sender domains that mimic legitimate sources.
2. Containment
Immediate Steps:
- Isolate Affected Accounts: Disable the accounts of users who clicked on the phishing link or provided
sensitive information.
- Block Malicious URLs: Update email filters and firewalls to block the identified malicious URLs.
- Notify IT Security Team: Inform the incident response team to initiate further investigation and support
for affected users.
Communication:
- Send an organization-wide alert about the phishing attempt, including guidance on how to recognize
such emails and the steps to take if they suspect they’ve been targeted.
3. Eradication
Actions to Remove Threat:
- Analyze Compromised Accounts: Conduct a forensic analysis of affected accounts to determine the
extent of the breach.
- Reset Passwords: Require affected users to reset their passwords and enable multi-factor
authentication (MFA) to enhance security.
- Remove Malware: If malware was involved, perform scans and removal on affected devices.
Documentation:
- Maintain detailed records of the attack, including the phishing email, user responses, and any actions
taken. This will help in refining future defenses.
4. Recovery
Restoration Steps:
- Restore Accounts: After ensuring security measures are in place, restore affected accounts and
monitor them closely for unusual activity.
- User Training: Conduct a training session for employees to raise awareness about phishing and
reinforce security best practices.
- Review and Update Policies: Evaluate existing security policies and procedures, and update them based
on lessons learned from the incident.
5. Post-Incident Review
Key Components:
- Debriefing: Hold a meeting with the incident response team to discuss what worked well and what
could be improved.
- Report Generation: Create a report summarizing the incident, actions taken, and recommendations for
future prevention.
- Continuous Improvement: Implement ongoing training and simulations to keep employees informed
about evolving phishing tactics.
Conclusion
By following this playbook, our organization can effectively respond to phishing attacks, minimize
damage, and strengthen our overall security posture. Remember, a proactive approach to security
awareness and incident response is key to protecting our data and resources.
[2]
Simulated Security Incident Response: Phishing Attack
Environment: Virtual Machine (VM) Setup in a Cloud Environment
Incident Overview
In this simulation, I encountered a phishing email that led to a compromised user account within a virtual
environment. The objective was to detect the phishing attempt, contain the incident, eradicate the threat,
and recover systems while documenting each step.
Step 1: Detection
Tools Used:
- Email Filtering Solution: I set up a cloud-based email filtering tool to monitor incoming emails for
potential phishing attempts.
- User Reports: Encouraged my virtual team to report any suspicious emails. One user flagged an email
that appeared to be from our HR department, requesting personal information.
Actions Taken:
- I analyzed the reported email and identified several red flags, including a suspicious sender address and
urgent language.
- Checked our email filtering logs, which confirmed that this email had bypassed the initial filters.
Step 2: Containment
Actions Taken:
- Isolated the Affected Account: I immediately disabled the user account that had engaged with the
phishing email to prevent further compromise.
- Blocked Malicious URLs: I accessed our firewall settings to block the identified URL associated with the
phishing email.
- Informed the IT Security Team: I escalated the incident to the IT security team for further investigation.
Tools Used:
- Firewall Management Console: Used this to block the malicious domain.
- Incident Tracking System: Documented the incident and the steps taken for record-keeping and analysis.
Step 3: Eradication
Actions Taken:
- Conducted a forensic analysis of the affected account to understand the extent of the breach.
- I reset the user’s password and enforced multi-factor authentication (MFA) to bolster security.
- Scanned the user's device using an antivirus tool to check for any installed malware or additional threats.
Tools Used:
- Forensic Analysis Software: Utilized to inspect account activity and identify any unauthorized access.
- Antivirus Software: Performed a full system scan on the user’s device.
Step 4: Recovery
Actions Taken:
- Restored the affected user account with the new password and MFA enabled.
- Conducted a training session for all users to highlight the signs of phishing emails and reinforce the
importance of security awareness.
- Reviewed and updated our incident response plan based on this simulation.
Tools Used:
- Training Platform: Delivered an interactive session to engage users in recognizing phishing threats.
- Document Management System: Updated our incident response documentation and training materials.
Reflection
This simulation was incredibly informative. While I successfully detected and responded to the phishing
incident, there were areas for improvement:
1. Proactive Monitoring: Implementing more stringent email filters from the outset could have prevented
the phishing email from reaching users.
2. User Training: Conducting regular phishing awareness training prior to the incident might have
empowered users to identify the threat more quickly.
3. Incident Response Plan: Having a more detailed incident response plan with clear roles for team
members could streamline the response process in real incidents.
Overall, the simulation highlighted the importance of being prepared and the need for continuous
improvement in our security posture. Regular training and updates to our policies are essential in adapting
to the evolving threat landscape.
