Best Practices for Implementing CMMC Control Family IR: Incident Response
As a cybersecurity firm, TechAxia understands the importance of being prepared for any security incident that may affect your organization. Whether you are a contractor for the Department of Defense (DoD) or not, having an effective incident response plan and capability is essential to protect your data, assets, and reputation.
However, if you are a DoD contractor, you also need to comply with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework, which sets the standards for protecting federal contract information (FCI) and controlled unclassified information (CUI). CMMC 2.0, which was released in November 2021, has three levels of certification, each with a set of practices and processes that organizations must implement and demonstrate.
One of the CMMC control families that applies to all three levels is IR: Incident Response. This family covers the practices and processes related to preparing for, detecting, analyzing, containing, eradicating, recovering from, and reporting on security incidents. In this blog post, we will discuss the best practices for implementing CMMC Control Family IR, and how Microsoft GCC High products can help you achieve compliance and enhance your incident response capability.
What are the CMMC Control Family IR Practices?
The CMMC Control Family IR consists of 14 practices across the three levels of certification. The practices are based on the NIST SP 800-171 and SP 800-172 standards, which provide guidance for protecting CUI in nonfederal systems and organizations. Here is a summary of the IR practices for each level:
Level 1: Basic Cyber Hygiene
IR.1.001: Establish an operational incident-handling capability for organizational systems that includes adequate preparation, detection, analysis, containment, recovery, and user response activities.
IR.1.002: Track, document, and report incidents to designated officials and/or authorities both internal and external to the organization.
Level 2: Intermediate Cyber Hygiene
IR.2.003: Test the organizational incident response capability.
IR.2.004: Develop and implement responses to declared incidents according to pre-defined procedures.
IR.2.005: Analyze incidents to ensure effective response and support recovery activities.
IR.2.006: Perform root cause analysis on incidents to determine underlying causes.
IR.2.007: Collect evidence (e.g., logs, records) and document impact of incidents.
IR.2.008: Identify potential precursors or indicators of incidents.
IR.2.009: Share information on incidents with stakeholders as appropriate.
Level 3: Good Cyber Hygiene
IR.3.010: Establish an incident response team that includes roles and responsibilities.
IR.3.011: Coordinate with stakeholders on incident response activities.
IR.3.012: Incorporate lessons learned from ongoing incident response activities into incident response procedures.
IR.3.013: Employ automated mechanisms to support the incident response process.
IR.3.014: Conduct periodic incident scenario exercises for personnel associated with incident response roles or responsibilities.Develop a comprehensive Incident Response Plan (IRP)
An Incident Response Plan serves as a roadmap for handling security incidents. It should outline the roles and responsibilities of the IR team members, establish communication protocols, and detail the steps necessary for responding to different types of incidents. Regularly updating and testing your IRP will help ensure that your organization can respond effectively to any security breach.
Establish an Incident Response Team
A dedicated Incident Response Team, consisting of individuals from different departments, is essential for effective incident management. This team should include representatives from IT, legal, HR, public relations, and other relevant departments. Providing regular training to the team members will keep their skills up-to-date and ensure they are prepared for any incident.
Implement Microsoft GCC High Products
Microsoft GCC High products, such as Azure Sentinel and Microsoft 365 Defender, offer valuable tools and resources for managing security incidents. These solutions can assist organizations in achieving CMMC compliance and improving their overall incident response capabilities.
Azure Sentinel is a cloud-native Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) solution. By leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning, Azure Sentinel can help organizations detect, investigate, and respond to security threats more effectively. Some of its benefits include:
• Centralized visibility and monitoring across your entire organization
• Advanced threat detection using analytics and threat intelligence
• Streamlined incident management with automated response capabilities
• Integration with other Microsoft security products for a unified security experience
Microsoft 365 Defender is a comprehensive suite of security solutions that protect organizations from threats across their Microsoft 365 services. Key features include:
• Threat protection for endpoints, email, and collaboration tools
• Advanced threat analytics and hunting capabilities
• Automated investigation and response capabilities
• Integration with Azure Sentinel for a unified security experience
5. Continuously monitor and improve your IR strategy
Incident response is not a one-time effort but an ongoing process. Regularly reviewing and updating your IR strategy will help ensure its effectiveness. This includes assessing your organization's risk profile, analyzing past incidents, incorporating lessons learned, and staying current with the latest threat intelligence and best practices.
Implementing CMMC Control Family IR requires a comprehensive approach to incident response, involving both people and technology. Microsoft GCC High products, such as Azure Sentinel and Microsoft 365 Defender, provide valuable tools and resources for organizations to strengthen their IR capabilities and achieve CMMC compliance. By following best practices and continuously improving your IR strategy, you can better protect your organization from the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.