Incident Response and Forensics for Networks
Incident Response and Forensics for Networks Networks face a range of threats, from ransomware to misconfigurations. A clear plan helps security teams detect incidents early, limit damage, and learn how to prevent repeats. This article covers practical steps for network-focused incident response and forensics. What to prepare An up-to-date incident response playbook with roles and contacts Centralized logging and reliable time sources A secure forensics workspace and a policy for evidence handling Defined decision points for containment, remediation, and restoration Baseline diagrams and an updated asset inventory Incident workflow Detect and triage: verify alerts, assess scope and impact Contain: isolate affected segments to stop spread Eradicate: remove the root cause and fix misconfigurations Recover: restore services with tested changes and validated data Learn: update controls and share lessons Evidence and forensics basics In networks, evidence comes from logs (firewalls, routers, servers), packet captures, NetFlow, and configurations. Preserve chain of custody: record who accessed data, when, and why. Work on copies, keep originals secure, and document every step. Use write-blockers or approved imaging methods for disk data. ...