Incident Response & Digital Forensics

On_Demand_IR

  • May 9, 2025
  • 0

Sherlocked Security – On-Demand Incident Response (IR) Engagement

Rapid, Scalable, and Tailored Response for Cybersecurity Emergencies

1. Statement of Work (SOW)

Service Name: On-Demand Incident Response Engagement
Client Type: SaaS, FinTech, Enterprises, Cloud-Native Platforms, Startups
Service Model: Pay-as-you-go, Ad-hoc Support with 24/7 Availability
Compliance Alignment: NIST 800-61, ISO/IEC 27035, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA

Incident Coverage Includes:

  • Web & API Attacks (Injection, IDOR, Token Abuse)
  • Malware and Ransomware Incidents
  • Insider Threats & Credential Leaks
  • Cloud Account Takeover & Misuse
  • Phishing & Social Engineering Response
  • Data Breach Triage and Forensics

2. Our Approach

[Preparation] → [Detection & Analysis] → [Containment] → [Eradication] → [Recovery] → [Post-Incident Review] → [Playbook Tuning]

3. Methodology

  • Pre-Incident: Risk assessments, threat modeling, and playbook development for your specific needs.
  • Incident Detection: Immediate detection via SIEM integration, EDR alerts, and threat intelligence enrichment.
  • Incident Triage: Prioritize and assess the impact of the event based on severity thresholds.
  • Forensics: Detailed artifact collection, log, memory, and disk analysis to understand the root cause.
  • Containment: Rapid isolation of affected systems, blocking of Indicators of Compromise (IOCs), and access revocation.
  • Recovery: System restoration, patch management, and rehardening strategies to prevent future compromise.
  • Reporting & Retrospective: Detailed incident report, post-mortem analysis, and lessons learned to optimize your response plan.

4. Deliverables to the Client

  1. Custom IR Playbook aligned with your organization’s infrastructure and workflows.
  2. Incident Report with full root cause analysis, timeline, and regulatory notifications (if needed).
  3. IOC List shared with detection systems to enhance future defense.
  4. Quarterly Tabletop Simulations to test and refine your IR plan.
  5. Forensic Evidence including chain of custody and detailed timelines.
  6. Incident Communications Templates for PR, Legal, and Stakeholders.
  7. Regulatory Notification Support to ensure compliance (optional).
  8. Recovery Plan Recommendations including system hardening and patching guidance.
  9. Lessons Learned Report and updated IR playbook based on the incident.

5. What We Need from You (Client Requirements)

  • Designated Points of Contact (Security, Legal, DevOps).
  • API Access to Security Logs (SIEM, EDR, Cloud logs).
  • Escalation Matrix and communication protocols for internal teams.
  • Defined Incident Severity Matrix and notification thresholds for fast decision-making.
  • Secure Communication Channels for internal and external coordination (Signal, ProtonMail, etc.).
  • Quarterly Validation of access and IR plan review.

6. Tools & Technology Stack

  • Velociraptor, GRR, KAPE (Endpoint Forensics).
  • Suricata, Zeek (Network Traffic Analysis).
  • MISP, OpenCTI, VirusTotal (Threat Intelligence).
  • AWS/Azure/GCP IR Toolkits (Cloud Incident Response).
  • ELK Stack / Splunk / Sumo Logic (SIEM Integration).
  • TheHive, Cortex (Case & IOC Management).
  • Custom Scripts for IOC extraction and automation.

7. Engagement Lifecycle

  1. Onboarding & Playbook Development: Tailored to your environment and operations.
  2. Asset & Risk Mapping: Detailed mapping of critical assets and attack surface.
  3. Retainer Hours Reserved: A dedicated quarterly pool for immediate IR support.
  4. Threat Monitoring & Readiness Check-ins: Proactive detection and scenario reviews.
  5. Incident Trigger & Activation: Immediate IR support upon incident escalation.
  6. Triage, Containment & Forensics: Quick incident triage and forensic analysis.
  7. Recovery & Root Cause Analysis: Timely recovery and vulnerability remediation.
  8. Final Report & Retrospective: Incident debrief and strategic recommendations.
  9. Quarterly Tabletop & Review Sessions: Regular reviews and simulations to stay prepared.

8. Why Sherlocked Security?

Feature Sherlocked Advantage
24/7 IR SLA with Rapid Activation <4 hrs response time for high-severity incidents
Expert Malware Analysis Deep dive forensics with in-house tools and memory analysis capability.
Legal & Regulatory Advisory Breach notification support aligned with GDPR, PCI-DSS, HIPAA.
Cloud-Native IR Expertise Tailored IR plans for AWS, Azure, and GCP environments.
Secure Collaboration Channels Encrypted out-of-band communication tools like Signal.
Flexible Retainer Hours Use hours for active incidents or planned tabletop simulations.

9. Real-World Case Studies

Ransomware Attack in Healthcare SaaS

Issue: Ransomware behavior detected via EDR on mission-critical application servers.
Impact: Partial encryption and exfiltration of sensitive data.
Our Role: Activated IR playbook, isolated infected systems, and conducted forensic timeline analysis.
Outcome: Identified access vector, contained lateral movement, and coordinated regulatory disclosures.

Cloud Account Compromise in FinTech

Client: Multi-region AWS deployment in a FinTech organization.
Findings: Unauthorized access using stolen IAM credentials.
Outcome: Traced compromised employee device, rotated credentials, and rebuilt IAM policies.

10. SOP – Standard Operating Procedure

  1. Client Onboarding & Contact Mapping.
  2. Quarterly IR Plan Review and scenario-based tabletop exercises.
  3. Incident Activation based on defined severity levels.
  4. Artifact Collection and incident timeline construction.
  5. Host and Network Forensics to trace attacker actions.
  6. Cloud Audit Trails analysis for cloud environments.
  7. Containment and Threat Eradication based on scope and severity.
  8. Root Cause Analysis & IOC Reporting.
  9. Recovery & System Hardening.
  10. Retrospective & Lessons Learned Debrief.

On-Demand Incident Response Engagement – Readiness Checklist

1. Pre-Incident Setup

  • [ ] IR Playbook: Ensure the playbook is reviewed, signed off, and distributed to key stakeholders.
  • [ ] Stakeholder Contacts: Verify that all escalation contacts (security, legal, IT, DevOps) are updated and available.
  • [ ] Access Verification: Confirm API access to SIEM, EDR, cloud logs, and necessary security tools.
  • [ ] Communication Channels: Test secure out-of-band communication methods (Signal, ProtonMail, encrypted email).
  • [ ] Internal Training: Complete regular internal training and tabletop exercises for response teams.
  • [ ] IR Plan Review: Conduct a quarterly review of your IR plan to ensure readiness.
  • [ ] Legal Counsel: Ensure that legal advisors are familiar with the incident response process.

2. During Incident Response

  • [ ] Incident Detection: Confirm that the incident has been triggered through pre-defined severity thresholds (SIEM alerts, EDR triggers).
  • [ ] Incident Classification: Assess the severity and priority of the incident (Low, Medium, High).
  • [ ] Triage & Initial Assessment: Initiate IOC triage, identify affected systems, and begin scope containment.
  • [ ] Forensics Activation: Dispatch forensics team (either remote or on-site) for artifact collection and timeline construction.
  • [ ] Containment Actions: Implement containment measures (e.g., network segmentation, access revocation) to limit the spread.
  • [ ] Communication Activation: Activate the communication plan with internal teams, legal counsel, and external stakeholders.
  • [ ] Legal & PR Notifications: Brief legal and PR teams, and prepare public-facing communication templates (if applicable).

3. Post-Incident Response

  • [ ] Root Cause Analysis: Perform a detailed root cause analysis of the incident, confirming the attack vector.
  • [ ] IOC Sharing: Generate and share a comprehensive list of IOCs with detection systems for future defense improvements.
  • [ ] Incident Timeline: Construct a detailed incident timeline, documenting the progression of events.
  • [ ] Recovery Guidance: Provide recovery recommendations to IT/DevOps for restoring systems, including patching and hardening.
  • [ ] Regulatory Notifications: If applicable, send notifications to relevant regulators and affected parties (e.g., customers, data subjects).
  • [ ] Post-Mortem Review: Conduct a retrospective review with all stakeholders to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement.
  • [ ] Playbook Updates: Update incident response playbooks based on findings from the current incident and retrospective.

4. Communications & Escalation

  • [ ] Internal Communication Protocols: Ensure defined communication channels (email, Slack, SMS fallback) for internal coordination.
  • [ ] External Communication Channels: Confirm secure communication methods (VPN, encrypted email, Signal) are in place for external coordination.
  • [ ] Public and Media Response: Ensure that pre-approved media response templates are ready to be activated if required.
  • [ ] Escalation Matrix: Confirm an escalation matrix with SLAs is in place, detailing escalation procedures by severity level.
  • [ ] Communication Drills: Confirm that communication drills or tabletop exercises involving all stakeholders have been conducted in the past six months.

5. Readiness Validation

  • [ ] Red Team/Simulation Exercises: Confirm that regular red team exercises or IR tabletop simulations have been conducted to validate IR readiness.
  • [ ] Penetration Test Review: Review any past penetration tests to identify gaps in incident detection or response.
  • [ ] Automation Testing: Ensure that all automation scripts and playbooks have been tested, especially with SOAR/SIEM integrations.
  • [ ] Forensic Tool Validation: Verify that forensic tools and response kits are accessible, up-to-date, and ready for use during an incident.
  • [ ] Employee Awareness: Ensure that all relevant employees are aware of the IR process and their roles during an incident.

6. Legal, Regulatory & Contractual

  • [ ] Regulatory Compliance Review: Ensure compliance with relevant data breach notification laws based on your industry and geographic region (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS).
  • [ ] Legal Briefing: Confirm that legal counsel is familiar with the IR process and their role in incident handling.
  • [ ] Cyber Insurance Coverage: Verify that the organization’s cyber insurance policy is up-to-date and covers incident response costs.
  • [ ] Regulatory Authority Contacts: Ensure contact details for relevant regulators are up-to-date and documented.
  • [ ] Customer & Data Subject Notifications: Prepare customer and data subject communication templates for potential breach notifications.

7. Continuous Improvement

  • [ ] Post-Incident Review Process: Establish a defined process for post-incident reviews to evaluate effectiveness and areas for improvement.
  • [ ] Lessons Learned Integration: Ensure that lessons learned from incidents are integrated into future incident response plans and playbooks.
  • [ ] Incident Metrics Tracking: Track incident response metrics (e.g., Mean Time to Detect, Mean Time to Respond, containment time) for continuous improvement.
  • [ ] Feedback Loops: Implement feedback mechanisms from the IR team and other stakeholders to improve internal processes.
Ransomware Response
Network Forensics