Who is responsible for executing the Incident Response Plan?

Incident Response Team (IRT): The Core Responders

The Incident Response Team (IRT)—sometimes referred to as the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT)—is the primary group responsible for executing the Incident Response Plan. This team leads all efforts from detection to recovery during a cybersecurity incident.

Key Roles Within the Incident Response Team

An effective IRT is composed of professionals from various departments to ensure a coordinated and holistic response. These typically include:

• IT Security Experts: Handle threat detection, containment, eradication, and forensic analysis.

• System Administrators: Assist in isolating affected systems and restoring services.

• Legal Advisors: Ensure compliance with data protection laws and manage any potential legal consequences.

• Communications Officers: Manage internal updates and public-facing communications during and after an incident.

• HR and Compliance Officers: Involved when incidents involve employees or breach internal policies.

Importance of Defined Roles and Responsibilities

For the Incident Response Plan to be effective, every member of the response team must have a clearly defined role. This avoids confusion, duplication of effort, and delays in action. Having predefined escalation paths, decision-making authority, and documented responsibilities helps the organization react quickly and efficiently under pressure.