What is the correct order of the five core steps in the incident response framework commonly used in IT security?

What is the correct order of the five core steps in the incident response framework commonly used in IT security?

• A. Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover
• B. Identify, Detect, Protect, Respond, Recover
• C. Protect, Identify, Detect, Recover, Respond
• D. Identify, Protect, Respond, Detect, Recover

Answer: (A)

Incidents are handled through a five-stage lifecycle: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover. Start by identifying assets, data, and the risks you face so you know what needs protection and where to focus monitoring and resources. Then put protections in place to reduce exposure and harden defenses against potential attacks. Once protections are in place, establish continuous monitoring to detect signs of compromise or unusual activity. When an incident is detected, respond by containing the incident, eradicating the threat, and communicating with the right stakeholders to limit damage and coordinate actions. Finally, recover by restoring normal operations, validating that systems are secure, and capturing lessons learned to strengthen future resilience. This sequence is logical because you need a clear understanding of what you’re protecting before you can effectively protect it, detect relies on those protections and monitoring, response depends on having detected an incident, and recovery closes the loop with restoration and improvement.

Incidents are handled through a five-stage lifecycle: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover. Start by identifying assets, data, and the risks you face so you know what needs protection and where to focus monitoring and resources. Then put protections in place to reduce exposure and harden defenses against potential attacks. Once protections are in place, establish continuous monitoring to detect signs of compromise or unusual activity. When an incident is detected, respond by containing the incident, eradicating the threat, and communicating with the right stakeholders to limit damage and coordinate actions. Finally, recover by restoring normal operations, validating that systems are secure, and capturing lessons learned to strengthen future resilience. This sequence is logical because you need a clear understanding of what you’re protecting before you can effectively protect it, detect relies on those protections and monitoring, response depends on having detected an incident, and recovery closes the loop with restoration and improvement.