NetworkTigers describes what a network incident response coordinator does, the skills they need, and how they help secure your systems before, during, and after a breach.
Acting as a network incident response coordinator is technically demanding and mentally exhausting. During a crisis, coordinators must stay calm and respond to everything from false alarms to system-wide breaches. Thinking like one means adopting a mindset focused on preparation, speed, and precision. That approach can help keep your network secure before, during, and after an intrusion.
What does a network incident response coordinator do?
As you might guess, a network incident response coordinator is responsible for responding to incidents within a system. An IR coordinator may also be known as an Intrusion Analyst, Incident Handler, Incident Response Engineer, or part of a Computer Security Incident Response Team. They are not only the person you call in crisis mode, but also in charge of creating an Incident Response Plan (IRP) in advance. This can help reduce downtime and data loss for companies affected by a breach.
A network incident response coordinator is usually tasked with:
- Restoring daily operations to a hacked company
- Spotting cyber vulnerabilities and responding to them
- Minimizing financial losses
- Addressing reputational loss after an incident
- Strengthening security posture to avoid future harm
- Ensuring compliance with industry regulations during incident management
Essential skills for incident response coordinators
Speed, strength, and security are the three main watchwords of a network incident response coordinator. IR coordinators must handle stress well and be able to act swiftly in the face of costly and damaging threats.
Network incident response coordinators consider their company’s response time. On average, identifying a data breach takes an organization 204 days. It takes an average of 73 days to address and contain it. These numbers are unacceptable to most customers and can cause severe reputational loss and brand damage. One primary focus of an IR coordinator is to reduce the response time overall for a crisis. A network incident response coordinator is concerned with addressing delayed notification or minimizing the time it takes to spot a threat and resolve it.
IR coordinators are problem-solvers. To think like a network incident response coordinator, try to understand not only that there is an issue, but also how it occurred and what can be done to address it. IR coordinators think proactively and are in charge of not only reporting concerns but also handling them. The best news a network incident response coordinator can give their management is that the problem has been successfully handled, with minimal damage to company data, finances, and reputation.
Network incident response coordinators must have pristine credentials and up-to-the-minute technical know-how. They may be tasked with collecting intrusion artifacts, like poisoned source code, malware, and trojans, and using this data to the benefit of their company. They will also be asked to coordinate technical support and provide boots-on-the-ground expertise in the event of an incident. They are often the expert in the room on how to respond to an ongoing threat and gifted strategists who can attempt to create a positive outcome for a company after a breach.
Compliance and industry regulations
Network incident response coordinators should have a strong knowledge of applicable industry regulations and strive to align a company’s security posture. Examples of important regulations for network incident response coordinators to be aware of might include:
- HIPAA for the healthcare industry: HIPAA addresses the storage, management, and transmission of Protected Health Information (PHI). The healthcare industry has seen a 287% increase in data breaches in recent years, making network incident response coordinators who know their stuff in high demand in the field.
- PCI DSS for protecting payment information: PCI DSS is the gold standard for credit card encryption and online payments. However, PCI DSS compliance, unlike HIPAA regulation, is not mandatory across all industries that accept debit card transactions. Because of this, network incident response coordinators familiar with PCI DSS compliance are often especially well-regarded.
- Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act for consumer data: According to IBM, 46% of data breaches involve personally identifiable information for consumers. GLBA regulates how financial services providers store and handle financial information like Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, names and addresses, and more.
Finally, IR coordinators are rarely lone wolves. They may need to collaborate with colleagues, including those with less technical skills than themselves, to address business continuity and incident response. They may also need to pitch to management an understanding of why and how compliance can occur. Because of this, IR coordinators should be able to communicate their vision clearly, as well as remain level-headed when disaster strikes. With millions of records being breached each year in hacks, network incident response coordinators will only become more in demand in the future.
About NetworkTigers
NetworkTigers is the leader in the secondary market for Grade A, seller-refurbished networking equipment. Founded in January 1996 as Andover Consulting Group, which built and re-architected data centers for Fortune 500 firms, NetworkTigers provides consulting and network equipment to global governmental agencies, Fortune 2000, and healthcare companies. www.networktigers.com.
