No defence is perfect. From phishing and ransomware to insider misuse and cloud misconfigurations, security incidents are an unavoidable reality of doing business. What sets resilient organisations apart is how quickly and effectively they respond.
Incident Response (IR) is a structured approach to managing and recovering from security incidents – serious events that go beyond routine alerts and require coordinated action.
At Advantage, the most common incident categories we see include:
- Ransomware: Malicious software that encrypts files or systems and demands payment to restore access
- Stealers: Increasingly prevalent malware that captures sensitive information such as logins, keys, and passwords, which is then sold for further malicious use
- Breached Accounts: Often caused by users clicking on harmful links or using VPN/RDP accounts without proper security measures
- Business Email Compromise (BEC): A widespread threat where attackers intercept legitimate emails, replace invoices with fraudulent ones, and redirect payments
- Insider Threats: Occurs when employees misuse company devices or steal sensitive information, compromising business systems.
These examples highlight why a well-prepared incident response capability is essential to reduce damage, minimise downtime, and maintain trust.
Why Incident Response Matters
Cyber incidents can disrupt operations, damage reputation, and trigger regulatory obligations. Without a plan, organisations waste valuable time figuring out who should act and what steps to take.
A clear IR process enables businesses to:
- Contain threats before they spread
- Restore systems and services faster
- Meet legal and compliance requirements
- Reassure customers and stakeholders
The Core Phases of Incident Response
Effective IR strategies typically follow five key stages:
- Preparation: Define policies, playbooks, and responsibilities in advance
- Detection and Analysis: Identify suspicious activity and confirm incidents
- Containment: Isolate affected systems to limit impact
- Eradication and Recovery: Remove the root cause and restore systems safely
- Lessons Learned: Review and improve processes after each incident
This cycle ensures continuous improvement rather than one-off reactions.
Benefits for All Business Sizes
For SMBs, IR may be a concise plan with clear escalation paths and access to external experts. Larger enterprises often require dedicated response teams and regular simulation exercises. In every case, the goal is confidence that incidents will be handled quickly and effectively.
Working with Monitoring, SIEM, and SOC
Incident response is most effective when integrated with existing monitoring and analysis capabilities:
- Monitoring detects unusual activity
- SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) collects and analyses security data to identify complex threat
- SOC (Security Operations Centre) adds human expertise to investigate and escalate issues
IR then uses these insights to drive coordinated action across the organisation.
Building Resilience
Incidents are inevitable, but chaos is not. A tested IR plan gives executives assurance, provides technical teams with clear direction, and demonstrates to customers that your business is prepared.
Investing in IR is about more than reacting to crises. It’s about building resilience, protecting reputation, and ensuring operations continue even under pressure.
If your business has experienced a breach or you simply want to strengthen your defences, Advantage NZ can help you build a robust incident response capability.
