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NIST 800-61r2
NIST Incident Response Framework Guide
Master the NIST 800-61r2 Incident Response Framework: A complete implementation guide for federal agencies and organizations seeking cybersecurity excellence.
18 min read
Security Teams & Compliance Officers
Why NIST Matters
The NIST Incident Response Framework (NIST Special Publication 800-61 Revision 2) is the gold standard for incident response. It's required for federal agencies and represents best practices for any organization building a mature IR program.
What is NIST 800-61r2?
NIST Special Publication 800-61 Revision 2, "Computer Security Incident Handling Guide," provides comprehensive guidance for establishing and maintaining an effective incident response capability. Published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, it defines the incident response lifecycle and provides actionable recommendations for each phase.
Federal Requirement
Mandatory for US federal agencies
Industry Best Practice
Voluntary gold standard
Continuously Updated
Reflects evolving threats
The 4 Phases of NIST Incident Response
NIST 800-61r2 defines a structured lifecycle for handling incidents. Each phase builds upon the previous, creating a continuous improvement cycle.
1
Preparation
Build capabilities and establish foundation before incidents occur
Incident Response Policy
Document organizational approach, authorities, and procedures
IR Plan Development
Create actionable playbooks for common incident types
Team Formation
Establish CSIRT with defined roles (IR lead, analysts, communications, legal)
Tools and Resources
Deploy SIEM, EDR, forensics tools, secure communications
Training and Exercises
Conduct tabletop exercises quarterly, technical training ongoing
Stakeholder Coordination
Establish relationships with law enforcement, legal, vendors
2
Detection & Analysis
Identify potential incidents and determine their scope and impact
Multiple Detection Sources
SIEM alerts, IDS/IPS, EDR, antivirus, user reports, threat intelligence
Initial Triage
Assess severity using CIA impact: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability
Incident Categorization
Classify by type: malware, unauthorized access, DoS, data breach
Evidence Collection
Preserve logs, memory dumps, network traffic (chain of custody)
Scope Determination
Identify affected systems, data, users, and attack vectors
Documentation
Maintain incident timeline, all actions taken, personnel involved
3
Containment, Eradication & Recovery
Stop the incident, remove threat actor, restore operations
Short-Term Containment
Isolate affected systems, block malicious IPs/domains
System Backup
Image affected systems before eradication for forensics
Long-Term Containment
Apply temporary fixes, segment networks, implement compensating controls
Eradication
Remove malware, disable breached accounts, patch vulnerabilities
Recovery
Restore systems from clean backups, rebuild if necessary, verify integrity
Verification
Confirm threat removed, monitor for re-infection, validate normal operations
4
Post-Incident Activity
Learn from incidents and continuously improve IR capabilities
Lessons Learned Meeting
Conduct within 2 weeks: What happened? What worked? What needs improvement?
Incident Report
Document timeline, root cause, impact, response actions, recommendations
Evidence Retention
Store according to policy (typically 3+ years for forensics, legal)
Indicator Sharing
Share IOCs with ISACs, FS-ISAC, DHS CISA (if appropriate)
Playbook Updates
Revise procedures based on lessons learned
Training Improvements
Update training materials, conduct targeted exercises on gaps
NIST Compliance Requirements
Federal Agencies
Required under FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act). Must implement NIST 800-61r2 and report incidents to US-CERT within specified timeframes.
- Document IR policies and procedures
- Establish incident response team
- Test IR plan annually
- Report to US-CERT
Private Sector
Voluntary adoption, but represents industry best practice. Often required by cyber insurance, customer contracts, and industry regulations (e.g., NERC CIP, PCI DSS references NIST).
- Demonstrates due diligence
- Satisfies insurance requirements
- Aligns with SOC 2, ISO 27001
- Enhances customer trust
Key Metrics and KPIs
NIST emphasizes measuring IR effectiveness to drive continuous improvement:
MTTD
Mean Time to Detect (< 24 hrs)
MTTA
Mean Time to Acknowledge (< 15 min)
MTTC
Mean Time to Contain (< 4 hrs)
MTTR
Mean Time to Recover (< 24 hrs)
Integration with Other Frameworks
NIST 800-61r2 integrates seamlessly with other security frameworks:
NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)
IR lifecycle maps to CSF "Respond" function. Use CSF for overall program, 800-61 for IR details.
ISO 27001 / 27035
ISO 27035 incident management aligns with NIST phases. Organizations can comply with both simultaneously.
SANS Incident Response
SANS provides tactical playbooks; NIST provides strategic framework. Highly complementary.
MITRE ATT&CK
Use ATT&CK for adversary tactics during Detection & Analysis phase. Enhances threat intelligence.
Testing Your NIST IR Program
NIST strongly recommends regular testing. Tabletop exercises are the most effective way to validate your NIST compliance:
Best Practice: Quarterly Tabletop Exercises
Run quarterly tabletop exercises testing different phases:
- Q1: Test Detection & Analysis (phishing incident, user reports suspicious activity)
- Q2: Test Containment & Eradication (ransomware response, system isolation decisions)
- Q3: Test Communication & Coordination (data breach, legal/PR coordination)
- Q4: Full-scale exercise across all phases (complex APT scenario)
What to Test
Procedures
- IR plan is current and accessible
- Playbooks have clear steps
- Escalation paths are defined
- Contact lists are updated
People
- Team knows their roles
- Communication is effective
- Decisions are made quickly
- Leadership is engaged
Technology
- Tools are accessible
- Logging is comprehensive
- Forensics capability exists
- Backups are verified
Coordination
- Legal involvement is timely
- PR messaging is prepared
- Law enforcement coordination
- Vendor support is available
Test Your NIST Compliance with Tabletop Exercises
Breakpoint provides NIST-aligned tabletop exercises that test all 4 phases of the incident response lifecycle. Pre-built scenarios, automated scoring, and compliance reporting included.