The Role of Digital Forensics and Incident Response in Cybersecurity

What is Digital Forensics and Incident Response?

Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) is a practice used by incident response teams to detect, investigate, and respond to cyber threats.

Digital Forensics collects and analyzes data to determine the story of what happened during a breach. Incident Response investigates, contains, and recovers data from a security incidentThey share similar tools, processes, and procedures. 

The role of DFIR professionals may also involve testifying in legal proceedings related to cyberattacks, litigations, or other digital investigations. Information collected by DFIR teams can be used to file lawsuits against identified attackers, in investigations by law enforcement, and as evidence in court proceedings against cybercriminals.

Why is DFIR Important in Cybersecurity?

When a cyberattack happens, response, containment, and then recovery are the first steps. However, in order to fully eradicate the threat and prevent it from recurring, organizations need to understand what happened and who was behind the attack.  

DFIR services provide a deeper understanding of cybersecurity incidents through a comprehensive forensic process. Experts gather data to fill in the gaps of information. They seek to uncover who the attackers are, how they broke in, and the steps they took to infiltrate the system or network. DFIR teams also help identify what data is lost and the extent of the breach’s damage. This root cause analysis will help build resiliency for the impacted organization.

The Advantages of Digital Forensics and Incident Response for Businesses

Working with a trusted DFIR service provider establishes several important advantages for a business, including:

• Quick response to security incidents
• Established best practices when investigating and evaluating incidents
• Minimization of data loss, theft, and harm to reputation
• Strengthening of existing security protocols and procedures 
• Evaluation of future risks by pinpointing security vulnerabilities
• Recovery with limited disruption to operations
• Support in prosecution of the threat actor through evidence and documentation

Digital forensic detectives help businesses properly collect evidence and, consequently, help prevent further damage. Obtaining an accurate account of lost data is especially crucial for companies that regularly handle personal and sensitive information for clients. 

Digital forensic professionals will also work closely with your communications team to provide customers with information about any private information that may have been compromised, and information on the steps being taken to help protect customers against future breaches.

‍
Work with a Partner Trusted by Top DFIR Firms

As eXtended Service Providers (XSP), Entara delivers exceptional, security-firstIT solutions for your business. We partner with the industries’ best Digital Forensics and Incident Response firms (DFIR) to provide fast response times in the event of a breach. Our experts at Entara, alongside our partners, are at the ready to respond to your security incident, work to eradicate the threat, and get your company up and running as quickly as possible. Contact us to learn more about how we can support your cyber security needs through offerings such as an incident response (IR) retainer or vCISO advisory services.

‍