Which framework is commonly used for guiding incident response?

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is commonly used for guiding incident response due to its comprehensive structure that emphasizes risk management and the integration of security practices into an organization’s overall process. This framework provides a flexible approach that organizations can adapt to their specific needs and maturity levels. It outlines five key functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover, which create a solid foundation for developing and implementing effective incident response strategies.

The "Respond" function specifically addresses how organizations should handle incidents when they occur, including planning, communications, analysis, and mitigation processes. Therefore, it serves as an invaluable resource for ensuring that organizations not only prepare for but also effectively respond to and recover from security incidents. This focus on structured incident response makes the NIST Cybersecurity Framework particularly relevant in this context.

Other frameworks, while valuable in their respective areas, do not emphasize incident response to the same extent or in the same structured manner. For example, the CIS Controls primarily focus on preventive measures, ISO 27001 outlines an information security management system, and COBIT provides governance and management objectives but doesn’t specifically guide incident response processes as directly as the NIST framework does.