What is the primary goal of incident response?

The primary goal of incident response is to manage and mitigate the impact of security incidents. In the context of cybersecurity, incidents can include data breaches, malware attacks, or any event that compromises the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information systems. By effectively managing these incidents, an organization can reduce the potential damage and restore normal operations as quickly as possible.

Effective incident response involves a structured approach that includes preparation, detection, analysis, containment, eradication, and recovery. This structured response minimizes the impact on the organization and ensures that lessons learned from the incident can reinforce future security measures.

While informing stakeholders about incidents, creating new security policies, and increasing system performance are important aspects of a comprehensive security strategy, they do not represent the core purpose of incident response. The immediate focus during and after an incident is primarily on mitigating its effects and preventing further damage.