Incident Response
When an incident hits, every minute counts.
Whether you're in the middle of a breach or building the muscle memory before one, Principle Security provides the response capability, planning, and forensics expertise to limit damage and restore trust.
Retainer clients get a guaranteed 4-hour response SLA. Not business hours — actual hours, any time, any day.
We build your IR playbooks, response procedures, and team readiness before an incident forces your hand.
We stay engaged from initial detection through post-incident reporting — no handoffs, no gaps in coverage.
Capabilities
A complete incident response capability
From building readiness before an event to active response and post-incident forensics.
Active incident response
We plug in rapidly when a breach is confirmed — containing the threat, preserving forensic evidence, and working in parallel to restore operations. 24/7 remote response for retainer clients On-site capability for critical incidents Parallel containment and investigation tracks Stakeholder and legal team coordination Regulatory notification support
- 24/7 remote response for retainer clients
- On-site capability for critical incidents
- Parallel containment and investigation tracks
- Stakeholder and legal team coordination
- Regulatory notification support
IR planning & playbooks
We build the documentation, procedures, and decision trees your team needs to respond effectively under pressure — before the pressure arrives. Incident classification and escalation criteria Scenario-specific response playbooks Communication templates (internal, legal, regulatory) Contact directories and vendor coordination guides NISTCSP and SOC 2 alignment
- Incident classification and escalation criteria
- Scenario-specific response playbooks
- Communication templates (internal, legal, regulatory)
- Contact directories and vendor coordination guides
- NISTCSP and SOC 2 alignment
Tabletop exercises
Simulated incident scenarios that test your team's decision-making, communication, and coordination under realistic conditions — without real consequences. Ransomware, data breach, and BEC scenarios Executive and technical team formats Board-level tabletop facilitation Debrief with gap analysis and action items Compliance documentation for SOC 2 / ISO 27001
- Ransomware, data breach, and BEC scenarios
- Executive and technical team formats
- Board-level tabletop facilitation
- Debrief with gap analysis and action items
- Compliance documentation for SOC 2 / ISO 27001
Forensics & root cause analysis
Post-incident investigation to determine exactly how an attacker got in, what they accessed, how long they were there, and what your organization needs to do to prevent recurrence. Log analysis and event reconstruction Malware analysis and threat actor attribution Attack path documentation Forensic chain of custody for legal proceedings Insurance and regulatory evidence packages
- Log analysis and event reconstruction
- Malware analysis and threat actor attribution
- Attack path documentation
- Forensic chain of custody for legal proceedings
- Insurance and regulatory evidence packages
Methodology
The response process
A disciplined, methodical approach that prioritizes stopping damage while preserving the evidence you need.
- 01
Detection & scoping
Hours 1–4Confirm the incident, establish command, and define the blast radius. What systems are affected? What data is at risk? What is the entry point? Begin the threat-stopping process.
- 02
Containment
Hours 4–12Isolate affected systems to stop lateral movement and data exfiltration — without triggering actions that tip off the attacker or cause data loss. What to do depends on the threat type and business requirements.
- 03
Investigation & forensics
Days 1–7Deep investigation into how the attacker moved, what they did, and what they accessed. We reconstruct the attack timeline, identify all compromised credentials and systems, and determine what data was accessed.
- 04
Remediation & eradication
Days 3–14Close the entry points, remove attacker persistence, patch compromised credentials and exploited vulnerabilities, and harden the environment against recurrence. We verify clean state before recovery begins.
- 05
Recovery & post-incident reporting
OngoingRestore operations in a verified clean environment, produce the incident report that satisfies forensic timelines, support notification requirements, implement recommendations, and update playbooks based on lessons learned.
Output
Deliverables
Every engagement concludes with documentation that serves multiple audiences — technical, executive, legal, and regulatory.
Incident response report
Plain-language summary of what happened, the business impact, what was affected, how long they were at risk, actions taken, and recommendations for executive leadership.
Forensic timeline
A complete, evidence-backed reconstruction of the attack — from initial access to detection, with timestamps, IOCs, tools, and techniques (TTPs) used by the threat actor.
Root cause analysis
Identification of the specific vulnerability or configuration weakness that enabled the incident — with mapped control failures and remediation verification.
Evidence package
Documentation of the incident scope, affected systems, and actions taken — formatted to support regulatory reporting, insurance claims, and legal proceedings.
Playbook updates
Post-incident revisions to your IR playbooks based on gaps identified during response — because your next incident should go better than this one.
Post-incident debrief
Facilitated session with your team to review what happened, what worked in the response, what didn’t, and what changes to prioritize to reduce future risk.
Fit
Common triggers
Organizations reach out before an incident, during one, or in the aftermath — we handle all three.
Active breach
You've detected indicators of compromise and need experienced responders now. Don't try to contain it alone — call us.
SOC 2 or ISO 27001 compliance
These frameworks require documented IR capabilities. We build the tested procedures your auditor needs to satisfy requirements.
Pre-M&A due diligence
Buyers want evidence of mature IR capabilities. We establish and document your IR program before the diligence window opens.
Annual IR program refresh
IR playbooks age quickly. Our tabletop exercises test your team against current threat scenarios and keep readiness sharp.
Cyber insurance renewal
Many insurers now require documented IR programs and annual tabletop exercises as policy conditions. We provide the documentation they need.
Post-incident recovery
Something happened but the active incident is over. You need forensics, root cause analysis, and updated playbooks to close the gaps and document what changed.
In the middle of an incident? Don't wait.
Scoping calls are 45 minutes, straight to the point, and there's no pitch — just a real conversation about your environment.
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