Navigating the storm: Security Incident Response in the Cloud

As organisations increasingly transition to cloud environments, they must adopt new approaches to effectively manage security incidents. This presentation examines the distinctive aspects of incident response for cloud-hosted workloads, focusing on the benefits and challenges encountered in cloud and hybrid environments.

The session will explore the advantages of cloud-based incident response, such as enhanced flexibility and scalability, while addressing the challenges related to maintaining visibility, control, and compliance. Specific challenges such as asset management and tracking, handling ephemeral resources, and ensuring consistent monitoring will be discussed.

We will tie these concepts to the NIST Incident Response Framework, demonstrating how its four key phases—Preparation, Detection and Analysis, Containment, Eradication, and Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity—can be adapted for cloud environments. Attendees will gain insights into best practices for ensuring effective incident response in the cloud, including comprehensive monitoring of cloud resources, leveraging automation to improve response times, and managing incidents across multiple cloud platforms.

Real-world case studies will illustrate successful incident response techniques and the lessons learned from these experiences. By the end of this presentation, participants will be equipped with practical knowledge to strengthen their cloud security posture and effectively manage security incidents in both cloud and hybrid environments, all within the framework of NIST guidelines.