What is Incident Response?
Incident response is defined as the process by which a company or organization handles a cyber attack or a data breach. Along with dealing with the initial attack, this also deals with the possible consequences of the breach. The goal of incident response is to limit the damage caused by the attack.
How is Incident Response used?
Zippia reviewed thousands of resumes to understand how incident response is used in different jobs. Explore the list of common job responsibilities related to incident response below:
- Provided timely incident response reporting based upon the time guidelines established by the PCI Guidelines.
- Conducted incident response for various companies.
- Created CSIRPs, reviewed incident response plans, and developed playbooks for clients.
- Designed and built two dedicated forensics facilities for incident response and investigations.
- Provided incident response procedures and disaster recovery plans for company as well.
- Developed Security Incident Response procedures which provide a guideline for the company to follow in the event of Security Incident.
Are Incident Response skills in demand?
Yes, incident response skills are in demand today. Currently, 6,866 job openings list incident response skills as a requirement. The job descriptions that most frequently include incident response skills are direct response consultant, forensic investigator, and securities adviser.
How hard is it to learn Incident Response?
Based on the average complexity level of the jobs that use incident response the most: direct response consultant, forensic investigator, and securities adviser. The complexity level of these jobs is challenging.
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What jobs can you get with Incident Response skills?
You can get a job as a direct response consultant, forensic investigator, and securities adviser with incident response skills. After analyzing resumes and job postings, we identified these as the most common job titles for candidates with incident response skills.
Direct Response Consultant
- Incident Response
- Patients
- Gap Analysis
- Crisis Calls
- Conference Calls
- PHP
Forensic Investigator
Job description:
A forensic investigator is responsible for collecting evidence and pieces of a clue to solve a complicated incident. A forensic investigator must have strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to handle various cases that would require intensive research and scientific principles application. Forensic investigators usually work closely with law enforcement personnel to identify all possible sources and secure evidence for further examination. They also study the scene where the incident happened, document observations, creating investigation reports, and communicating with several witnesses that would support possible claims.
- Incident Response
- Windows
- FTK
- Litigation
- Physical Evidence
- Digital Evidence
Securities Adviser
Job description:
A security advisor reviews an already existing security system and checks for errors, inconsistencies and evaluates the risk. They then advise the organization on possible solutions and develop policies and procedures that will ensure safety. They also look at new businesses and premises and advise on the best security system to use.
- Incident Response
- Cloud Security
- Architecture
- SOC
- Security Operations
- Risk Assessments
Defense Analyst
Job description:
A defense analyst specializes in developing programs and policies about national security and safety. They usually work for the military, government agencies, private firms, and even the Department of Defense. Their responsibilities focus on conducting extensive research, analyzing military procedures and operations, assessing threats, identifying potential risks, and studying the current laws and policies, recommending solutions to optimize processes, solve issues, or prevent problems. Moreover, through their research, a defense analyst develops conclusions that will help offices in making decisions.
- Incident Response
- DOD
- Windows
- Tcp Ip
- Network Security
- Network Traffic
Incident Manager
Job description:
As the name entails, the job of an incident manager revolves around the incident management process. Your duties and responsibilities may vary depending on the sector, but typically include defining the process on how your team should work with handling incidents, keeping a report of incidents, logging all service request and incident details. Additionally, you will be responsible for investigating all service requests and incidents and identifying, scheduling, and performing incident reviews. As an incident manager, it also your responsibility to guide the incident process analysts and coordinators.
- Incident Response
- Infrastructure
- ITIL
- Metrics
- Problem Management
- Service Management
Security Operations Manager
Job description:
A security operations manager is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of an organization, inspecting the facility's condition, the performance of operational tools and equipment, and the compliance of workstream processes to the safety regulations and protocols of the company. Security operations managers identify potential risks and immediately address inconsistencies by coordinating with the security department and upper management. They also conduct security training and programs for all employees, including emergency drills and strict measures within the premises. A security operations manager handles incident reports and disseminates important security details across the organization.
- Security Operations
- Incident Response
- Customer Service
- SOC
- Security Systems
- Security Incidents
Certified Information Systems Security Professional
- Windows
- NIST
- Linux
- Incident Response
- ISO
- Risk Assessments
Law Enforcement Instructor
- Criminal Justice
- Patrol
- Law Enforcement Training
- Incident Response
- Defensive Tactics
- Training Programs
Cyber Security Analyst
Job description:
A cybersecurity analyst is responsible for planning and carrying out security measures to protect a company's computer networks and systems. They constantly keep tabs on threats and monitor their organization's networks for any security breaches. Their tasks involve installing computer programs or software and encryption, reporting breaches or weak spots, exploring new IT trends, educating the company's information security team on security. They also do simulate security attacks to find possible network and system vulnerabilities.
- Incident Response
- Windows
- SIEM
- DOD
- Linux
- Security Events
Manager, Network & Security
Job description:
Security and network managers improve computer systems by analyzing all risk factors and accelerate computer management programs by utilizing their expert knowledge. Security and network managers fortify security systems by helping in antivirus installation, evaluating, and ensuring security efficiency. These professionals work hand-in-hand with different departments to assess server operating systems and ensure they operate efficiently. Security and network managers also oversee and put into practice network security processes and keep useful reports for these processes.
- Firewall
- Incident Response
- Architecture
- Network Infrastructure
- Troubleshoot
- Project Management
Data Security Analyst
Job description:
A data security analyst's job is to protect computer systems and networks in a company. They are often the solitary individuals standing between a company's networks and potential hackers, and their abilities are highly in demand at this moment. The job role includes installing and uninstalling various security network programs, and these programs safeguard sensitive data by using firewalls with the use of data-encryption technology. In addition, they also help to implement security protocols depending on the need of the company, and they must be updated regularly to remove bugs and add new features.
- Data Security
- Incident Response
- Access Management
- Encryption
- SQL
- Security Procedures
Senior Cyber Security Analyst
Job description:
A senior cybersecurity analyst provides assistance in designing and implementing IT security systems in organizations or companies. Senior cybersecurity analysts protect the computer networks of organizations from any cyber-attack. They respond and analyze different cyber incidents as necessary. They offer actionable investigative leads to investigators to prevent terrorist or criminal acts in the future. Also, they establish and update procedures and documentation for various duties in ISO and ITIL formats.
- Cyber Security
- Incident Response
- NIST
- Windows
- RMF
- DOD
Information Security Analyst
Job description:
An information security analyst is an individual who is responsible for carrying out security measures to protect the computer network and systems of an organization. Information security analysts erect firewalls and encrypt data transmissions to protect the organization's data from being inappropriately accessed or used. They must be aware of reports on computer viruses and should share this information with the management or customer. Information security analysts are also required to conduct training for all the organization's employees regarding computer security and information safeguarding.
- Incident Response
- Risk Assessments
- Windows
- SIEM
- Data Loss Prevention
- Network Security
Information Security Officer
Job description:
Information security officers are responsible for planning and implementing policies to safeguard an organization's computer network and data from different types of security breaches. Their duties typically include identifying computer network vulnerabilities, developing and executing a plan to secure and protect the network, and tracking computer network usage to ensure adherence to security policies. In addition, information security officers are also expected to conduct penetration tests to look for flaws and work closely with the IT and management departments to improve security.
- Risk Management
- Risk Assessments
- Incident Response
- Infrastructure
- Governance
- ISO
Network Security Specialist
Job description:
A Network Security Specialist is a person who oversees computer networks to find security threats or unauthorized users. Their responsibilities include: identifying compromised machines, creating briefs of security measures taken, identifying possible security risks, determining the proper procedure to address the risks, assessing software that security aid, and researching security devices to get proper information on installation, audit-related information, and disaster recovery plans.
- Network Security
- Incident Response
- IDS
- Firewall
- Switches
- Intrusion Detection
Senior Information Security Analyst
Job description:
Senior Information Security Analyst plan and execute security measures to safeguard a company's computer system and network. Duties include advising on best practice for technical security, implementing corrective action to any vulnerabilities identified, leading security audits for best practice assurance, and creating information security training for staff. They also help maintain the organization's information security management system across its policies, standards, and guidelines. They must maintain awareness of industry standards, technology trends, and changes in external regulation.
- Incident Response
- Risk Assessments
- Infrastructure
- ISO
- Governance
- SOC
Senior Information Security Engineer
Job description:
Senior information security engineers are information technology (IT) professionals who are responsible for managing the IT security of an organization. These engineers are required to participate in the planning, design, and installation of security systems that support the security policies of the organization. They must provide security expertise to the organization by conducting training for corporate security education and awareness programs. Senior information security engineers must also review reports on event anomalies while investigating security violations.
- Incident Response
- Risk Management
- Windows
- Java
- NIST
- Security Tools
Cyber Security Specialist
Job description:
Cybersecurity Specialists are information technology (IT) professionals who safeguard and protect the company's networks. They ensure that the network infrastructure is secure at all times. They do routine checks to see whether the infrastructure is vulnerable to attacks. Cybersecurity Specialists monitor and respond to security concerns. They launch programs or software to mitigate any attacks that the company's infrastructure may receive. They also look for ways to minimize the network infrastructure's vulnerability to risks, threats, and attacks.
- Cyber Security
- Incident Response
- NIST
- Security Operations
- Forensics
- DOD
How much can you earn with Incident Response skills?
You can earn up to $115,325 a year with incident response skills if you become a direct response consultant, the highest-paying job that requires incident response skills. Forensic investigators can earn the second-highest salary among jobs that use Python, $52,267 a year.
| Job Title | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Response Consultant | $115,325 | $55 |
| Forensic Investigator | $52,267 | $25 |
| Securities Adviser | $70,465 | $34 |
| Defense Analyst | $86,453 | $42 |
| Incident Manager | $87,053 | $42 |
Companies using Incident Response in 2025
The top companies that look for employees with incident response skills are Deloitte, Oracle, and KPMG. In the millions of job postings we reviewed, these companies mention incident response skills most frequently.
Departments using Incident Response
| Department | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| IT | $93,531 |
9 courses for Incident Response skills
1. Cyber Incident Response
The Cyber Incident Response Specialization will give students a high-level understanding of incident response processes. Students will learn about Incident Response from a practitioner perspective and they will walk away with valuable skills that they will be able to demonstrate, on demand.\n\nThis Specialization begins with a high-level discussion of what happens at each phase of responding to an incident, followed by a technical deep dive into some of the more exciting parts of memory, network, and host analysis and forensics. This Specialization is for anyone wishing to apply learned forensics and offensive knowledge such as ethical hacking to the incident response process...
2. Cyber Incident Response
The Cyber Incident Response course will give students an understanding of how incidents are responded to at a high level, as well as allow them to build important technical skills through the hands-on labs and projects. This course starts with a high-level discussion of what happens at each phase of responding to an incident, followed by a technical deep dive into some of the more exciting parts of memory, network, and host analysis and forensics. This course is for anyone wishing to apply learned forensics and offensive knowledge such as ethical hacking to the incident response process...
3. Incident Response for Cyber Professionals
Incident Response Course Syllabus Course Overview In this course you will learn how to use open source tools for incident response purposes. This course utilizes first hand explanations and screencast demonstrations of how to use these tools in a step-by-step manner so you can start incident response work immediately on your own. Table of Contents Course Overview - Introductory Lesson Incident Response - Incident response is an organized approach to addressing and managing the aftermath of a security breach or attack. The goal is to handle the situation in a way that limits damage and reduces recovery time and costs. An incident response plan includes a policy that defines, in specific terms, what constitutes an incident and provides a step-by-step process that should be followed when an incident occurs. Cyber Attacks - Here we will cover CyberAttacks on Wi-Fi networks and over the web so you can understand how to respond to them. Virtualization and Cloud Security - So virtualization can mean many things at different layers of the stack. At the network layer you have VLAN's, MPLS networks and even SDN (Software Defined Network) technologies such as Openflow. At the storage layer you have VSAN's. At the Hardware and OS layer you have hypervisors for machine virtualization and containers for runtime virtualization and isolation. Databases have even gotten in on the act using container technology. Malware - In this section we will define Malware categories and characteristics and talk through protective countermeasures to keep networks, systems and data safe from compromise. ' Static Malware Analysis - Analyze malware statically in VM environments. Operational Security - Once we have a Risk Management program in place we need to implement operational security to manage the day to day aspects of security. In this lesson you will learn about Operational Security Controls what they consist of and how they help us to incrementally manage risk on a daily basis. Lesson 7 - Disaster Recovery - While at first glance DR might not seem like a natural fit with cybersecurity after further analysis we realize that disasters are threats that can inflict much more damage than any hacker. Here we will talk about DR planning, strategies and best practices. Platform Hardening and Baselining - Minimizing the attack surface area of operating systems, databases and applications is a key tenet of operational security. In this lesson you will learn about techniques for OS/DB and App hardening. Lesson 9 - Advanced Perimeter Security - While many argue that with the advent of mobile technologies and the cloud the perimeter is dissolving, it will remain a key component in securing network resources for years to come. Here we'll cover Load balancers, forward and reverse proxies, API Security Gateways, Firewall rules and Unified Threat Management technologies. IDS - Intrusion Detection technology is offered in multiple flavors. They are either network based or host based and can be detective or preventive in nature. Advanced IDS - Previously we've talked about IDS basic concepts. Now it's time to cover advanced IDS architectures, standards and further explore the inner workings of statistical and Rule based IDS. Snort and Bro - In this lesson you will learn how to use Snort and Bro NIDS/HIDS by example. Honeypots and Honeynets - Luring attackers away from critical data and studying their behavior can help us to protect the data that matters most. Let's found out how we can use honeypots to tie up attackers and find out what they are up to. Kippo SSH Honeypot Firewalls - In this lesson we will cover the evolution of firewalls and their capabilities. Apache Security Logging - Apache is still the most popular web server by install base on the web. Let's learn how to log malicious activities using Apache logging. SIM - Management of logs is a key component of operational security. These days the velocity, variety and volume of data collected via logs has catapulted log management into the realm of Big Data. You will learn how to effectively manage these logs and derive useful security information from them. Forensic Duplication Learn how to acquire a forensic duplicate using Linux based tool...
4. Cybersecurity Incident Handling and Response
This course covers the six phases of incident handling and responding as follows:0- Introduction: Includes the definition of an event, incident, as well as the difference between them1- Preparation Phase: Shows the elements of preparation and the team building, 2- Identification Phase: Demonstrates where identification occurs and the assessment for identification3- Containment: Explains the deployment and categorization needed as well as the short/long- term actions taken4- Eradication: Stresses on restoring systems and improving defenses5- Recovery: Elaborates the validation and monitoring required for attacked systems6- Lessons Learned: Confirms the importance of meeting as a team to fix and improve and to share our experiences with othersThe course targets cybersecurity officers and incident handlers, and the material requires only basic IT knowledge and a little of cybersecurity background. It is worth noting that incident response is a structured approach to handle various types of security incidents, cyber threats, and data breaches. The incident response methodology aims to identify, contain, and minimize the cost of a cyberattack or a live incident. A well-built incident response (IR) plan can fix a potential vulnerability to prevent future attacks, but it is not the sum game. Response is a part of Incident Handling which in turn looks at the logistics, communications, synchronicity, and planning required to resolve an incident...
5. Technical Deep Dive with Incident Response Tools
The Cyber Incident Response course will give students an understanding of how incidents are responded to at a high level, as well as allow them to build important technical skills through the hands-on labs and projects. This course starts with a high-level discussion of what happens at each phase of responding to an incident, followed by a technical deep dive into some of the more exciting parts of memory, network, and host analysis and forensics. This course is for anyone wishing to apply learned forensics and offensive knowledge such as ethical hacking to the incident response process...
6. Cyber Security Incident Response Wannacry Ransomware
Wannacry has been one of the most famous ransomware in computer history (so far) which allows us to investigate how it worked and identify indicators of compromise. The goal of the course is not to protect against Wannacry, but to provide you with a methodology to be able to quickly assess the behavour of a suspicious application in a computer. The tools we are using in this course are free for personal use, but there are way more other solutions you can use for the same purpose. At the end of this training you will have a solid understanding how the ransomware works and how to protect you environment, also you will be able to use the tools to identify and analyse other malicious tools. You will not be a malware analyst, this is not the course for that. This course will give you the steps to be able to do incident response in a quick manner and see what areas you need to develop yourself using other courses. Deep malware analysis is a very interesting area, but not necessarily the part of the incident response team. There are companies specialized in malware analysis, or people specializing in malware analysis. One can spend hours, days, weeks, months analyzing a single malware. This course aims for quick response...
7. Planning and Implementing a Security Incident Response
This course is designed to help you manage an enterprise security incident, while avoiding common errors, increasing both the effectiveness and efficiency of your incident response efforts. After completing this course, students will be able to: Effectively prioritize the response to a security incidentBuild a computer security incident response team (CSIRT)Develop an incident response action planPost-incident activityThis course is designed to get you started as quickly as possible. There are a variety of self-paced learning activities. You will get: Video lectures on each topic explaining each concept thoroughly with examples (and Demonstrations where applicable)Review questions (quizz) at the end of each sectionFinal Exam at the end of the course - review questions to test your knowledge on the topics and concepts learned in the courseLinks to official Microsoft resources/blogs/videos for further documentationThis course is the 9th course from a series of 9 courses which address all aspects to become a Microsoft Cyber Security Professional. This cyber security track is designed to teach you, or fill in the knowledge gaps, all the aspects and technologies to become a successful cyber security professional. The entire track addresses mostly Microsoft security technologies, including the latest cloud services made available by Microsoft like: Microsoft Defender Suite, Office 365 security features and services, Microsoft Graph, Azure Active Directory Security and many more. Microsoft, Windows, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. This course is not certified, accredited, affiliated with, nor endorsed by Microsoft Corporation...
8. Malware Analysis & Incident Response for IT Technicians
Over this course, we'll be covering some of the ways that you can prevent and respond to IT security incidents, such as a ransomware attack, on your organisation's network. Course topics include the following:* An explanation of the key differences between malware analysis and incident response* Known malware, online file analysis and tools that can be used to analyse running processes* Unknown malware and how to recognise suspicious files, using heuristic activity detection and vulnerability analysis* Incident prevention methods, including securing removable storage and an explanation of email filtering and analysis tools.* Incident response methods, such as escalation procedures and service priorities. Note that, in the real world, protecting against and reacting to security incidents is something that is unique to every organisation, taking into account its size and service priorities. For example, a company that hosts some websites internally may focus on getting them back online first, and then move onto getting internal staff back online, or vice versa. Before making any critical changes to your organisation's network, it is critical that that this is done in accordance with your company's policies, as this will ensure that incidents are resolved as smoothly as possible, and with the least amount of downtime and inconvenience to end users...
9. Build Security Incident Response for GDPR data protection
UPDATE: 8.5 hours of content - 2021!!! Take Cyber Security Incident Response approach in order to cover the Data Breach process required by GDPR Data Privacy Protection.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Lessons from ex IBM, MICROSOFT, about how to make privacy operational and how to get 3 privacy certifications in less than 30 days: CIPTv2020, CIPM, CIPP/E by IAPP"***************************************************************************************************************************************************MY FIRST PROMISE TO YOU is the following: You will be prepared to pass 3 IAPP certifications in less than 30 days if you follow the below learning plan: Course 1: Build EU GDPR data protection compliance from scratch (CIPT)Course 2: How to succeed in a Data Privacy Officer Role (GDPR DPO, CIPM)Course 3: GDPR Privacy Data Protection Case Studies Explained (CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT)Course 4: Ultimate Privacy by Design Guide - step by step strategies with examples (CIPM, CIPT)Course 5: Build Security Incident Response for GDPR Data Protection (incl. parts from CIPT and CIPM also)Course 6: (part of CIPP/US): California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) - Complete course - we are here!!!***************************************************************************************************************************************************My name is Roland Costea and after spending my last 8 years working for Microsoft, IBM, Genpact and Cognizant as a Privacy & Security Director being able to create hundreds of integrated security & privacy programmes for top organizations in the world, I have decided to put all my experience together in a comprehensive privacy LEARNING PLAN, to show how to actually make Data Privacy operational and most importantly how to think out of the box. I have been involved in engineering privacy for a lot of industries including Automotive (Mercedes-Benz, Geely, Volvo) and also provided DPO as a service for several other top companies in Europe and US. I have worked and developed the privacy strategy for Microsoft & IBM for the whole Central & Eastern Europe and also drived Cognizant Security & Privacy business in DACH. Certifications I hold: CIPT, CIPM, CISSP, CDPSE, CRISC, CISM, CCSK, CCSP, LPT, CEH, ECSA, TOGAF***************************************************************************************************************************************************In this course you will learn what Cyber Security Incident Response is and how it relates to GDPR Data Privacy, and if you are used to my style, you will do it from 3 perspective: theory, processes and technology. You will be able to apply our security methodologies, security frameworks and security processes for your own environment. The course is a complete A to Z, so we will cover everything that you need to know. In this way, we will first understand Cyber Security Incident Response challenges, difference between a NOC and a SOC (Cyber Security Operation Center) and how the latest can help in defining the Cyber Security Incident Response Process. We will follow up with GDPR Data Protection & Privacy relation and the impact of GDPR to Cyber Security Incident Response for any organization. We will learn about methodologies, frameworks, playbooks, we will draft 2 procedures and we will see how technology can help us in the roadmap. And all of these are separate resources that you will get! In the end, I will give an incredible collection of cyber security incident response free tools and resources I have build during time and i will teach how malware works, especially in the financial market. The course is delivered in a mix of over the shoulder lessons and powerpoint presentations. So, either I show you clicks on the screen and how exactly you do different actions, or I present you the full concept using slides. On top of that, you will get downloadable resources that will help you in your journey. I strongly recommend that you go through every lecture one time and then go back to the beginning and start to take action - in this way everything will get much more sense. As a student of this course, you will also get regular updates and access to new additional lectures as they are added...