What is incident response? Cybersecurity roles explained

Every day, there’s an average of one cyberattack every 39 seconds, targeting both individuals and businesses, costing millions of dollars and shattering peace of mind. And who’s there to stand in the way of threat actors and other ne'er-do-wells? Who will protect us? Who will answer the call?

Incident responders!

There’s a reason those 2200-ish daily cyberattacks go relatively unnoticed. It’s because incident responders monitor for and, as shouldn’t be a surprise, respond to threats.  

Here’s everything you need to know about incident responders, and what to start learning to land this role.

What is an incident responder?

Incident responders are exactly what they sound like: they respond to cyberattacks and other security incidents that target an organization’s network. In addition to actually defending IT infrastructure, incident responders also apply digital forensics to get at the root causes of incidents and recommend strategies to prevent future incidents. 

Being an incident responder requires you to think on your feet and function as a kind of cyber-detective, or, if you prefer, an Aragorn-like ranger following tracks back to their source. You’ll also hear incident responders compared to firefighters. So, take your pick of hero metaphors.

You may see a variety of titles under the broader umbrella of “incident responder,” including:

• Incident response analyst
• Cyber incident responder
• Malware analyst
• Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) engineer
• Computer Network Defense (CND) incident responder

Incident response vs. cyber forensics

At some organizations, incident response functions may be separated from cyber or computer forensics roles, where other organizations lump the roles together. In the cases where they’re treated separately, incident responders are the ones focused on resolving the incident and taking steps to prevent attacks or breaches in the future. Forensics analysts, on the other hand, embody more of that detective role and use evidence and data to actually track down cyber attackers. They frequently also work with law enforcement or other legal authorities.

What do incident responders do?

An incident responder's daily activities and responsibilities will vary from organization to organization, but here’s what you can typically expect:

1. Monitor network security and identify security incidents

Much of an incident responder’s time is spent monitoring IT infrastructure for suspicious activity that may indicate a threat. This generally involves analyzing network traffic for strange spikes or sources, watching systems logs and other data sources, and using tools like firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion-detection systems. Through it all, incident responders document everything from the very beginning of a potential incident.

2. Incident response

“Response” is a word laden with many meanings for incident responders. For starters, when they detect a security incident, incident responders isolate the affected systems to keep the threat from spreading. They’ll also implement quick, temporary measures that contain the damage.

3. Investigate incidents

For being this role’s entire title, responding to an incident is just the beginning. Incident responders are also tasked with diving into systems logs and network traffic to investigate incidents. They’ll search for signs of the attacker, for the tactics they used to infiltrate and affect the infrastructure, and for the scope of the damage across systems. In order to prevent incidents from happening again, incident responders will also conduct root cause analysis to identify the underlying cause of a breach or incident. Incident responders engaged in cyber forensics will also gather this evidence for use in legal proceedings.

4. Resolve and recover from incidents

Just like hosing down flames is just the start of actually recovering from a fire, incident responders work on long-term solutions to security incidents and work with other teams to restore a system’s normal operations. A critical part of recovery is using the evidence incident responders have gathered to fix vulnerabilities and improve incident response in the future. 

5. Document and report on incidents

It’s up to incident responders to inform other organizational stakeholders or legal authorities on the nature of an incident (why it happened, what was the source, how’d they infiltrate the system) and how they responded. Incident responders will pull from their extensive documentation when making these reports.

6. Educate teams and mitigate future risks

Responding to today’s incidents is great. Preventing tomorrow’s potential incidents is much better. That prevention requires educating teams on vulnerabilities, risks, and best practices. 

7. Keep up on cyber risks and trends

Incident responders keep an eye on cybersecurity news and are always learning about new and developing threats. This responsibility may be as simple as checking up on cyber news sites like Hacker News or Krebs on Security, or it may mean engaging in continuous learning by retaking certification exams and developing new skills (think of all the cybersecurity experts that have had to become AI experts as well in recent years).

Qualifications to become an incident responder

Incident responder roles will have a range of qualifications depending on the organizations, but there are a few you can bank on being pretty consistent. These roles don’t always require a bachelor’s degree, but some will expect education in computer science, cybersecurity, or a similar field. Some employers will also be on the lookout for people with more general certifications like the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)

How much do incident responders get paid?

Incident responder salary is another factor that will differ depending on the organization, but as of September 2024, Talent.com reports the median incident responder salary as $130,000. More experienced incident responders should expect to make closer to $177,000 with entry-level positions making around $101,000. Since incident responder roles are so critical to the normal operations of an organization, and since incident responders may need to work through emergencies at odd hours, most organizations will pay well for these roles.

Essential skills and certifications for incident responders

Incident responders need a combination of industry certifications, technical skills, and soft skills to succeed in this role. Here’s what you should focus on.

Essential certifications for incident responders

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP): One of the most fundamental cybersecurity certifications, the CISSP cert validates that you can “effectively design, implement, and manage a best-in-class cybersecurity program.” Many employers expect prospective incident responders to have this certification.

Prep for the CISSP exam with this learning path.

CompTIA Security+: Another crucial certification for most cybersecurity roles, the Security+ certification covers everything from assessing security posture to securing hybrid environments to responding to incidents. 

Check out this Pluralsight learning path to prepare for the CompTIA Security+ certification.

CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner: (CASP+): The CASP+ certification goes a level deeper, exploring security architecture and engineering to improve organizations’ cybersecurity readiness. Essential skills for incident responders.

Our brand-new learning path will help you ace the CASP+ certification.

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+): The CySA+ certification focuses more on analytical cybersecurity skills, like incident detection, prevention, and response. Sounds a bit relevant, right?

We’ve also got a learning path to prepare you for the CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst exam. 

Essential skills for incident responders

We’ve curated a clear learning path just for incident responders that will give you all the necessary skills to succeed in this role, all while taking you through a scenario very much like what you’d face on the job. Here are the essential skills incident responders should focus on building:

Forensics software: The trusty toolkit of incident responders, forensics software collects and analyzes data. Whether you use Forensic Toolkit (FTK), Wireshark, or Elastic Stack, this solution will be crucial for working with the massive amounts of data involved in this role and ensuring you’re preserving evidence for investigation where necessary.

Programming: While incident responders won’t do as much coding as other cybersecurity professions, you may need to write and run scripts for data extraction and analysis. Python, PowerShell, and Bash are some of the most fundamental languages to learn.

Intrusion detection and malware analysis: Intrusion detection includes everything from identifying malware infections to network breaches and more. Incident responders will also need to go beyond solely identifying malware and into analyzing how that malware works.

Communication: In cybersecurity, the stakes are high, and incident responders frequently need to communicate those stakes to teams across an organization in terms they understand, as well as how to implement best practices to prevent security incidents. You’ll have to translate complicated concepts and resolve concerns in high-stress situations, all of which takes strong communication skills.

Quick, critical thinking and problem solving: This is what incident response is all about! You’ll need to solve problems, sometimes with solutions that require deep, creative thinking. You have to out-think threat actors, and you have to do it quickly. On the other hand, you also need to think about how to solve long-term problems like improving organization-wide security practices and more.

Adaptability: Incident responders sometimes have high-stakes emergency situations on their hands, and they need to be able to adapt quickly without losing their cool. 

Start learning your way to becoming an incident responder

Incident response can be an exciting, fast-paced, and rewarding field. If you’re looking for a blend of intellectually investigative work and quick-on-your-feet problem solving, then incident responder may be the perfect role for you. The bad guys won’t know what hit ‘em.

Good luck, and happy learning!

For more resources on cybersecurity, check out these articles:

• A day in the life of an incident responder
• How to get into cybersecurity with no prior experience
• Starting in cybersecurity: FAQs about how to get your first job
• Cybersecurity jobs: Key skills, certificates, and traits leaders want
• From Air Force pilot to CISO: How this security leader landed the top job
• 5 ways to get practical experience in tech (so you can land a job)