Security Incident Response Management (SIRM) is a structured organizational capability that detects, analyzes, contains, eradicates, and recovers from cybersecurity incidents — then improves controls to prevent recurrence. It governs the full lifecycle of security events from the moment anomalous activity surfaces through post-incident lessons learned. In ISACA CISA Domain 5, SIRM functions as both a protective control and an assurance mechanism: auditors evaluate whether an organization's incident response program is adequately designed, implemented, and operating effectively to safeguard information assets.
Where it stops · what it isn't
- —IS: The full lifecycle management of a declared security incident — preparation, detection, analysis, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident review (aligned to NIST SP 800-61 Rev 2 and ISO/IEC 27035:2023).
- —IS: Governance structures (RACI matrices, escalation procedures), documentation requirements (incident response plan, playbooks, runbooks, communication templates), and regulatory notification obligations.
- —IS: Forensic evidence preservation, chain of custody procedures, and coordination among technical responders, legal counsel, and executive stakeholders.
- —IS NOT: Routine IT operations, change management, or standard help desk ticket resolution — these do not constitute security incidents unless a security boundary is violated.
- —IS NOT: A pure technical function. SIRM spans people (roles, training), process (plans, playbooks), and technology (SIEM, EDR, SOAR) simultaneously.
- —IS NOT: Business Continuity Management (BCM) or Disaster Recovery (DR), though SIRM coordinates with those functions during major incidents affecting availability.
- —IS NOT: Threat intelligence management or vulnerability management in isolation — those disciplines feed SIRM's detection and preparation phases but are distinct competencies.
Connected concepts in the graph
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PART OFCISA Domain 5: Protection of Information Assets
REQUIRESSecurity Monitoring and Event Detection (SIEM/SOC Operations)Digital Forensics and Evidence CollectionInformation Asset Classification and Valuation
ENABLESRegulatory Breach Notification Compliance (GDPR, HIPAA, SEC, NIS2)Post-Incident Control Improvement and Risk Remediation
RELATED TOBusiness Continuity and Disaster Recovery PlanningVulnerability and Patch Management
CONSTRAINSRansom Payment Decision Frameworks (legal, regulatory, reputational boundaries)