Post-Incident Review Procedure (RES-PROC-002)
1. Purpose
The purpose of this procedure is to describe the systematic process for conducting post-incident reviews following security incidents to identify lessons learned, improve incident response capabilities, and strengthen security controls to prevent similar incidents in the future.
2. Scope
This procedure applies to all security incidents affecting the video streaming platform that require formal post-incident review activities. It covers P1 and P2 incidents mandatorily, and P3 incidents based on specific criteria such as novel attack vectors, significant user impact, or regulatory implications.
3. Overview
This procedure ensures systematic analysis of incident response performance and identification of improvement opportunities through structured review meetings, root cause analysis, and action plan development. The process emphasizes learning and continuous improvement rather than blame assignment.
4. Procedure
| Step | Who | What |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Incident Response Manager | Schedule post-incident review meeting within 72 hours of incident closure for P1/P2 incidents, within 1 week for P3 incidents. |
| 2 | Documentation Lead | Compile complete incident timeline, response actions, decisions made, and all relevant documentation for review preparation. |
| 3 | Technical Teams | Prepare technical analysis including root cause findings, impact assessment, and detailed technical recommendations for prevention. |
| 4 | Incident Response Manager | Facilitate post-incident review meeting with all incident response team members and relevant stakeholders present. |
| 5 | All Participants | Review incident timeline chronologically, discussing what worked well, what could be improved, and identifying decision points. |
| 6 | Root Cause Analyst | Present detailed root cause analysis using systematic methodology (5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram, or Fault Tree Analysis). |
| 7 | All Participants | Identify specific lessons learned including process improvements, tool enhancements, and training needs for future incidents. |
| 8 | Action Item Owner | Define specific, measurable action items with assigned owners, deadlines, and success criteria for implementation. |
| 9 | [Security Department/Team Name] | Assess need for immediate security control improvements or emergency patches based on incident findings. |
| 10 | Documentation Lead | Prepare comprehensive post-incident review report with findings, recommendations, and approved action plan. |
| 11 | CISO | Review post-incident report, approve action plan and resource allocation, and ensure executive awareness of critical findings. |
| 12 | Action Item Owners | Implement assigned improvements within agreed timelines and provide progress updates to incident response manager. |
| 13 | Incident Response Manager | Track action item completion, validate effectiveness of implemented improvements, and update incident response procedures. |
| 14 | Knowledge Management | Update incident response knowledge base, procedures, and training materials based on lessons learned and improvements. |
5. Standards Compliance
| Procedure Step(s) | Standard/Framework | Control Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 4-7 | ISO/IEC 27001:2022 | A.16.1.6 |
| 4-7 | PCI DSS v4.0 | Req. 12.10.6 |
| 6 | NIST Cybersecurity Framework | RS.IM-1 |
| 6 | PCI DSS v4.0 | Req. 12.10.7 |
| 8-9 | SOC 2 Type II | CC7.5 |
| 8-9 | PCI DSS v4.0 | Req. 6.5.5 |
| 10-11 | ISO/IEC 27001:2022 | A.16.1.7 |
| 10-11 | PCI DSS v4.0 | Req. 12.1 |
6. Artifact(s)
A comprehensive post-incident review report containing incident summary, timeline analysis, root cause findings, lessons learned, specific action items with owners and timelines, and executive approval documentation stored in the incident management system with tracking capabilities for action item completion.
7. Definitions
Post-Incident Review: A structured meeting to analyze incident response performance and identify improvement opportunities.
Root Cause Analysis: A systematic investigation method to identify the underlying causes of an incident.
Lessons Learned: Key insights and knowledge gained from incident analysis that can improve future response capabilities.
Action Items: Specific, measurable tasks assigned to improve security controls, processes, or response capabilities.
Blameless Review: An approach that focuses on system and process improvements rather than individual fault-finding.
5 Whys: A root cause analysis technique that asks “why” iteratively to drill down to underlying causes.
Fault Tree Analysis: A systematic method for analyzing potential causes of system failures or incidents.
8. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Incident Response Manager | Facilitate post-incident reviews, ensure comprehensive analysis, and track action item implementation and effectiveness. |
| Documentation Lead | Compile incident documentation, prepare review materials, and create comprehensive post-incident review reports. |
| Technical Teams | Provide detailed technical analysis, identify technical improvements, and implement assigned technical action items. |
| Root Cause Analyst | Conduct systematic root cause analysis, facilitate analysis discussions, and ensure thorough investigation of underlying causes. |
| CISO | Review findings and recommendations, approve action plans and resource allocation, and ensure organizational learning integration. |
| Action Item Owners | Implement assigned improvements within deadlines, provide progress updates, and validate effectiveness of implemented changes. |