The PICERL Model - A Key Tool for Effective Incident Response in Security Operations

The PICERL model is a widely recognized incident response model that organizations use to respond effectively to security incidents. The acronym stands for Preparation, Identification, Containment, Eradication, Recovery, and Lessons Learned. Each stage of the model serves an important purpose in ensuring that security incidents are handled efficiently and effectively. 

Preparation

Identifying potential vulnerabilities in an organization's security posture and developing a plan to address them. For example, a company that is at risk of being attacked may need to implement additional security measures such as firewalls or intrusion detection systems.

Identification

Identifying the nature of the security incident and determining its potential impact on the organization. For example, if a security incident involves a ransomware attack, it may be necessary to take steps to recover affected files or systems.

 Containment

Execution of steps to prevent the security incident from spreading further or causing more harm. For example, if a security incident involves a vulnerability in an organization's software, it may be necessary to patch the software to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Eradication

Executing steps to remove the root cause of the security incident and prevent it from occurring again in the future. For example, if a security incident involves a compromised user account, it may be necessary to change the password for that account or implement additional measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

 Recovery

Performing steps to restore affected systems or data and ensure that the organization can continue to function normally. For example, if a security incident involves a ransomware attack, it may be necessary to recover affected files or systems and implement additional measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

 Lessons Learned

Documenting what was learned from the security incident and how it can be applied to prevent similar incidents in the future. For example, if a security incident involved a vulnerability in an organization's software, it may be necessary to implement additional measures to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are identified and addressed in the future. 

For example, a company is threatened with a ransomware attack if it does not pay a certain amount of money. The security team takes prompt action to contain the attack and prevent it from spreading further. They also implement additional measures to ensure that similar incidents in the future are identified and addressed before they become major problems. In this case, the company's PICERL response model includes the following stages:

•  Preparation - The security team identifies potential vulnerabilities in the organization's software and implements additional security measures to prevent similar attacks from occurring in the future.
• Identification - The security team quickly identifies the nature of the ransomware attack and determines its potential impact on the company.
• Containment - The security team takes steps to prevent the attack from spreading further or causing more harm, such as implementing additional security measures to prevent similar attacks in the future.
• Eradication - The security team takes steps to remove the root cause of the ransomware attack and prevent it from occurring again in the future. This may include changing the password for any compromised user accounts or implementing additional measures to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are identified and addressed.
•  Recovery - The security team works to restore affected systems and data and implement additional measures to ensure that the company can continue to function normally.
•  Lessons Learned - The security team documents what was learned from the ransomware attack and how it can be applied to prevent similar incidents in the future, such as implementing additional security measures or identifying potential vulnerabilities in software.

Utilizing the PICERL response model you can respond to a ransomware attack and minimize its impact on the organization. This not only helps to protect sensitive data but also ensures that the organization can continue to function normally and maintain business operations as usual.