CIS Control 17.7: Conduct Routine Incident Response Exercises
Incident response plans only work when your team has practiced them. CIS Control 17.7 requires organizations to conduct regular exercises and scenarios that test both the technical and communication aspects of incident response. Regular drills transform theoretical procedures into muscle memory, ensuring your workforce can execute under pressure.
What this means
This control mandates that organizations plan and execute routine incident response exercises involving personnel responsible for incident detection, containment, and communication. These exercises must simulate realistic scenarios and evaluate both the technical execution of response procedures and the effectiveness of internal and external communication channels. The goal is to identify gaps, build confidence, and ensure that when a real incident occurs, your team responds smoothly rather than scrambling.
How to comply
- 1.Document your incident response plan with clear roles, responsibilities, and escalation procedures
- 2.Schedule quarterly or semi-annual incident response exercises with all relevant teams
- 3.Design realistic scenarios that reflect your organization's actual threat landscape and business environment
- 4.Test both technical response (isolation, containment, forensics) and communication workflows (notification, reporting, transparency)
- 5.Record exercise outcomes, identify gaps, and document lessons learned
- 6.Update your incident response plan based on exercise findings
- 7.Rotate personnel through exercises to build organizational depth and knowledge retention
- 8.Include suppliers, partners, and third-party vendors in exercises where applicable
Evidence auditors look for
- Incident response exercise schedule and calendar with documented completion dates
- Exercise scenario documents detailing objectives, participants, and simulated attack parameters
- After-action reports capturing performance metrics, response times, and identified improvements
- Communication logs or transcripts showing notification procedures and escalation paths tested
- Sign-in sheets or attendance records from team members who participated in drills
- Updated incident response plan reflecting changes made after each exercise cycle
- Evidence of corrective actions taken to address gaps discovered during exercises
- Training records showing personnel participation in multiple incident response drills
Frequently asked questions
When will FAQs be available?
The FAQ for this control is currently being prepared.
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