Automated Reports

(OBJ 4.9)

Automated Reports

• Generated by computer systems to provide information about various aspects of a network's security

• Common sources are antivirus software, endpoint detection response capabilities, and other security tools

• Example:

  • Automated security incident report generated by an endpoint in detection response capability

  

  • See basic fields
  • The executive summary condenses the contents of reports, which vary in length based on network activity
  • Note 4:53 AM is a suspicious timestamp
    

Automated Security Incident Report Key Elements

• Report ID
  • A unique identifier for the report
• Generation date
  • The date the report was generated
• Report period
  • The time frame covered by the report
• “Prepared by”
  • The entity responsible for creating the report
• Executive Summary
  • Provides a brief overview of the report's content, helping readers determine its relevance
• Incident Alerts
  • Can be categorized into different levels
    • Critical
    • High
    • Moderate
    • Informational
• Incident Details
  • Timestamps
  • User accounts
  • Affected systems
  • Incident descriptions
  • Actions taken
    • Automated responses can include suspending user accounts, blocking IP addresses, and resetting passwords
    • Outbound traffic and software installations may trigger alerts, which require investigation to determine their nature and potential security implications
• Incident Analysis
  • May include threat trends, user behavior, and data flow anomalies
• Security Recommendations
  • Suggest actions to address identified security issues
• Conclusion
  • Summary of the report's findings and contains outlines of any further actions to be taken
• Appendices
  • May include log snippets, IP addresses, domains, or other relevant data

Automation and orchestration enable real-time responses to security incidents, helping to prevent major security breaches and network outages