What is a security incident response plan (IRP)?

A security incident response plan (IRP) is fundamentally a strategic plan devised to address and manage the aftermath of a security breach or incident. It outlines critical processes, roles, and responsibilities to effectively respond to various security incidents and minimize their impact on the organization.

The plan typically includes steps for detecting and analyzing incidents, responding swiftly to mitigate damage, and recovering from the incident while ensuring that similar events are prevented in the future. It also encompasses communication strategies, coordination among response teams, and methods for documenting incidents for future reference and lessons learned.

In contrast, other options do not align with the objective of an IRP. While there are frameworks for software testing procedures, the primary focus of such frameworks is on evaluating software quality rather than responding to security incidents. Enhancing user experience pertains to improving the interaction between users and systems, which is unrelated to incident response. A checklist for compliance audits is focused on regulatory compliance rather than the active processes involved in managing and responding to security incidents. Thus, the strategic nature of option B accurately reflects the essence of what an incident response plan entails.