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Security Incident Response

If you discover a security vulnerability or breach, follow these procedures immediately.

🚨 Immediate Actions​

1. Contain the Threat​

If active attack detected:

  • Immediately revoke compromised credentials
  • Block malicious IP addresses
  • Disable affected services if necessary
  • Preserve logs and evidence

If vulnerability discovered:

  • Do NOT create public issue or PR
  • Do NOT discuss publicly
  • Report privately to security team

2. Report the Incident​

Contact immediately:

  • Email: security@reformer.la
  • Slack: #security-alerts (private channel)
  • Phone: [Emergency contact number]

Include in report:

  • Description of the incident
  • When it was discovered
  • Potential impact
  • Steps to reproduce (if vulnerability)
  • Evidence (logs, screenshots, etc.)

3. Assess the Impact​

Determine:

  • What data was accessed?
  • How many users affected?
  • What systems compromised?
  • Is attack still active?

Incident Severity Levels​

🔴 Critical​

  • Active data breach
  • Unauthorized access to production systems
  • Financial data compromised
  • Immediate action required

Response Time: Within 1 hour

🟠 High​

  • Vulnerability allowing unauthorized access
  • Potential data exposure
  • System compromise possible

Response Time: Within 4 hours

🟡 Medium​

  • Security misconfiguration
  • Potential vulnerability
  • No active exploitation

Response Time: Within 24 hours

🟢 Low​

  • Minor security issues
  • Best practice violations
  • No immediate risk

Response Time: Within 1 week

Response Procedures​

For Critical Incidents​

  1. Immediate containment (within 15 minutes)

    • Revoke compromised credentials
    • Block malicious IPs
    • Disable affected services

  2. Investigation (within 1 hour)

    • Review logs
    • Identify attack vector
    • Assess data accessed

  3. Remediation (within 4 hours)

    • Patch vulnerability
    • Restore services
    • Verify fix

  4. Notification (within 24 hours)

    • Notify affected users
    • Report to authorities if required
    • Public disclosure if necessary

For High/Medium Incidents​

  1. Assessment (within response time)

    • Evaluate vulnerability
    • Test exploitability
    • Determine impact

  2. Remediation (within 48 hours)

    • Develop fix
    • Test thoroughly
    • Deploy fix

  3. Documentation (within 1 week)

    • Document incident
    • Update security procedures
    • Lessons learned

Post-Incident Actions​

1. Root Cause Analysis​

Document:

  • How the incident occurred
  • Why security controls failed
  • What could have prevented it

2. Remediation​

  • Fix the vulnerability
  • Improve security controls
  • Update procedures
  • Train team members

3. Prevention​

  • Review similar systems
  • Update security policies
  • Enhance monitoring
  • Conduct security audit

4. Communication​

  • Internal notification
  • User notification (if required)
  • Public disclosure (if necessary)
  • Regulatory reporting (if required)

Incident Response Checklist​

  • Threat contained
  • Incident reported
  • Impact assessed
  • Evidence preserved
  • Vulnerability fixed
  • Services restored
  • Users notified (if required)
  • Incident documented
  • Procedures updated
  • Lessons learned shared
  • Data breach laws - May require notification within specific timeframes
  • GDPR - 72-hour notification requirement for data breaches
  • Regulatory reporting - May be required for financial data breaches
  • Law enforcement - May need to involve authorities for criminal activity

Resources​

Contact Information​

Security Team:

External Resources:

  • Security consultant: [Contact]
  • Legal counsel: [Contact]
  • Law enforcement: 911 (for active attacks)