Incident Response - After Action Review (AAR) Template

After Action Review (AAR) Template

Focus: Highlighting and tracking improvement ideas and tasks derived from the incident using the 5 Why’s model to identify root causes and solutions.

1. Incident Summary

Purpose: Briefly summarize the incident (e.g., type, impact, and resolution). Avoid detailed technical descriptions.

Example:

• Incident Type: Phishing attack.

• Impact: Unauthorized access to a user’s email account.

• Resolution: Account access revoked, credentials reset, and communication logs reviewed.

Root Cause Analysis Using the 5 Why’s

Purpose: Understand the underlying causes of the incident to inform effective improvement actions.

Question	Response
Why did the incident occur?	A user clicked a malicious link in a phishing email.
Why did the user click the link?	The email appeared legitimate and mimicked an internal request.
Why did the email bypass filters?	The email filters lacked rules for detecting this specific pattern.
Why were the filters insufficient?	Rules were not updated to address evolving phishing tactics.
Why were updates not made?	There is no process for routinely reviewing and updating filters.

3. Improvement Areas

A. Improved Security Controls

Goal: Identify and track actionable security control enhancements to prevent or detect similar incidents in the future.

Improvement Idea	Root Cause (5 Why’s)	Owner	Priority	Target Completion Date	Status
Enhance email filtering systems	Filters not updated to detect evolving phishing tactics.	IT Security	High	[Insert Date]	[Open/In Progress/Completed]
Deploy AI-based threat detection	Lack of advanced detection for phishing anomalies.	IT Security	Medium	[Insert Date]	[Open/In Progress/Completed]

B. Process Improvements

Goal: Refine response processes, including technical implementations, personnel training, and procedural updates.

Improvement Area	Root Cause (5 Why’s)	Owner	Priority	Target Completion Date	Status
Regularly update email filters	No process for filter updates.	Incident Manager	High	[Insert Date]	[Open/In Progress/Completed]
Conduct phishing simulation training	Users not trained to recognize phishing emails.	Training Team	Medium	[Insert Date]	[Open/In Progress/Completed]
Automate response for suspicious emails	No automated systems to quarantine threats.	Automation Lead	High	[Insert Date]	[Open/In Progress/Completed]

4. Task Tracking Overview

Purpose: Consolidate all identified improvements and tasks into a clear action plan.

Task	Improvement Area	Root Cause (5 Why’s)	Owner	Priority	Target Completion Date	Status
[Task Name]	[Security Control/Process Area]	[Root Cause Description]	[Owner Name]	[Priority]	[Date]	[Status]

5. Lessons Learned

Purpose: Document key takeaways to inform future practices.

1. What worked well:

   • Example: Quick containment of the incident by the IT team.

2. Areas for improvement:

   • Example: The need for more robust phishing awareness training.

6. Review and Next Steps

Next Steps: Summarize the immediate actions required to address the identified improvement areas.

Follow-Up Date: [Insert Date for Follow-Up Review]