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03.06.03Incident response testingITSP.10.171Incident response

Official Requirement

Test the effectiveness of the incident response capability [Assignment: organization-defined frequency].

Source: Canadian Centre for Cyber Security ITSP.10.171 (2025), adapted from NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3

In Plain English

You must test your incident response capability regularly -- typically through tabletop exercises, simulations, or full-scale drills. Testing verifies that your team, processes, and tools actually work when needed and identifies gaps before a real incident exposes them.

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The Trust Services Criteria referenced in this tool are published by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and incorporate principles from the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Criteria descriptions are reproduced for reference purposes. All implementation guidance, evidence recommendations, and control language are original work by Truvo Cyber. ISO 27001 and ISO 42001 are standards published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Framework and standard names are the property of their respective owners. This tool is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or certified by AICPA, COSO, or ISO.

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On-premises implementation and evidence

Incident response testing and exercises

Implementation steps

  1. Conduct at least annual tabletop exercises with the incident response team and relevant stakeholders (IT, legal, management, communications)
  2. Design scenarios that test the full incident lifecycle and involve realistic on-premises threats (network intrusion, insider threat, physical breach)
  3. Document the exercise, participant feedback, identified weaknesses, and lessons learned in an after-action report
  4. Track and resolve remediation items before the next scheduled test

Tools / systems

Evidence artifacts

Evidence frequency: Annual minimum; semi-annual recommended