Interview Questions/Phone Screen/Incident Response Phases
IntermediatePhone
2 min

Incident Response Phases

SREIncident ManagementDevOps
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Interview Question

Briefly explain the main phases of an incident response process.

Key Points to Cover
  • Phases: Preparation → Detection → Containment → Eradication → Recovery → Lessons Learned
  • Goal: minimize downtime, reduce MTTR, improve future prevention
  • Involves coordinated cross-team communication and tooling
Evaluation Rubric
Lists key phases correctly40% weight
Connects phases to business goals30% weight
Mentions communication/tooling aspects30% weight
Hints
  • 💡Follow NIST IR lifecycle structure.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
  • ⚠️Failing to mention crucial phases like 'Preparation' or 'Lessons Learned,' which are foundational for a mature process.
  • ⚠️Not clearly articulating the 'why' behind the process, such as minimizing downtime, reducing MTTR, or building resilience.
  • ⚠️Focusing too much on specific technical solutions rather than the overarching process and its management aspects.
  • ⚠️Neglecting to emphasize the critical roles of cross-team communication and specialized tooling.
  • ⚠️Presenting the phases as a rigid, linear checklist instead of an iterative process that feeds into continuous improvement.
Potential Follow-up Questions
  • What’s MTTR vs MTTD?
  • How do you handle incident retrospectives?
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