What does the eradication phase in incident response involve?

The eradication phase in incident response is critical because it focuses on removing all traces of threats from the organization's systems and ensuring that any compromised systems are thoroughly cleaned. This phase follows the identification and containment stages of incident response, where the primary goal was to stop the threat from causing further damage.

During eradication, the security team will perform actions such as deleting malware, closing vulnerabilities, and implementing fixes to ensure that the threat cannot re-enter the system. This phase is essential not only for restoring normal operations but also for preventing similar incidents from occurring in the future. Proper eradication addresses the root cause of the incident and ensures that the systems are free of any malicious presence before they are brought back online.

Other options, such as documenting security policies or conducting user training sessions, may be important aspects of a cybersecurity program, but they do not directly relate to the specific purpose of eradicating threats from the system after an incident has been detected. Upgrading hardware components may be part of improving the overall security posture but is not a direct activity within the eradication phase itself. Thus, the focus on removing threats and cleaning systems is appropriately aligned with the eradication phase’s objectives.