IncidentResponsev2

4.49 Coordinate Transition to Recovery

Task Coordinate the Transition from Eradication to Recovery Operations

Conditions

Following successful eradication and validation activities, the operator will work with the Incident Response Lead, IT Operations, System Owners, and other stakeholders to formally transition from incident eradication to recovery. This includes ensuring all preconditions are met and appropriate approvals are obtained.

Operator Note: The transition to recovery is a critical step. Recovering too early can lead to re-infection or missed attacker footholds. Ensure the environment is confirmed clean and authorized before recovery.

Standards

• Team member confirms all eradication validation tasks are complete and documented.
• Team member coordinates transition planning with recovery team and system owners.
• Team member documents and obtains approval for transition to recovery.
• Team member communicates the transition status and readiness to all stakeholders.
• Team member ensures transition occurs in a controlled and monitored manner.

End State

A controlled and coordinated transition to recovery occurs with all parties informed, and the environment is confirmed ready for restoration and resumption of normal operations.

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Notes

• Transition to recovery marks the formal end of active eradication and containment activities.
• All critical stakeholders should be informed before recovery actions begin.
• A rollback plan should be in place in case post-recovery issues arise.

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Manual Steps

Step 1: Confirm Eradication is Complete

• Review eradication validation reports (see 4.48).
• Ensure all affected systems have passed validation checks.
• Confirm no outstanding eradication tasks remain.

Operator Note: No transition should occur with unresolved eradication issues.

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Step 2: Coordinate with Recovery Team and Stakeholders

• Identify recovery stakeholders:
  • Incident Response Lead
  • IT Operations
  • System and Application Owners
  • Cybersecurity Team
  • Executive / Crisis Management Team (if applicable)
• Schedule recovery planning meeting or coordination session.

Operator Note: Use collaborative tools (Teams, Zoom, Slack) or phone bridge for coordination during large incidents.

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Step 3: Prepare Recovery Plan and Obtain Approvals

• Develop recovery plan that includes:
  • Systems and services to be brought online.
  • Recovery order of operations.
  • Validation/monitoring actions during recovery.
• Obtain formal approval to proceed:
  • Incident Response Lead
  • System/Business Owners
  • IT Operations Management

Operator Note: Approval can be written (email, ticketing system) or verbal → document method in incident record.

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Step 4: Communicate Transition

• Announce transition to all affected teams and stakeholders:
  • “Transitioning from eradication to recovery at <time/date>”
  • Highlight any special instructions or considerations.
• Update incident tracking/ticketing system:
  • Mark eradication as completed.
  • Note start of recovery activities.

Operator Note: Use communication templates if available (e.g., IR status email templates).

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Step 5: Conduct Transition and Monitor

• Begin recovery actions per plan:
  • System restorations, re-imaging, rebuilding, user reactivation, etc.
• Monitor environment closely during recovery:
  • EDR/XDR alerts
  • Network traffic
  • System and application logs
• Be prepared to pause or rollback if indicators of compromise reappear.

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Running Script (Windows - Confirm AV and EDR Ready Before Recovery)

Get-MpComputerStatus

Operator Note: Ensure all systems entering recovery are fully monitored by EDR and AV.

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Dependencies

• Completion of eradication and validation activities
• Formal approval from IR Lead and System Owners
• Recovery plan and responsible teams identified
• Communication channels established

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Other Available Tools

Tool	Platform	Installation	Usage
Ticketing/ITSM (ServiceNow, Jira)	Cross-platform	Enterprise tool	Document transition and approvals
Collaboration Tools (Teams, Slack, Zoom)	Cross-platform	Enterprise tool	Coordinate transition and recovery activities
EDR/XDR (Crowdstrike, SentinelOne)	Cross-platform	Enterprise tool	Monitor systems during recovery
Email/Communications Templates	Cross-platform	N/A	Notify stakeholders of transition to recovery

Operator Note: Use enterprise tooling to document and monitor all transition actions and communications.

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Operator Recommendations and Additional Tools

Operator Checklist

• Confirm eradication validation complete and approved.
• Coordinate recovery plan with IR Lead, IT Ops, and system owners.
• Obtain formal approval to transition to recovery.
• Communicate transition to stakeholders.
• Begin recovery actions in controlled and monitored manner.
• Monitor systems for signs of issues during recovery.
• Document transition activities and approvals.

Best Practices

• Do not rush → confirm eradication is truly complete.
• Engage system owners early and often.
• Prepare rollback plans in case recovery encounters issues.
• Retain all documentation for Lessons Learned phase.

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References

NIST SP 800-61 - Computer Security Incident Handling Guide
US-CERT - Recovering from Cybersecurity Incidents

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Revision History

Date	Version	Description	Author
2025-05-02	1.0	Fully generated operator guide for coordinating eradication to recovery transition with detailed checklist	Leo