What is the focus of NIST SP 800-61?

The focus of NIST SP 800-61 is on computer security incident handling. This publication provides guidelines and best practices for organizations to recognize, manage, and respond to security incidents effectively. It emphasizes the importance of establishing an incident response capability that includes preparation, detection, analysis, containment, eradication, and recovery in the event of a security breach. By following the recommendations laid out in this document, organizations can improve their resilience against attacks and reduce the impact of incidents.

The document is particularly relevant for IT teams tasked with maintaining security integrity and responding to threats. It guides the formulation of incident response plans that help organizations minimize damages from security incidents and ensure rapid recovery of services.

In contrast, the other choices focus on different areas: Zero Trust Architecture addresses security frameworks that do not automatically trust devices inside or outside the network; information system audits concentrate on evaluating the controls and processes of security systems; and test, training, and exercise programs pertain to preparing teams for various IT incidents through drills and simulations. Each of these categories is important for overall cybersecurity, but they do not specifically address the incident handling process that NIST SP 800-61 centers on.