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Topic 5: Threat Detection and Incident Response

Incident response is about being prepared to handle security events when they occur. Before implementing automated threat detection for your Journal API, you need to understand threat detection principles and incident response workflows.

Learning Objectives​

By the end of this topic, you will understand:

  • Common cloud security threats and attack vectors
  • Incident response lifecycle and best practices
  • Automated threat detection and response concepts
  • How to design effective incident response workflows
  • Threat intelligence and threat hunting basics

Core Learning Resources​

1. Read: Incident Response Fundamentals​

Start with these foundational guides:

2. Watch: Incident Response in Practice​

3. Learn: Cloud Security Threats​

Key Concepts to Master​

Incident Response Lifecycle​

  1. Preparation: Plan, train, and set up tools before incidents occur
  2. Detection & Analysis: Identify and understand security events
  3. Containment, Eradication & Recovery: Stop the threat and restore normal operations
  4. Post-Incident Activity: Learn from incidents to improve future response

Common Cloud Threats​

  • Account Compromise: Stolen credentials or API keys
  • Data Breaches: Unauthorized access to sensitive data
  • Resource Hijacking: Using your cloud resources for malicious purposes
  • Misconfigurations: Accidentally exposing resources publicly
  • Supply Chain Attacks: Compromised dependencies or third-party services

Automated Response Concepts​

  • Security Orchestration: Coordinating responses across multiple tools
  • Playbooks: Predefined response procedures for common incidents
  • Threat Intelligence: Using external threat data to improve detection
  • Behavioral Analysis: Detecting anomalies in user and system behavior

Incident Severity Levels​

  • Critical: Immediate threat to business operations or data
  • High: Significant security impact requiring rapid response
  • Medium: Security concern requiring investigation
  • Low: Minor security event for awareness and documentation

Test Your Knowledge​

Use an AI assistant to test your understanding. Here are example prompts:

  1. "Quiz me on the incident response lifecycle phases"
  2. "Ask me about common cloud security threats and attack vectors"
  3. "Test my knowledge of automated incident response concepts"
  4. "Quiz me on incident severity classification"
  5. "Ask me about threat intelligence and how it's used"
  6. "Test my understanding of security playbooks and runbooks"
  7. "Quiz me on containment strategies for different types of incidents"
  8. "Ask me about post-incident activities and lessons learned"

Additional Resources (Optional)​

Threat Detection Tools​

Incident Response Frameworks​

Practice Resources​

Threat Intelligence Sources​

Next Steps​

Once you understand threat detection and incident response concepts, you're ready for the capstone project. You'll implement comprehensive security for your Journal API, bringing together everything you've learned in Topics 1-5.