Mapped to NIST 800-171 Requirement: 3.6.1
CMMC Assessment Objective: IR.L2-3.6.1[c]
What This Objective Means
You’ve documented your incident response process (IR.L2-3.6.1[b])—now you must demonstrate that it’s been put into action.
This control asks whether:
• The documented process is being followed during real or test incidents
• Team members understand their roles and responsibilities
• The response steps—detection, reporting, containment, recovery, etc.—are carried out as described
• The process is embedded into daily operations, not sitting on a shelf
Why It Matters
Even a perfect plan means nothing if it’s not used.
If your team doesn’t follow the documented process:
• Critical steps could be skipped (e.g., containment or escalation)
• Roles may be unclear during high-pressure incidents
• CUI incidents may go unreported or improperly managed
• You’ll fail assessments that require evidence of implementation
This control ensures you’re prepared and consistent—not reactive or improvisational.
How to Implement It
1. Integrate IR Processes into Daily Workflows
• Use a centralized ticketing or incident tracking system
• Tie alerts from security tools (e.g., EDR, SIEM) to triage procedures
2. Assign and Confirm Roles
• Ensure your incident response team knows their responsibilities
• Include IR responsibilities in job descriptions and onboarding
3. Run Incident Response Drills
• Conduct tabletop exercises or live simulations
• Validate that your documented process is followed during drills
4. Capture Real Incident Logs
• Document how recent incidents were handled
• Include timestamps, communications, decisions, and outcomes
5. Review and Improve
• Perform post-incident reviews to confirm whether the IR plan was followed
• Update documentation and training based on findings
Evidence the Assessor Will Look For
• Incident tickets or logs showing use of the documented process
• Screenshots from incident tracking systems
• Post-incident reports or debriefs referencing your plan
• Confirmation that team members followed the IR workflow
• Interview responses validating implementation
Common Gaps
• IR plan exists but is never used
• Roles are unclear or undocumented in real-world events
• Incidents are handled ad hoc or via undocumented processes
• No post-incident review to assess IR process adherence
How Cuick Trac Helps
Cuick Trac supports this requirement by:
• Integrating incident tracking into the enclave environment
• Providing response templates and workflows aligned to your IR plan
• Capturing incident handling logs to show plan execution
• Helping teams document roles and escalation paths clearly
• Offering post-incident review tools to confirm implementation and identify gaps
With Cuick Trac, incident response is repeatable, consistent, and verifiably implemented.
Final CTA
Plans are only useful if they’re used.
Schedule a Cuick Trac demo to operationalize your incident response process and prove you’re ready to act when it counts.