Incident Response Playbook & Runbook Generator
Generate customized incident response playbooks and operational runbooks based on industry frameworks. Create comprehensive IR plans for ransomware, data breaches, DDoS attacks, and operational procedures for deployments, outages, and maintenance. Includes compliance guidance (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS), team role assignments, and export to PDF/Markdown.
Step 1: Choose Playbook Type & Template
Select whether you're creating an Incident Response playbook (security) or Operational Runbook (systems/DevOps), then choose a template.
Playbook Mode
Understanding Incident Response Frameworks
NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0
The NIST CSF 2.0 (released April 2024) provides a comprehensive approach to managing cybersecurity risk across six core functions:
Our incident response playbooks focus on the Respond and Recover functions, helping organizations execute effective responses when incidents occur.
SANS Incident Handling Process
The SANS Institute defines a six-phase incident response lifecycle that guides organizations from preparation through post-incident activities:
- 1.Preparation: Develop IR capabilities, train team, establish tools and processes before incidents occur
- 2.Identification: Detect and confirm security incidents through monitoring, alerts, and analysis
- 3.Containment: Limit the scope and impact of the incident (short-term and long-term containment strategies)
- 4.Eradication: Remove the threat from the environment and eliminate root causes
- 5.Recovery: Restore systems to normal operations and verify no threat remains
- 6.Lessons Learned: Conduct post-incident review to improve future response capabilities
All of our incident response playbook templates follow this proven SANS methodology, ensuring your organization has a structured, repeatable response process.
Compliance Requirements Overview
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
Notification Deadline: 72 hours to notify supervisory authority
Applies to: EU residents' personal data, regardless of where your organization is located
Required Information: Nature of breach, affected data categories, approximate number of data subjects, contact point, likely consequences, and measures taken.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
Notification Deadline: 60 days to notify affected individuals
Applies to: Protected Health Information (PHI) in the United States
Special Rule: Breaches affecting 500+ individuals require notification to HHS and media within 60 days.
PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
Notification Deadline: 24 hours to notify payment card brands and acquirer
Applies to: Organizations that store, process, or transmit payment card data
Required Actions: Immediate forensic investigation, quarterly reporting during remediation, and compliance validation.
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls)
Notification Requirement: Report incidents to customers per contractual obligations
Applies to: Service organizations that store customer data
Documentation: Control failure documentation, remediation evidence, and auditor notification required.
Important: Compliance requirements vary by jurisdiction, industry, and specific circumstances. Our playbooks provide general guidance based on common frameworks, but you should consult with legal counsel for your specific situation. The deadlines and requirements included in our templates are based on current regulations as of 2024 and may change.
Why Every Organization Needs Incident Response Playbooks
In 2024, the average cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million according to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report. Organizations with incident response plans and playbooks save an average of $2.66 million compared to those without, and reduce breach resolution time by 54 days.
Incident response playbooks provide clear, actionable procedures that enable your team to respond quickly and effectively when incidents occur. Benefits include:
- Faster Response Times: Pre-defined steps eliminate decision paralysis during high-stress incidents
- Consistent Execution: Everyone follows the same process, reducing errors and missed steps
- Compliance Confidence: Documented procedures demonstrate due diligence to auditors and regulators
- Team Coordination: Clear role assignments ensure everyone knows their responsibilities
- Knowledge Preservation: Institutional knowledge captured in playbooks survives staff turnover
- Continuous Improvement: Post-incident reviews identify playbook updates needed
Don't wait for an incident to realize you need a playbook. Organizations that prepare before incidents occur respond 3-4x faster and reduce business impact significantly.
How to Use This Tool Effectively
- Step 1:Choose Mode & Template: Select whether you're creating an Incident Response playbook (security) or Operational Runbook (systems/DevOps). Browse the template library and choose the one that best matches your scenario. Each template is based on industry frameworks and best practices.
- Step 2:Add Context & Scope: Enter your organization details (name, industry, size), select applicable compliance frameworks (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, etc.), and document your existing tools (SIEM, EDR, ticketing systems). This contextualizes the playbook for your environment.
- Step 3:Assign Team Roles: Add contact information for your team members. Assign primary and backup personnel for key roles like Incident Commander, Technical Lead, Communications Lead, Legal Counsel, and Scribe. Include phone numbers, email addresses, and Slack/Teams handles for 24/7 reachability.
- Step 4:Customize Procedures: Review the template steps and customize as needed. Add organization-specific procedures, modify actions to match your tools and processes, adjust time estimates based on your environment, and add notes or warnings. You can add, remove, or reorder steps.
- Step 5:Review & Export: Preview your complete playbook, verify all information is accurate, and export to PDF (for printing and distribution) or Markdown (for wikis and version control). Store the playbook in an accessible location and conduct tabletop exercises to validate it.
Pro Tip: Start with a template even if it's not a perfect fit. It's faster to customize an existing playbook than to start from scratch. Most organizations can create a production-ready playbook in 20-30 minutes using this tool.
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References & Citations
- NIST Special Publication 800-61r3. Retrieved from https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-61r3.pdf
- SANS Incident Handler's Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.sans.org/white-papers/33901
- CISA Cybersecurity Incident & Vulnerability Response Playbooks. Retrieved from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/Federal_Government_Cybersecurity_Incident_and_Vulnerability_Response_Playbooks_508C.pdf
- GDPR Article 33 - Notification of Data Breach. Retrieved from https://gdpr-info.eu/art-33-gdpr/
- HIPAA Breach Notification Rule. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/breach-notification/index.html
- Microsoft Incident Response Playbooks. Retrieved from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security/operations/incident-response-playbooks
- AWS Security Incident Response Guide. Retrieved from https://docs.aws.amazon.com/security-ir/latest/userguide/introduction.html
- Google SRE Book - Incident Response. Retrieved from https://sre.google/sre-book/managing-incidents/
Note: These citations are provided for informational and educational purposes. Always verify information with the original sources and consult with qualified professionals for specific advice related to your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the Incident Response Playbook & Runbook Generator
An incident response playbook is security-focused and deals with detecting, responding to, and recovering from security incidents like ransomware, data breaches, or DDoS attacks. It emphasizes threat containment, evidence preservation, legal/regulatory compliance, and stakeholder communication. An operational runbook is systems-focused and documents procedures for routine operations, deployments, maintenance, and service recovery. It emphasizes service reliability, change management, monitoring, and minimizing downtime. Our tool generates both types with the same intuitive interface.
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âšī¸ Disclaimer
This tool is provided for informational and educational purposes only. All processing happens entirely in your browser - no data is sent to or stored on our servers. While we strive for accuracy, we make no warranties about the completeness or reliability of results. Use at your own discretion.