In incident response, what does the term 'eradication' refer to?

The term 'eradication' in incident response specifically refers to the process of removing the root cause of an incident along with any residual artifacts that may remain within the system. This step is crucial because simply addressing the symptoms of the incident without removing the underlying cause could lead to a recurrence of the issue.

In the context of incident response, eradication goes beyond just fixing the immediate problems. It involves identifying how the incident occurred, whether through malware, configuration errors, or other security vulnerabilities, and taking the necessary actions to eliminate those threats entirely. This can include actions like deleting malicious files, applying updates, changing configurations, and enhancing security controls to prevent future occurrences.

Other options focus on different aspects of incident response. Assessing the impact of the incident relates to understanding the consequences and severity of the attack. Developing new security measures post-incident involves strategic planning to strengthen the security posture moving forward. Documenting the incident is essential for record-keeping and improving processes, but it does not address the immediate need to eliminate threats from the environment itself. Therefore, the core focus of eradication is solely on the complete removal of causes and traces related to the incident.