Incident Response Plan Template for ISO 27001 Compliance
The ISO 27001 Incident Response Plan Template provides a compelling, ready-to-use framework for managing cybersecurity incidents.
This template is aligned with ISO/IEC 27001:2022 requirements, ensuring your incident management process meets the latest international standards for information security.
With implementing this IRP (Incident Response Plan), organizations can establish a consistent and practical approach to managing information security incidents in line with ISO 27001 objectives.
This template serves as that fitting tool for ISO 27001 compliance, rapid incident handling, and continuous improvement.
Developed by our cybersecurity and compliance experts, ensuring the content is thorough and follows best practices.
IRP Template Content
Our ISO 27001 Incident Response Plan Template is a fully developed, ready-to-use framework structured according to best practices and ISO guidelines.
With comprehensive chapters and appendices, so you don’t have to start from a blank page.
- Structured Incident Response Procedure:
Covers all phases of incident management – from preparation and identification to containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident lessons learned.
Each phase is clearly outlined with step-by-step procedures and responsibilities, following the guidance of ISO/IEC 27002:2022 for incident management controls. - Roles & Responsibilities:
Clearly defines the incident response team structure (e.g., Incident Response Manager, IT Security Lead, Communications Officer, etc.) and their duties during an incident.
This ensures everyone from technical staff to management knows their role in the heat of the moment. - Escalation Matrix:
Includes a built-in escalation matrix that guides you on how to classify incidents by severity and whom to notify at each level.
Critical incidents trigger executive and regulatory notification, while lower-level events are managed within the security team . - Ready-to-Use Forms & Checklist:
You’ll find an Incident Reporting Form to capture key details (what happened, when, impact, etc.).
These ready-made forms help teams respond in a consistent, thorough manner without missing critical steps. - Communication Templates:
The template provides communication guides and sample templates for incident notification.
Internal alert notifications to employees or stakeholders and external communication templates. - Post-Incident Review Worksheet:
After the dust settles, use the included post-incident review and lessons learned format to analyze what happened and how to improve.
This structured approach to post-incident analysis aligns with ISO 27001’s continual improvement ethos, so you can update your security measures and response plan over time. - Appendices and References:
The template’s appendices offer supplementary resources like a contact list for incident escalation (internal team, executives, external authorities).
Summary of relevant ISO 27001:2022 controls (Annex A 5.24, 5.25, 5.26) mapping, and references to ISO 27002 guidance for deeper insight into best practices.
Reference other recognized frameworks (such as NIST SP 800-61 for incident handling) to ensure the plan is robust and comprehensive.
Benefits of the ISO 27001 IRP Template
Implementing the ISO 27001 Incident Response Plan Template comes with benefits that help safeguard your organization and compliance:
Incident Response
This template provides a standardized approach to identify, assess, and respond to incidents quickly.
A well-defined plan reduces the impact of information security incidents on your business, minimizing downtime and damage.
With clear procedures and checklists, your team can react swiftly and effectively, even under pressure.
ISO 27001 Requirements
Achieve and maintain compliance with ISO/IEC 27001:2022 by fulfilling the control requirements for incident management.
Having a documented incident response plan is essential for passing ISO 27001 audits, and it also supports compliance with other regulations (like GDPR or NIST CSF) that expect a formal incident handling process.
Avoid common compliance pitfalls (such as not having or updating an incident plan) and confidently face auditors with a complete, ISO-aligned IRP.
Time and Resources
Writing an incident response plan from scratch can take many days or weeks of work.
In fact, experts estimate that establishing an incident management process can take around a week of dedicated effort if you start from nothing.
Our ready-made template lets you skip the blank page and jump straight to a proven framework.
This frees up your security team to focus on what matters most: protecting the organization.
Cyber Resilience
A prepared organization is a resilient one.
Using this IR plan, your company is better equipped to detect incidents early, contain threats, and recover faster.
The result is reduced financial losses and less impact on your operations and reputation.
The practice of regular incident reviews and updates will improve your overall security posture and readiness for new threats.
Readiness & Documentation
The template creates an audit trail through its forms and logs – evidence of how incidents are handled.
Come audit time, you can easily demonstrate your incident management process in action, with records to prove it.
This audit-ready documentation means smoother ISO 27001 certification audits and client security assessments.
Communication & Escalation
During a security incident, clear communication is critical.
The built-in communication plan and escalation matrix ensure that the right people are informed at the right time, every time.
This reduces confusion and panic during crises, as everyone knows the protocol.
Keeping stakeholders (from IT staff to executives and clients) informed with the provided templates helps maintain transparency and protects your organization’s reputation through honest, timely updates.
Who Should Use This IRP Template?
Any team tasked with protecting information assets and responding to security events will find this template extremely useful.
It provides both novices and seasoned professionals with a solid foundation to handle incidents.
- Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and Security Managers:
Who need to implement or upgrade their organization’s incident response procedures in line with ISO 27001. - IT Managers and System Administrators:
Responsible for operational security and first-line incident handling, providing them with clear guidance and roles. - Risk and Compliance Teams:
Ensuring the organization meets all necessary security incident management requirements for ISO 27001 certification and other regulatory standards. - ISO 27001 Project Leads and Consultants:
Streamline the documentation process for clients or internal projects.
Instead of writing an IR plan from the ground up, consultants can customize this template to jumpstart compliance initiatives. - Organizations of All Sizes:
From startups and SMBs to large enterprises, every business that handles sensitive data or critical systems needs an incident response plan.
This template scales to your needs – a small business can use it to establish foundational practices, while an enterprise can integrate it into a larger ISMS. - Companies Pursuing ISO 27001 Certification:
If you’re preparing for an ISO 27001 audit, this template will help you check the box on mandatory incident management documentation (Control A.5.26).
Use & Customization
We understand that every organization is unique, so we’ve made sure the template is fully editable and easy to specify to your specific needs.
You don’t need to be an ISO guru to use this template – it’s designed for straightforward customization:
- User-Friendly Format:
Delivered in a familiar, editable format (Microsoft Word), the template features a clean layout with clearly marked sections.
You can easily navigate to each part of the plan and insert your organization’s details where appropriate. - Company-Specific Adaptation:
All placeholders (such as [Company Name], [Incident Response Team], [Contact Information], etc.) are easy to find and replace.
Insert your company’s name, department names, and roles to make the plan truly yours.
The framework is universal, but it welcomes your organizational context. - Flexible to Your Industry:
The template’s structure follows best practices that apply to any industry (technology, finance, healthcare, government, etc.).
It’s built to be industry-agnostic, so you can readily adapt it with scenarios relevant to your field.
For instance, a healthcare provider can incorporate references to patient data breaches, while a software company might emphasize cloud incident handling. - Integrate Your Existing Policies:
If your organization already has certain policies or procedures (like a Business Continuity Plan or a Communication Policy), this template can easily reference or incorporate them.
It is designed to fit within a larger Information Security Management System (ISMS).
You can link this IR plan with your risk assessment process or business continuity plans to create a seamless, comprehensive strategy for handling crises. - Continual Updates:
As your organization matures or as standards change, updating the plan is simple.
The modular structure allows you to modify one part (say, add a new role to the team or a new step in the procedure) without overhauling the entire document.
The clarity and editability mean you can keep the plan living and up-to-date with minimal effort.
Why This IRP Template?
The ISO 27001 Incident Response Plan Template stands out for several compelling reasons:
- For ISO 27001:2022 Compliance:
Unlike generic incident response plans, this template is purposely aligned with ISO/IEC 27001:2022 controls and terminology.
It embeds the requirements of Annex A controls (like A.5.24, A.5.25, A.5.26) directly into the content, so you can be confident you’re covering exactly what the standard (and auditors) expect.
This means no guessing or cross-referencing – compliance is woven into the fabric of the plan. - Industry Best Practices Included:
Our template doesn’t stop at ISO standards.
It’s informed by widely respected cybersecurity frameworks and best practices (such as ISO 27002 guidelines, NIST’s incident handling cycle, and SANS recommendations).
You get the benefit of a professionally designed plan that reflects what actually works in incident response – from real-world communication strategies to technical steps for containment.
Benefit from the collective expertise of cybersecurity and compliance experts who crafted the document. - Comprehensive and Detailed:
We pride ourselves on offering a template that’s both comprehensive and practical.
Every essential element of an incident response plan is covered – no shortcuts or high-level outlines that leave you to fill in the blanks.
At the same time, it’s written in clear language that’s accessible to your team.
Other templates might give you a skeleton and require significant development; ours is a fully-fleshed plan, saving you significant effort. - Time and Cost Efficient:
Developing an incident response plan internally can be costly – in time, effort, and sometimes consulting fees.
With this template, you make a small investment to save a huge amount of time.
As noted, starting from scratch could take a week or more of work, not to mention the research needed to ensure ISO compliance.
Our solution accelerates your project and lets your skilled staff focus on implementation rather than documentation.
Get started
Don’t wait for a security breach to test your response readiness.
Strengthen your cyber defense strategy today with the ISO 27001 Incident Response Plan Template.
This template empowers you to respond to incidents confidently, protect your assets and reputation, and fast-track your ISO 27001 compliance journey.
Upon purchase, you’ll receive an instant download in order for you to implement and customize your incident response plan.
If you have any questions our team is here to provide support.
Make sure that when the next incident strikes, you’re prepared to respond quickly, effectively, and in alignment with ISO 27001.