How often should an Incident Response Policy be reviewed and updated?

How often should an Incident Response Policy be reviewed and updated?

How Often Should an Incident Response Policy Be Reviewed?

An Incident Response Policy is not a static document—it must evolve alongside an organization’s technology, operations, and threat landscape. To ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness, the policy should be reviewed on a regular basis, with updates made as needed.

Annual Reviews Are Essential

At a minimum, organizations should review the policy annually. This routine evaluation helps verify that all contact details, response procedures, and assigned roles remain accurate and practical. An annual review also provides an opportunity to incorporate changes in industry best practices, regulatory requirements, or company structure.

Update After Major System Changes

Whenever a company implements significant system or infrastructure changes—such as migrating to the cloud, adopting new platforms, or modifying its network architecture—the incident response policy must be updated. These changes may introduce new risks or alter how existing threats should be handled.

Responding to Emerging Threats

The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, with new threats and attack methods appearing regularly. When a new threat emerges that could affect the organization, the policy should be updated to address how such an incident should be detected and managed.

Post-Incident Revisions

After experiencing a real security incident, it’s critical to conduct a post-incident review and update the policy accordingly. This ensures that lessons learned—such as gaps in detection, delays in response, or unclear communication—are reflected in a revised policy that better prepares the organization for future events.

Conclusion

Regularly reviewing and updating the Incident Response Policy—at least once a year and after any major change or incident—ensures that it stays effective, actionable, and aligned with the organization’s evolving risk profile. A well-maintained policy is key to fast, coordinated, and successful incident handling.