What is the purpose of an incident response plan?

The purpose of an incident response plan is to outline procedures for responding to security incidents. This type of plan serves as a guideline to ensure that an organization can react promptly and effectively when a security breach occurs. The plan typically includes defined roles and responsibilities, steps to contain and mitigate the impact of an incident, guidelines for investigation and analysis, and protocols for communication both internally and externally. This structured approach helps to minimize damage, reduce recovery time and costs, and improve the organization's overall security posture.

While the other options may touch on important aspects of security management, they do not encapsulate the primary goal of an incident response plan. Eliminating the risk of future attacks and preventing unauthorized access are broader security measures that can be part of a comprehensive security strategy but do not specifically focus on the immediate response actions needed during an incident. Similarly, reporting breaches to government authorities is a legal and regulatory requirement that might follow the implementation of an incident response plan but does not represent its main purpose. The core function is to have a clear and actionable response ready for any security breaches that may occur.