IR-7: Incident Response Assistance

To meet the ir-7: incident response assistance requirement, you must provide a clearly identified incident response support resource (internal or third party) that users can contact for advice and hands-on help to handle and report security incidents. Operationalize IR-7 by staffing or contracting a “go-to” IR help function, publishing intake paths, and retaining evidence that the support works in practice.

Key takeaways:

• IR-7 requires an actual support capability for users, not just an incident response plan on paper. ¹
• Publish simple reporting routes and ensure the support resource is integrated into your IR program and workflows. ²
• Prepare audit-ready proof: training/communications, intake records, ticket evidence, and escalation/runbook artifacts.

IR-7 is easy to misunderstand because it sounds like “have incident response,” but it is narrower and more operational: users need a dependable place to go for help during suspected incidents. If your only “support” is a policy that says “report incidents to security,” auditors will look for the missing pieces: Who answers? How are requests tracked? What guidance is provided? How do users find the channel fast under pressure?

For a Compliance Officer, CCO, or GRC lead, the fastest path is to treat IR-7 like a service you deliver. Define the support resource (an internal team, a security operations function, a help desk with IR routing, or a retained incident response firm), document the workflow from user report to triage and escalation, and prove it operates with real artifacts. IR-7 also connects directly to third-party risk and contracting: if you rely on a managed service provider (MSP), managed detection and response (MDR), or outside counsel/forensics, you must ensure they are “integral” to your capability, not an ad hoc phone number someone remembers.

This page gives requirement-level guidance you can implement quickly, with an evidence checklist and execution plan aligned to NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 expectations. ²

Regulatory text

Requirement (excerpt): “Provide an incident response support resource, integral to the organizational incident response capability, that offers advice and assistance to users of the system for the handling and reporting of incidents.” ¹

What the operator must do:
You must stand up (or contract for) a real incident response assistance function that:

1. users can reach quickly,
2. provides guidance and practical help during suspected incidents, and
3. is built into your incident response capability (intake, triage, escalation, and tracking), not bolted on. ²

Plain-English interpretation (what IR-7 actually means)

IR-7 means employees and other authorized users should never have to guess what to do when something looks wrong. They need a known channel and a staffed (or on-call) resource that can:

• tell them what to preserve and what not to touch,
• guide containment actions that are safe for the environment,
• capture the right details for reporting, and
• route the issue into the formal incident lifecycle.

Think “incident response help desk,” but security-focused and connected to your IR process.

Who it applies to

Entity scope:

• Federal information systems and contractor systems handling federal data commonly implement IR-7 as part of NIST SP 800-53 control baselines and customer security requirements. ²

Operational context (where IR-7 shows up in real programs):

• Central IT + Security teams supporting multiple business units
• Cloud/SaaS environments where users file issues via ITSM
• OT/ICS or regulated environments where a “wrong click” can destroy evidence
• Hybrid models where a third party provides SOC/MDR and/or IR retainer support

Users covered:
“Users of the system” can include employees, contractors, and privileged admins. If you have external users (customers/partners) with accounts, decide whether your incident reporting channel covers them too, then document that boundary in your procedure.

What you actually need to do (step-by-step)

Use the steps below as your minimum implementation procedure. Assign a control owner and build recurring evidence from day one (tickets, rosters, comms, and runbooks). ¹

1) Designate the IR-7 support resource (and make it real)

Choose one model (or a blend):

• Internal: Security Operations (SOC), CSIRT, or an on-call incident commander rotation
• Shared internal: Service desk receives reports, then routes to security using a defined playbook
• Third party: MDR provider + retained IR firm with defined engagement triggers

Define:

• primary and backup contacts,
• coverage expectations (business hours vs on-call),
• scope (what qualifies as an “incident” vs standard IT issue),
• authority to trigger containment actions.

Deliverable: IR-7 Incident Response Assistance Charter (one page is fine).

2) Publish reporting and assistance channels users can find fast

Create a short “Report a Security Incident” standard that includes:

• a dedicated email alias and/or hotline and/or ticket category,
• what to report (examples: suspected phishing, lost device, unusual access prompts, malware alerts),
• what not to do (avoid wiping devices, reimaging, or deleting messages without guidance),
• what to expect next (triage, follow-up, escalation).

Make it discoverable: intranet, onboarding, security awareness training, and the IT portal.

Deliverable: User-facing reporting page + screenshots and comms evidence.

3) Build the intake-to-triage workflow (tight and auditable)

Document a simple flow:

1. User reports via defined channel.
2. Intake logs a record in the system of record (ITSM/case system).
3. Triage performs initial categorization and severity assessment.
4. Escalate to incident handling process (your IR plan) when thresholds are met.
5. Close the loop with the user and capture lessons learned.

Tie this to your incident response plan so IR-7 is “integral” to your capability. ¹

Deliverable: IR-7 SOP (standard operating procedure) with RACI.

4) Provide “advice and assistance” that is consistent and repeatable

Create short, scenario-based guidance for responders to use with users:

• suspected phishing: isolate, preserve email headers, report via method, don’t forward broadly
• suspected endpoint malware: disconnect from network if instructed, don’t power off unless told, preserve logs
• lost/stolen device: immediate report, last known location, remote wipe decision path
• suspicious access prompts/MFA fatigue: capture time, IP/device details, account lock/credential reset triggers

Deliverable: Responder scripts / job aids + tiered runbooks.

5) Integrate third parties if they provide any part of the assistance

If a third party is part of the support resource:

• contractually define notification paths, response expectations, and evidence preservation responsibilities,
• ensure you can access case records, timelines, and actions taken,
• test engagement triggers (who can call the retainer, what information is required).

Daydream note (earned mention): teams often fail IR-7 on evidence, not intent. Daydream can track the IR-7 control owner, the exact procedure, and the recurring artifacts you need to retain so you can answer “show me” requests without scrambling. ¹

6) Test the assistance channel and keep improving

Run practical exercises that validate the user experience:

• Can a new hire find the reporting route?
• Does intake route correctly after hours?
• Do users get actionable guidance quickly?

Capture outcomes and improvement actions in your IR governance records.

Deliverable: Exercise summary + corrective action log.

Required evidence and artifacts to retain

Auditors assess IR-7 through “design” and “operating effectiveness.” Keep artifacts that show both.

Evidence type	What “good” looks like	Where to store it
IR-7 owner and procedure	Named owner, SOP, RACI, escalation criteria	GRC repository / policy system
Contact and coverage proof	On-call rota or coverage statement; third-party contacts	IR documentation set
User-facing reporting guidance	Intranet page, portal form, comms, onboarding references	Screenshot archive + comms logs
Intake records	Tickets/cases showing user reports, triage notes, timestamps	ITSM / case management
Assistance content	Scripts/runbooks/job aids used by responders	IR playbook repository
Integration evidence	Links between ITSM tickets and incident records	ITSM + IR system
Testing evidence	Tabletop/exercise outputs and improvements	IR governance folder

Common exam/audit questions and hangups

Expect questions like:

• “Who provides incident response assistance to users? Show the org chart or contract.”
• “How does a user report a suspected incident? Show the exact path.”
• “Show samples of tickets where the user received advice and the issue was triaged.”
• “How does this intake connect to the formal incident response process?”
• “How do you handle after-hours reporting and escalation?”
• “If a third party provides support, how do you ensure they are integrated and accountable?”

Hangups that trigger findings:

• no system of record (calls and DMs with no case record),
• unclear handoff from service desk to security,
• guidance exists but is not published to users,
• third-party support exists but is not contractually operationalized.

Frequent implementation mistakes (and how to avoid them)

1. Mistake: Treating IR-7 as “we have an IR plan.”
   Fix: show the user-facing support channel, intake workflow, and case evidence of advice given. ¹

2. Mistake: One inbox, no ownership.
   Fix: define primary/backup roles, on-call expectations, and a routing rule that creates a ticket automatically.

3. Mistake: No “assistance,” only “reporting.”
   Fix: add scripts and minimum guidance standards (what responders must tell users to do next).

4. Mistake: Ad hoc third-party engagement.
   Fix: write engagement triggers and ensure contracts support evidence access and coordination.

5. Mistake: Evidence gaps.
   Fix: define recurring artifacts (sample tickets, training comms, on-call rosters) and collect them continuously.

Enforcement context and risk implications

No public enforcement cases were provided in the source catalog for IR-7, so this page does not cite enforcement actions.

Risk-wise, IR-7 failures tend to increase incident impact in predictable ways: delayed reporting, lost evidence, inconsistent containment, and untracked response actions. Those outcomes create downstream exposure during customer audits, contract performance reviews, and any situation where you must reconstruct timelines and decisions.

Practical 30/60/90-day execution plan

Use this as an operator’s rollout sequence. Treat the “days” as milestones, not guarantees.

First 30 days (stand up the minimum viable capability)

• Assign IR-7 control owner and backup; document RACI.
• Choose the support model (internal SOC/CSIRT, service desk routing, third party, or mixed).
• Publish a single reporting path (email alias or portal category) and make it discoverable.
• Create the intake workflow in the system of record (ITSM/cases) with required fields.
• Draft initial responder scripts for the most common user-reported scenarios.

Days 31–60 (make it consistent and integrated)

• Connect intake to incident classification and escalation criteria in your IR plan. ²
• Train the service desk and security responders on the scripts and routing rules.
• If a third party is involved, finalize engagement procedures and ensure evidence access.
• Start an evidence pack: screenshots, comms, training records, sample tickets.

Days 61–90 (prove it works and close audit gaps)

• Run an exercise that includes user reporting, triage, and escalation.
• Review a sample of assistance cases for quality (timeliness, guidance, documentation).
• Tune runbooks and required ticket fields based on real failure modes.
• Create a quarterly evidence routine so you always have current artifacts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does IR-7 require a dedicated SOC or CSIRT?

No. IR-7 requires an incident response support resource that users can reach for advice and assistance, and it must be integrated into your incident response capability. ¹

Can our IT help desk count as the IR-7 support resource?

Yes, if the help desk can reliably intake reports, provide initial guidance, and route/escalate into security incident handling with clear procedures and records. Keep ticket evidence that shows the assistance occurred.

What’s the minimum evidence an auditor will accept for IR-7?

You need proof of a defined support resource, published reporting channels, documented workflow integration, and operating records (tickets/cases) showing users received advice and assistance. ¹

How do we meet IR-7 if a third party provides incident response support?

Put the third party into your documented workflow, define engagement triggers, and ensure you can retain artifacts (case notes, timelines, actions taken) as part of your evidence set.

Do we need to provide incident response assistance to external customers who use our system?

IR-7 is framed around “users of the system.” Decide your scope boundary (employees only vs all account holders), document it, and publish the correct reporting paths for each user group.

What’s the difference between “handling” and “reporting” in IR-7?

“Reporting” is the intake path and escalation. “Handling” includes the practical guidance users need to preserve evidence and take safe initial actions until responders take over. ²

Footnotes

1. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 OSCAL JSON

2. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5