post-incident-analysis

Post-Incident Analysis

Overview

This skill provides a structured methodology for conducting post-incident reviews (PIRs) of closed security incidents in ServiceNow Security Operations. It reconstructs the incident timeline, identifies gaps in detection and response processes, and generates comprehensive lessons-learned documentation.

Key capabilities:

• Reconstruct a complete chronological timeline from incident creation through resolution
• Calculate key response metrics (time to detect, contain, eradicate, recover)
• Identify detection gaps where indicators were missed or delayed
• Analyze response effectiveness and process adherence
• Document root cause findings and contributing factors
• Generate actionable improvement recommendations
• Create structured lessons-learned records

When to use: After a security incident has been resolved and closed, typically within 5-10 business days of closure for major incidents or as part of periodic review cycles for lower-severity events.

Prerequisites

• Roles: sn_si.analyst, sn_si.manager, sn_si.admin
• Access: Read access to sn_si_incident, sn_si_task, sn_ti_observable, sn_vul_vulnerable_item, sys_journal_field, sys_audit tables
• Plugins: Security Incident Response (sn_si), Threat Intelligence (sn_ti), Vulnerability Response (sn_vul)
• Data: A closed security incident with populated work notes, tasks, and observables

Procedure

Step 1: Retrieve the Closed Incident Record

Fetch the full incident record including resolution details and timing fields.

Using MCP:

Tool: SN-Get-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: sn_si_incident
  sys_id: [INCIDENT_SYS_ID]
  fields: sys_id,number,short_description,description,category,subcategory,priority,state,assigned_to,assignment_group,cmdb_ci,opened_at,resolved_at,closed_at,close_notes,close_code,business_criticality,risk_score,attack_vector,kill_chain_phase,affected_user,caller_id,contact_type

Using REST:

GET /api/now/table/sn_si_incident?sysparm_query=number=[INCIDENT_NUMBER]&sysparm_fields=sys_id,number,short_description,description,category,subcategory,priority,state,assigned_to,assignment_group,cmdb_ci,opened_at,resolved_at,closed_at,close_notes,close_code,business_criticality,risk_score,attack_vector,kill_chain_phase,affected_user,contact_type&sysparm_limit=1&sysparm_display_value=true

Step 2: Build the Incident Timeline from Work Notes

Retrieve all work notes and comments in chronological order to reconstruct the event timeline.

Using MCP:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: sys_journal_field
  query: name=sn_si_incident^element_id=[INCIDENT_SYS_ID]^elementINwork_notes,comments^ORDERBYsys_created_on
  fields: element,value,sys_created_on,sys_created_by
  limit: 500

Using REST:

GET /api/now/table/sys_journal_field?sysparm_query=name=sn_si_incident^element_id=[INCIDENT_SYS_ID]^elementINwork_notes,comments^ORDERBYsys_created_on&sysparm_fields=element,value,sys_created_on,sys_created_by&sysparm_limit=500

Step 3: Retrieve All Associated Tasks and Their Outcomes

Pull security incident tasks to understand the response workflow and task completion times.

Using MCP:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: sn_si_task
  query: security_incident=[INCIDENT_SYS_ID]^ORDERBYopened_at
  fields: sys_id,number,short_description,state,priority,assigned_to,assignment_group,opened_at,closed_at,close_notes,work_duration
  limit: 50

Using REST:

GET /api/now/table/sn_si_task?sysparm_query=security_incident=[INCIDENT_SYS_ID]^ORDERBYopened_at&sysparm_fields=sys_id,number,short_description,state,priority,assigned_to,assignment_group,opened_at,closed_at,close_notes,work_duration&sysparm_limit=50&sysparm_display_value=true

Step 4: Analyze Field Change History via Audit Log

Track how the incident evolved by reviewing field changes (priority, state, assignment).

Using MCP:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: sys_audit
  query: tablename=sn_si_incident^documentkey=[INCIDENT_SYS_ID]^fieldnameINpriority,state,assigned_to,assignment_group,category^ORDERBYsys_created_on
  fields: fieldname,oldvalue,newvalue,sys_created_on,user
  limit: 200

Using REST:

GET /api/now/table/sys_audit?sysparm_query=tablename=sn_si_incident^documentkey=[INCIDENT_SYS_ID]^fieldnameINpriority,state,assigned_to,assignment_group,category^ORDERBYsys_created_on&sysparm_fields=fieldname,oldvalue,newvalue,sys_created_on,user&sysparm_limit=200

Step 5: Review Threat Observables and Intelligence

Examine which IOCs were identified and when, to assess detection timeliness.

Using MCP:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: sn_ti_observable
  query: security_incident=[INCIDENT_SYS_ID]^ORDERBYfirst_seen
  fields: sys_id,type,value,source,confidence,first_seen,last_seen,threat_score,sys_created_on
  limit: 100

Using REST:

GET /api/now/table/sn_ti_observable?sysparm_query=security_incident=[INCIDENT_SYS_ID]^ORDERBYfirst_seen&sysparm_fields=sys_id,type,value,source,confidence,first_seen,last_seen,threat_score,sys_created_on&sysparm_limit=100

Step 6: Correlate with Vulnerability Data

Check whether the attack exploited known vulnerabilities and whether patches were available.

Using MCP:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: sn_vul_vulnerable_item
  query: cmdb_ci=[AFFECTED_CI_SYS_ID]
  fields: sys_id,vulnerability,cmdb_ci,state,risk_score,cvss_score,first_found,last_found
  limit: 50

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: sn_vul_entry
  query: sys_idIN[VULNERABILITY_SYS_IDS]
  fields: sys_id,cve_id,description,cvss_score,severity,exploit_available,vendor_advisory,published_date
  limit: 20

Using REST:

GET /api/now/table/sn_vul_vulnerable_item?sysparm_query=cmdb_ci=[AFFECTED_CI_SYS_ID]&sysparm_fields=sys_id,vulnerability,cmdb_ci,state,risk_score,cvss_score,first_found,last_found&sysparm_limit=50&sysparm_display_value=true

GET /api/now/table/sn_vul_entry?sysparm_query=sys_idIN[VULNERABILITY_SYS_IDS]&sysparm_fields=sys_id,cve_id,description,cvss_score,severity,exploit_available,vendor_advisory,published_date&sysparm_limit=20

Step 7: Calculate Response Metrics

Compute key performance indicators from the incident timeline.

Metrics to calculate:

• Time to Detect (TTD): Time between first observable first_seen and incident opened_at
• Time to Triage (TTT): Time between opened_at and first state change from "New"
• Time to Contain (TTC): Time between opened_at and containment task completion
• Time to Eradicate (TTE): Time between containment and eradication task completion
• Time to Resolve (TTR): Time between opened_at and resolved_at
• Reassignment Count: Number of assignment_group changes in audit log
• Escalation Count: Number of priority upgrades in audit log

Step 8: Document the Post-Incident Analysis

Using MCP:

Tool: SN-Add-Work-Notes
Parameters:
  table_name: sn_si_incident
  sys_id: [INCIDENT_SYS_ID]
  work_notes: |
    === POST-INCIDENT ANALYSIS REPORT ===
    Incident: SIR0008901 | Analyst: J. Smith | Review Date: 2026-03-19

    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
    Ransomware incident affecting file server FILESVR-03. Initial access
    via phishing email delivered to user in Finance department. Malware
    propagated to shared drives before containment. No data exfiltration
    confirmed. Full recovery from backups completed.

    TIMELINE RECONSTRUCTION:
    2026-03-10 08:15 - Phishing email received by user (first observable)
    2026-03-10 08:22 - User clicked malicious link and downloaded payload
    2026-03-10 08:45 - Malware executed, began encrypting local files
    2026-03-10 09:30 - Encryption spread to mapped network drives
    2026-03-10 10:15 - Help desk ticket opened by affected user
    2026-03-10 10:30 - Security incident created (SIR0008901)
    2026-03-10 10:45 - Triage complete, escalated to P1
    2026-03-10 11:00 - Server isolated from network (containment)
    2026-03-10 14:00 - Malware sample identified, IOCs extracted
    2026-03-11 09:00 - Full forensic analysis complete
    2026-03-12 16:00 - Server rebuilt and restored from backup
    2026-03-13 10:00 - Incident resolved and closed

    RESPONSE METRICS:
    Time to Detect: 2h 15m (email received → incident created)
    Time to Triage: 15m
    Time to Contain: 30m (from triage)
    Time to Eradicate: 1d 3h
    Time to Resolve: 3d 1h 30m
    Reassignments: 1
    Escalations: 1 (P3 → P1)

    DETECTION GAP ANALYSIS:
    - Email gateway did not flag the phishing email (new domain, no reputation data)
    - EDR agent on workstation was running outdated signatures (3 days old)
    - Network-based detection triggered 45 minutes after execution
    - No UEBA alert for anomalous file access patterns

    ROOT CAUSE:
    Primary: Spear-phishing email bypassed email security controls
    Contributing: EDR signature update delay, user security awareness gap

    WHAT WENT WELL:
    - Rapid containment once incident was identified (30 minutes)
    - Clean backups available for full restoration
    - Clear communication to management throughout

    IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS:
    1. Implement URL sandboxing on email gateway (Priority: High)
    2. Reduce EDR signature update interval to 4 hours (Priority: High)
    3. Deploy UEBA for anomalous file access detection (Priority: Medium)
    4. Conduct targeted phishing awareness training for Finance (Priority: Medium)
    5. Add network segmentation between user workstations and file servers (Priority: Low)

    LESSONS LEARNED:
    - Phishing remains the primary initial access vector; defense-in-depth required
    - Backup strategy proved critical for recovery; validate backup integrity quarterly
    - Containment playbook was effective; formalize for similar future incidents

Tool Usage

Tool	Purpose
SN-Query-Table	Retrieve incident history, tasks, observables, audit entries, and vulnerabilities
SN-Get-Record	Get complete details on the incident under review
SN-Add-Work-Notes	Document the PIR findings on the incident record
SN-Update-Record	Update incident fields such as close_code or add PIR reference
SN-Execute-Background-Script	Run scripts to calculate complex metrics across related records

Best Practices

• Conduct PIRs promptly while details are fresh; within 5 business days for critical incidents
• Maintain a blameless culture by focusing on process and tooling gaps, not individual failures
• Use quantitative metrics (TTD, TTC, TTR) alongside qualitative analysis for balanced assessment
• Map to MITRE ATT&CK framework to systematically identify detection and prevention gaps per technique
• Track improvement actions as formal tasks or change requests to ensure follow-through
• Compare against baselines using historical metrics to contextualize the incident response performance
• Involve all stakeholders including IT operations, network team, and management for comprehensive review
• Archive PIR reports as knowledge articles for future reference and training

Troubleshooting

Incomplete Timeline Due to Missing Work Notes

Cause: Analysts may not have documented all actions in work notes during a high-pressure incident. Solution: Supplement with audit log data (sys_audit), syslog entries, and task completion timestamps to fill timeline gaps. Interview responding analysts if needed.

Cannot Calculate Accurate Detection Time

Cause: The first_seen timestamp on observables may reflect when they were ingested, not when the attack actually began. Solution: Cross-reference with external SIEM or EDR timestamps. Use syslog entries to identify the earliest evidence of compromise.

Vulnerability Data Not Linked to Incident CI

Cause: The cmdb_ci field on the incident may not match the CI in vulnerability records due to naming discrepancies. Solution: Search sn_vul_vulnerable_item by CI name using LIKE operator, or query by IP address or hostname.

Audit Log Has Gaps

Cause: Audit retention policies may have purged entries for older incidents. Solution: Check the sys_audit_delete table for archived records. For future PIRs, ensure audit retention covers at least 90 days.

Examples

Example 1: Phishing Incident PIR

1. Retrieve closed incident SIR0008901 and all associated fields
2. Pull 45 work note entries spanning the 3-day incident lifecycle
3. Identify 12 tasks including containment, forensics, recovery, and communications
4. Find 8 observables (3 IPs, 2 domains, 2 file hashes, 1 email address)
5. Calculate TTD of 2h 15m vs. organizational target of 1h
6. Document 5 improvement recommendations with assigned owners
7. Create follow-up change request for email gateway URL sandboxing

Example 2: Data Breach PIR with Regulatory Implications

1. Retrieve incident SIR0007500 involving confirmed PII exposure
2. Reconstruct 7-day timeline from initial compromise to discovery
3. Identify 72-hour detection gap where attacker had undetected access
4. Correlate with 3 unpatched critical vulnerabilities on the affected server
5. Document regulatory notification timeline and compliance status
6. Generate executive summary for legal and compliance teams
7. Create 8 improvement actions including mandatory patching SLA enforcement

Related Skills

• secops/correlation-insights - Correlate related incidents discovered during PIR
• secops/incident-summarization - Generate executive summaries from PIR findings
• secops/metrics-analysis - Track PIR metrics trends over time
• secops/shift-handover - Reference PIR findings in shift briefings
• security/incident-response - Incident response procedures reviewed during PIR