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Mean Time to Respond

What is Mean Time to Respond?

A metric measuring the average time from detection of a security incident to the initiation of response actions.

Information Security

Frameworks that govern mean time to respond

ISO 27001:2022View framework →NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0View framework →CIS Controls v8View framework →

What the standards actually require on mean time to respond

Requirements naming mean time to respond across 3 standards, quoted from the control text.

ISO/IEC 27004:20161 control

Measure number, severity, mean-time-to-detect, and mean-time-to-respond for security incidents.

27004-A.3 · Incident Measures →
Japan FSA Cybersecurity Guidelines for Financial Institutions1 control

Continuous security monitoring + 24x7 SOC operations are expected per FSA Cybersecurity Guidelines particularly for Tier 2/3 institutions. (1) SOC Operating Models: (a) Internal SOC - dedicated team + tooling;

JP-FSA-CYB-Security-Monitoring-SOC-Operations-SIEM-EDR-MDR-XDR-24x7-Detection-Alert-Triage · Japan FSA Cybersecurity Security Monitoring + SOC 24x7 Operations + SIEM + EDR + MDR + XDR + Detection + Alert Triage + Threat Hunting + Incident Response Integration + Threat Intelligence Integration + UEBA →
NIST SP 800-1371 control

Define ISCM metrics per Section 3.2 covering security control effectiveness + system + organizational metrics + leading and lagging indicators + Cyber-Resilience metrics + KPIs (Mean Time to Detect MTTD + Mean Time to Respond MTTR + Mean Time to Remediate MTTR...

NISTSP137-2 · Monitoring Metrics, Measures, and Frequencies →

Questions people ask about mean time to respond

What is Mean Time to Respond?
A metric measuring the average time from detection of a security incident to the initiation of response actions.
Why is Mean Time to Respond important for compliance?
Mean Time to Respond is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding mean time to respond helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Mean Time to Respond?
Mean Time to Respond appears in the requirement text of ISO/IEC 27004:2016, Japan FSA Cybersecurity Guidelines for Financial Institutions, NIST SP 800-137. Across these standards we have identified 3 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Mean Time to Respond?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how mean time to respond applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Mean Time to Respond applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

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Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.