Enhancing the Effectiveness of Cyber Incident Response in Critical Infrastructure Organizations of Ukraine Using an Integrated XDR+SOAR Stack and Automated Response Playbooks

Abstract

The article is devoted to the development and substantiation of an improved method for responding to information security incidents at critical infrastructure facilities in Ukraine. Based on the analysis of the national regulatory framework, international standards (NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 3, ISO/IEC 27035:2023, ENISA CSIRT Maturity Framework) and cyber incident statistics for 2020–2025, a hybrid incident response lifecycle, a three-level CSIRT organizational model, and mandatory integration of the XDR+SOAR stack are proposed. 58 automated playbooks, a three-level personnel training system, and a simulation exercises programme (tabletop, red/purple team) have been developed. Pilot implementation at 19 critical infrastructure facilities demonstrated reduction of MTTD to 6.8 minutes, containment time to 11.4 minutes, MTTR (eradication) to 6.2 hours, recurrent incidents to 0.9 %, and ROI exceeding 10 000 % over three years. The scientific novelty lies in the comprehensive adaptation of advanced automation technologies to the specifics of Ukrainian legislation and hybrid threat conditions, which ensures surpassing international benchmarks in speed and economic efficiency.