Which of the following is NOT part of the incident response stages?

Mitigation is not traditionally considered one of the key stages within the incident response process. The established stages of incident response typically include preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned.

Preparation involves establishing and training the incident response team, as well as developing plans and resources that will be utilized during an incident. Containment focuses on limiting the impact of the incident and preventing further damage. Recovery is the stage where systems are restored to normal operations and any affected systems are cleaned and validated.

While mitigation can refer to preventive measures and could inform some aspects of response, it does not stand alone as a defined stage in most incident response frameworks. Therefore, understanding the specific components of incident response can clarify the roles and processes needed to effectively manage and recover from an incident.