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The Co-Op Security Playbook: Expert Incident Response Without the In-House Price Tag

Your incident response plan is just a document. When a real cyberattack hits your firm, who actually has the technical skills to stop it? Small law firms lack dedicated cybersecurity staff, forcing untrained partners or administrators into critical technical roles. This leads to costly mistakes, prolonged downtime, and a serious risk of breaching client confidentiality.

Introducing the 'Self-Managed Security Operations' model. This playbook outlines a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach where a cooperative of firms collectively hires a shared security analyst. This expert uses powerful, cost-effective open-source tools to build and manage a centralized security monitoring and incident response capability for all members. It's the perfect balance of expert oversight and shared cost, giving you enterprise-grade protection on a small firm's budget.

Expected Outcomes

  • Gain access to a dedicated, technically qualified security analyst without the cost of a full-time hire.
  • Clearly define and execute technical incident response roles, eliminating confusion during a crisis.
  • Drastically reduce response times and mitigate damage from cyberattacks through a centralized, expert-led process.
  • Maintain client data confidentiality and meet ethical obligations with a structured and auditable response workflow.
  • Achieve robust cybersecurity monitoring and response capabilities using a cost-effective, open-source toolset.

Core Tools in This Stack

Wazuh

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Wazuh is an open source, unified XDR and SIEM platform used for threat prevention, detection, and response. It provides security analytics, intrusion detection, log data analysis, file integrity monitoring, vulnerability detection, and supports regulatory compliance.

Key Features
  • Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
  • Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
  • Cloud Security Monitoring (AWS, Azure, GCP)
  • Vulnerability Detection
  • File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
  • Regulatory Compliance (PCI DSS, GDPR, HIPAA)
  • Threat Intelligence Integration
  • Active Incident Response
Ideal For

Company Size: Micro, Small, Medium, Large

Industries: Technology & Software, Business & Professional Services, Retail & E-commerce, Education & Non-Profit, Health & Wellness, Other

Pricing

Model: Open Source, Subscription

Tier: Freemium

Ease of Use

Moderate

TheHive

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TheHive is a scalable, open-source Security Incident Response Platform (SIRP) designed for SOCs, CSIRTs, and CERTs to collaborate on security incidents. It allows for the creation, investigation, and tracking of cases and alerts, integrating with other security tools like MISP and Cortex.

Key Features
  • Collaborative Case Management
  • Alert Triage and Correlation
  • Task Management and Assignment
  • Observable Enrichment and Analysis via Cortex Integration
  • MISP Integration for Threat Intelligence Sharing
  • Customizable Dashboards and Reporting
  • Extensible Template Engine
  • Real-time Collaboration and Notifications
Ideal For

Company Size: Micro, Small, Medium, Large

Industries: Technology & Software, Business & Professional Services, Health & Wellness, Education & Non-Profit, Other

Pricing

Model: Open Source, Free, Subscription

Tier: Freemium

Ease of Use

Moderate

Slack

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Slack is a channel-based messaging platform that brings team communication and collaboration into one place, offering real-time messaging, file sharing, voice and video calls, and a vast library of third-party app integrations to streamline workflows.

Key Features
  • Organized conversations in dedicated channels
  • Secure external collaboration with Slack Connect
  • Audio and video huddles for quick discussions
  • Workflow Builder for automating routine tasks
  • Extensive integration with thousands of apps (Google Drive, Asana, etc.)
  • Advanced search functionality for messages and files
  • Enterprise-grade security features and compliance standards (including HIPAA for certain plans)
Ideal For

Company Size: Micro, Small, Medium, Large

Industries: Technology & Software, Business & Professional Services, Retail & E-commerce, Creative & Media, Education & Non-Profit, Health & Wellness, Other

Pricing

Model: Free, Subscription

Tier: Mid-range

Ease of Use

High

The Workflow

graph TD subgraph "Self-Managed Security Operations" direction LR N0["Wazuh"] N1["TheHive"] N2["Slack"] N0 -- "Forwards high-severity alert to create case" --> N1 N0 -- "Sends notification with TheHive case link" --> N2 end classDef blue fill:#3498db,stroke:#2980b9,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff; classDef green fill:#2ecc71,stroke:#27ae60,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff; classDef orange fill:#f39c12,stroke:#d35400,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff; class N0 blue; class N1 blue; class N2 blue;

Integration Logic

  • Zapier Webhooks

    This integration establishes an automated workflow for security incidents. It begins when Wazuh detects a high-severity alert (e.g., level 12+) and forwards the alert data to a unique Zapier webhook URL. The Zapier workflow ('Zap') is triggered by this incoming data. The first action in the Zap is to make an API call to TheHive, creating a new alert or case populated with details from the Wazuh event (such as rule description, agent ID, and the full log). The second action sends a formatted, detailed notification to a designated Slack channel. This message includes a summary of the alert and a direct link to the newly created case in TheHive, ensuring the security team is immediately aware and has a starting point for investigation.

Arm Your Firm with an Expert Response

Download the playbook to stop costly cyberattack mistakes and protect client confidentiality, without the in-house price tag.