U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Indian Health Service: The Federal Health Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives
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Office of Information Technology (OIT)  

IT Security - Incident Response

To meet federal requirements and provide IHS with centralized incident reporting and response services, IHS established the IHS Incident Response Team (IRT) to coordinate IHS-wide cyber security information sharing, analysis, and response activities. The IHS IRT provides a centralized resource for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information technology security incident-related information.

The IHS IRT coordinates incident response planning with Area information systems security officers (ISSO), site managers, local IT staff and various external entities. The IHS IRT reports activities to the IHS Chief Information Security Officer and the HHS Computer Security Incident Response Center (CSIRC).

IHS IRT Services

The IHS IRT provides the following services:
  • Cyber-related alerts, warnings, advisories, and lessons learned
  • Centralized incident reporting, tracking, and response coordination
  • Coordination with IHS Area Offices and facilities for computer security

The IRT is part of the Division of Information Security, Office of Information Technology, and is located in Albuquerque, NM.

Incident Response Procedures

If you witness an IHS suspicious event or a potential incident, IMMEDIATELY do the following:
  • Contact - via email, phone or in person - your site manager or local ISSO. Be prepared to provide the date, time, location, and any other information you feel may be useful.
  • If you do not reach your site manager or local ISSO, contact your Area ISSO.
  • If you do not reach the Area ISSO, contact the IHS IRT using the information at the bottom of this page.
  • Do not discuss any suspicious activity with others to minimize impact on a possible investigation.
  • If the potential incident involves an information system:
    • STOP using the information system. Wait for further instructions from your ISSO or the IRT.
    • LOCK the system (e.g., Ctrl+Alt+Delete ' Lock Computer).
    • Do NOT turn it off, logout, or otherwise change anything.
    • If possible, prevent others from physically accessing the system.

Useful Links

Contact Information
IHS Incident Response Team (during business hours):
IRT Email: irt@ihs.gov
or contact the IHS Help Desk

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