What is the primary purpose of an incident response plan?

The primary purpose of an incident response plan is to prepare for and manage security incidents effectively. This plan outlines the processes that an organization should follow when responding to a cyber incident, allowing teams to act quickly and efficiently to mitigate damage, preserve evidence, and recover operations. By having a structured approach in place, organizations can reduce the impact of incidents on their operations, protect sensitive data, and maintain trust with customers and stakeholders.

An effective incident response plan includes defined roles and responsibilities, communication strategies, and procedures for identifying and responding to incidents. The proactive nature of this plan not only helps in immediate incident management but also contributes to ongoing security improvement by learning from past incidents.

The other options focus on different aspects of network management and security. For instance, creating backup systems for data loss is vital for data recovery but does not address the broader aspects of incident management. Monitoring network traffic is important for detecting anomalies and potential threats, but it is just one part of a much larger incident response framework. Training employees on software usage is essential for overall operational efficiency and security awareness but does not specifically relate to the structured approach needed for managing incidents. Thus, option A best encapsulates the core function of an incident response plan.