Which of the following best defines incident response?

Incident response refers specifically to the structured approach organizations take to prepare for, detect, and respond to cybersecurity incidents. It encompasses the processes and procedures that are implemented to effectively handle and manage incidents that could compromise the security of an organization's data and systems. This includes identifying the incident, assessing its impact, containing and eradicating the threat, recovering affected systems, and performing post-incident analysis to improve future responses.

The other options do not align with the definition of incident response. Tracking user activity is more about monitoring and logging rather than responding to incidents. Strategies for long-term risk management focus on proactive measures rather than immediate incident handling. Techniques for encrypting sensitive data are related to safeguarding information rather than addressing incidents that have already occurred. Hence, the first option best encapsulates the essential elements of incident response.