During what phase of incident response is the incident first reported and assessed?

The phase during which the incident is first reported and assessed is the identification phase. In this stage, the focus is on recognizing and confirming security incidents, which involves gathering the necessary information to determine if an incident has indeed occurred and the nature of that incident. This may include analyzing alerts from security tools, reviewing logs, and interviewing users who may have experienced unusual behavior.

Incident identification is critical because it sets the foundation for the subsequent steps in the incident response process. By accurately identifying the nature and scope of the incident, response teams can develop effective containment, eradication, and recovery strategies. This phase ensures that the organization responds to real incidents rather than false alarms, which can waste resources and diminish focus on actual threats.

The other phases, such as containment, preparation, and eradication, serve specific roles in the incident response process subsequent to the identification phase. Containment involves isolating affected systems to prevent further damage; preparation includes training and developing an incident response plan; while eradication focuses on removing the cause of the incident from the environment. Understanding this progression highlights why identification precedes these other critical steps.