Incident

An “incident” is a key concept in emergency management and crisis communication. It refers to any type of event or situation that could affect the normal operation of a company or organisation. Incidents can vary greatly in nature and scope, from minor incidents to major disasters. This article will explain the definition of an incident, its different types, and the importance of incident detection and management.

Definition of an incident

An incident is generally defined as any unexpected event that disrupts or has the potential to disrupt the normal operations of an organisation. This definition includes both physical and digital events. For example, an incident can be an IT security incident, a fire, a natural disaster, a technical failure or a targeted attack.

Types of incidents

Incidents can be divided into different categories depending on their cause and area of influence:

• Technical incidents: These include hardware and software failures, network outages, data loss or cyber attacks. Technical incidents are particularly critical in companies with a high level of IT dependency, as they can paralyse the entire business operation.
• Physical incidents: These include fires, floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters, but also human errors that lead to physical damage. An example would be a fire in a data centre that destroys the IT infrastructure.
• Human incidents: These are events caused by human behaviour, such as vandalism, sabotage, terrorism or internal misconduct. Staff absences due to illness or strikes can also be classified as human incidents.

Social and political incidents: These include events such as political unrest, terrorist attacks or pandemics that can have a far-reaching impact on public safety and order as well as on company operations.

The importance of recognising incidents

Timely detection of an incident is crucial for effective management and damage minimisation. There are various methods and technologies for incident detection:

• Monitoring systems: These continuously monitor IT infrastructure and physical assets for anomalies and potential threats.
• Alerting systems: These alerting systems are designed to immediately sound the alarm and trigger the appropriate action when an incident is detected.
• Employee training: Well-trained employees are able to recognise signs of incidents early and respond accordingly.

Incident management

Once an incident has been detected, it is crucial to deal with it quickly and efficiently in order to minimise damage and restore normal operations. Incident management comprises several steps:

1. Initial response: immediate action to contain the incident and minimise the impact. This may include evacuating buildings, isolating IT systems or informing emergency services.
2. Assessment and analysis: A thorough assessment of the incident to identify the extent of the damage and the areas affected. This also includes root cause analysis to prevent future incidents.
3. Communication: Clear and effective communication with all affected parties, including employees, customers, suppliers and the public, is critical. Transparent communication helps to maintain trust and avoid panic.
4. Recovery: Measures to restore normal operations. This may include repairing physical damage, restoring data from backups or implementing emergency plans.
5. Follow-up: After the incident has been dealt with, follow-up is important in order to learn lessons from the event and adapt the emergency plans accordingly. This helps to strengthen the organisation’s resilience to future incidents.

Summary of the term “incident”

An incident can be any unexpected situation that disrupts the normal operation of an organisation. Recognising and managing incidents are essential components of emergency management. Through effective preparation, training and technology, companies can increase their resilience to incidents and minimise the impact on their operations.