In the paced and interconnected world of technology, organizations can experience unexpected events at any moment causing disruptions and putting sensitive information at risk. To effectively handle these situations organizations rely on what is called incident classification.
What is Incident Classification?
Incident classification is the process of categorizing incidents according to their level of severity, impact, and urgency, in order to effectively prioritize incidents and allocate resources. Organizations can face various types of incidents, such as IT incidents, physical security incidents, health and safety incidents, system failures, etc.
As a result, organizations are able to assess the severity of each incident, which in turn helps them make decisions and plan for the future. IT incidents, security incidents, and other disruptions can all occur at the same time. Their classification allows organizations to customize their response strategies, thus, reducing downtime, safeguarding data, and protecting their reputation.
Incident Classification Criteria and ISO/IEC 27035
To effectively categorize incidents, organizations must establish criteria that typically consider factors such as the severity of the incident, its impact, urgency, potential outcomes, and the extent of its reach. A well-known framework helping with IT incidents is ISO/IEC 27035 Information Security Incident Management.
ISO/IEC 27035 is a globally recognized standard that provides guidance on how to handle security incidents in the field of information security. It assists organizations in responding and minimizing the impact of such incidents. Incident classification is a component of incident management as it aids in understanding the nature and severity of each incident.
ISO/IEC 27035 facilitates incident classification by providing a consistent framework, for categorizing incidents based on their characteristics. This standard defines attributes, including the source of the incident, the type of attack, and the potential consequences. By utilizing this classification approach organizations can prioritize their efforts in responding to incidents, allocating resources, and enhancing their security posture.
Incident Classification Process
To streamline incident response efforts, it is crucial to have a defined process for classifying incidents. This process involves several important steps such as:
- Incident Identification – The first step is to identify security incidents. This can be done through different methods like intrusion detection systems, employee reports, security monitoring, or automated alerts.
- Incident Logging – Once incidents are identified, it is crucial to record all information about them in a centralized log which will serve as a reference throughout the classification process.
- Initial Triage – This is the phase where a preliminary assessment of the incident takes place. The incident response team evaluates the information to determine if it qualifies as a security incident and if further investigation is necessary.
- Gathering Information – After confirming the incident, the response team collects all data related to it. This includes information from affected systems, network logs, user accounts, and any other relevant sources.
- Incident Classification Attributes – To aid in categorizing the incident ISO/IEC 27035 provides a set of attributes for classification. These include identifying whether the source of the incident was external or internal and determining the type of attack. Also, identifying the affected assets involved and the potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
- Classification Decision – Based on all gathered information and considering these classification attributes, experts classify each incident into its category.
- Incident Documentation – Proper documentation is essential, for recording the classification process and the reasoning behind the classification decision. This documentation serves as a record of the incident aiding in investigation and analysis.
- Incident Reporting – Depending on the organizations' policies and regulations incidents may require reporting to stakeholders, management, or external authorities. Accurately classifying incidents ensures that precise and relevant information is provided during reporting.
- Response and Mitigation – Once an incident is classified, the incident response team can implement strategies for response and mitigation based on the severity and impact of the incident.
- Continuous Improvement – After resolving an incident, organizations have the opportunity to review their incident classification process and response procedures. This review aims to identify opportunities for improvement.
Incident Classification Levels
Severity levels play a role, in determining the urgency of response actions. By assigning severity levels, incident response teams can prioritize incidents according to their impact, on business operations, data integrity, and customer trust.
For example, incidents classified as "Low Severity" may follow a resolution process whereas those labeled as "Critical Severity" require action and involvement at a higher level. Appropriately escalating incidents based on their classification ensures that the necessary resources are allocated promptly to address issues.
| Incident Classification | Description |
| Critical Severity Incidents | Incidents of the highest severity level pose a severe and immediate threat to business operations, data integrity, or customer safety. Critical incidents demand immediate attention and an escalated response to minimize potential damages and restore normal operations quickly. For example cybersecurity breaches, natural disasters, ransomware attacks, etc. |
| High Severity Incidents | Incidents with a significant impact on business operations or data, though not as critical as the highest severity level. High incidents require prompt response and resolution to prevent further escalation and mitigate potential consequences on productivity and customer trust. For example server outages, supply chain disruptions, employee health incidents, etc. |
| Medium Severity Incidents | Incidents with moderate impact may cause disruptions, but their consequences are more manageable, allowing organizations to respond effectively without immediate escalation. Nevertheless, timely resolution remains essential. For example network slowdown, data entry errors, and local power outages. |
| Low Severity Incidents | Incidents with minimal impact on business operations, often involve isolated issues or minor disruptions that do not pose a significant threat. Low incidents require attention, but they can be resolved without immediate urgency, allowing organizations to address them within standard response timeframes. For example printer malfunction, minor equipment damages, or temporary network glitch. |
Incident Classification Best Practices
Developing a defined policy for categorizing incidents is crucial to ensure an efficient response. This policy must include criteria for classification, different incident categories, and protocols, for escalating issues. It is also important to provide training to incident response teams so they can effectively apply the classification process. By integrating incident classification into management tools and systems it becomes easier to track, report, and analyze incidents in a timely manner.
Incident Classification for Cybersecurity
In the changing world of cyber threats, the categorization of incidents plays a role in preventing attacks and protecting important information. By incorporating incident classification into cybersecurity strategies, organizations can swiftly determine the nature and extent of an attack.
Cybersecurity incident classification helps organizations detect threats early by analyzing incident trends, which in turn helps them quickly adapt security measures to evolving threats. By classifying incidents by severity, organizations are able to allocate resources efficiently for higher-risk incidents.
Furthermore, the use of tailored response strategies ensures timely attention, while automated incident management facilitates the resolution of incidents. A predictive analysis identifies trends, enhances preparedness, and refines security policies, respond plans, and preventative measures by anticipating threats.
Incident Classification Challenges and Solutions
Implementing a system, for incident classification can be quite challenging. There are obstacles that one may encounter, such as the nature of categorizing incidents and managing multiple incidents at once. Organizations can further face other challenges, such as potential subjectivity and biases, limited data analysis capabilities, communication gaps, complexities, resistance to change, inconsistent implementation, lack of senior management support, etc. However, by incorporating different mechanisms like automation and machine learning algorithms, as well as employing experts in the process, organizations can effectively improve the whole process, manage crises, and minimize mistakes.
Organizations can overcome incident classification challenges by developing clear guidelines, conducting regular reviews, and updating criteria to align with evolving threats. They should also invest in tools and analytics for improved incident management, offer training to enhance responders' understanding, and create decision trees for effective classification. Prioritizing resources, establishing comprehensive training, and organization-wide policies, while also educating senior management on the benefits, further contributes to successful incident classification and its positive impact on cybersecurity and risk management.
Incident Classification and Incident Response Coordination
Effective collaboration between incident response teams and incident classification teams is crucial to ensure a synchronized response. It is vital that there is communication and sharing of information to align the classification of incidents with the response and recovery strategies. This also plays a role in determining the timeframe for responding to incidents ensuring that high-priority issues receive the required attention.
As can be seen, incident classification plays a vital role in ensuring the resilience of organizations by enabling them to prioritize and respond effectively. Frameworks such as ISO/IEC 27035 further strengthen this process by enhancing security measures. The thorough identification, classification, and response to incidents highlight the importance of teamwork in allocating resources and resolving issues promptly. With the advancement of technology, incident classification continues to serve as a guiding principle in helping organizations navigate through disruptions and cyber challenges.
About the Author
Vlerë Hyseni is the Digital Content Officer at PECB. She is in charge of doing research, creating, and developing digital content for a variety of industries. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact her at: content@pecb.com.
