Glossary · Information security
Security Incident
An event, or series of events, that compromises or threatens the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information.
A security incident is an occurrence that actually harms, or seriously threatens, information security. It ranges from malware infections and data breaches to system outages caused by attacks.
Distinguishing incidents from harmless events is the job of detection and triage. Regulations such as NIS2 and the GDPR set obligations to report certain incidents within tight deadlines.