Definition
Incident detection is the process of identifying and analyzing suspicious or malicious activities within an organization's IT environment. It involves actively monitoring systems, networks, and applications for indicators of compromise or policy violations. Effective incident detection enables timely response to security threats, minimizing potential damage and data loss. For instance, security teams might use intrusion detection systems to flag unusual network traffic patterns that suggest an ongoing attack. This differs from incident prevention, which aims to stop incidents before they occur, by focusing on recognizing them as they happen. Incident detection is a core concept tested on certifications like CompTIA Security+, CySA+, and CISSP.