What is incident?
An incident is an unexpected event that disrupts or could disrupt normal IT services, such as a server crash, a software bug, or a security breach. It’s anything that stops a system from working the way it’s supposed to.
Let's break it down
- Trigger: Something goes wrong (hardware failure, human error, cyber‑attack).
- Impact: Users may experience slow performance, errors, or loss of service.
- Response: The IT team detects the problem, investigates the cause, and works to restore service.
- Resolution: The issue is fixed, and the system returns to normal operation.
- Review: After fixing it, the team looks at what happened to prevent it in the future.
Why does it matter?
If incidents aren’t handled quickly, they can lead to lost revenue, damaged reputation, unhappy customers, and even legal problems. Proper incident handling keeps services reliable and builds trust with users.
Where is it used?
- Data centers and cloud platforms
- Corporate IT departments
- Online services (e‑commerce sites, streaming platforms)
- Mobile apps and SaaS products
- Any organization that relies on technology to deliver its services
Good things about it
- Provides a clear process for fixing problems fast.
- Helps teams learn from mistakes and improve systems.
- Reduces downtime, protecting revenue and reputation.
- Encourages communication between technical and business teams.
- Can be automated with monitoring tools, making detection quicker.
Not-so-good things
- Requires time and resources to set up and maintain the process.
- If not followed correctly, incidents can be mis‑classified, leading to slower fixes.
- Over‑reliance on procedures may limit creative problem‑solving.
- Poor documentation can make post‑incident reviews ineffective.
- Frequent incidents may indicate deeper systemic issues that need bigger fixes.