In incident response, what is the initial step taken after a security incident has been identified?

The initial step taken after a security incident has been identified is containment. This step is crucial because it involves taking immediate action to limit the damage that the incident can cause. The primary goal of containment is to prevent the incident from spreading or escalating, which could lead to further data loss, system compromise, or additional security breaches.

After identifying an incident, organizations typically focus on isolating affected systems or networks to stop the threat from proliferating. This may include disconnecting affected machines from the network, shutting down compromised services, or employing other measures that stop the attack in progress. Containment is vital because it sets the stage for subsequent steps, such as analysis, communication with stakeholders, and investigation of the root cause, all of which rely on having the situation stabilized. By prioritizing containment, organizations can protect their overall security posture and prevent further impacts while they work to assess and remediate the incident.