Triage and validate incident reports
Not every alert or report is a real incident. Triage is the process of quickly determining whether a reported event is a genuine security incident, a false positive, or something benign. Without a structured triage step, teams either waste resources chasing noise or, worse, dismiss real attacks as false alarms. Consistent validation criteria reduce both over-reaction and under-reaction, and they build confidence in the detection pipeline over time.
Implementation steps
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Define triage criteria and severity thresholds
Document the specific criteria that distinguish a confirmed incident from a false positive or informational alert. Include signal sources, minimum evidence thresholds, and which roles are authorized to confirm or dismiss a report.
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Assign a triage analyst and conduct initial review
Route each incoming report to a qualified analyst within the defined SLA. The analyst checks relevant logs, threat intelligence, and affected asset context to determine whether the event meets the incident declaration threshold.
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Record the triage outcome and rationale
Document the triage decision, the evidence reviewed, and the analyst's reasoning in the incident tracking system. False positives should be tagged and fed back to tune detection rules. Confirmed incidents proceed to categorization.
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Evidence required
Triage decision log
Records showing each reported incident was reviewed and a disposition was recorded with supporting rationale.
- · SIEM alert tickets with analyst notes and confirmed/dismissed status
- · ServiceNow or Jira incidents with triage fields populated
- · SOC shift handover reports listing triage decisions
Documented triage criteria
A written procedure or runbook that defines how triage is performed, including severity thresholds and false-positive handling.
- · IR playbook section covering triage steps
- · Confluence or Notion page with triage decision tree
- · SIEM playbook or alert handling SOP
Related controls
Execute the incident response plan in coordination with relevant third parties
Incident Management
Categorize and prioritize incidents
Incident Management
Escalate or elevate incidents as needed
Incident Management
Apply the criteria for initiating incident recovery
Incident Management