Cyber vs IT Incidents:

Cyber Security vs IT Incidents: Why Classification and Separation Matter

In an era where digital transformation shapes every aspect of business, both cybersecurity incidents and IT/technology incidents demand swift and effective responses. However, the nature of these incidents—and the appropriate way to handle them—differs significantly. Properly classifying and managing these incidents is essential to safeguard data, maintain operations, and ensure compliance.

A critical recommendation is to separate security incident tickets from technology incident tickets within your IT Service Management (ITSM) tool. This separation ensures both confidentiality and operational efficiency. Here’s why this distinction is vital, and how to implement it effectively.

➡️ Understanding the Difference: Cybersecurity vs. IT Incidents

Cybersecurity Incidents

Cybersecurity incidents are events that threaten the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an organisation’s systems and data. Examples include:

  • Phishing attacks: Emails designed to steal credentials or inject malware.
  • Data breaches: Unauthorised access exposing sensitive information.
  • Ransomware or malware infections: Compromised systems demanding urgent containment.
  • Unauthorised access: Attempts to infiltrate restricted systems.

These incidents require a specialised response, often involving legal, regulatory, and reputational considerations. The focus is on containment, investigation, and prevention rather than simply restoring functionality.

IT/Technology Incidents

IT incidents are disruptions in technology operations, such as:

  • System or application crashes.
  • Network outages.
  • Software bugs or misconfigurations.
  • Hardware failures.

These incidents are generally operational in nature, with the primary goal of restoring service and minimising downtime.

➡️ Why Separate Cybersecurity and IT Incidents in ITSM Tools?

  1. Confidentiality and Restricted Access
    1. Cybersecurity incidents often involve sensitive information, such as breaches of personal data or security vulnerabilities.
    2. Limiting access to cybersecurity incident tickets ensures that only authorised personnel (e.g., Security Operations Centre or Incident Response Teams) can view and act on the information.
    3. IT incidents, by contrast, are typically operational and do not require restricted access, making them more open to review and resolution by general IT teams.
  2. Tailored Workflows and Escalation Paths
    1. Cybersecurity incidents require specialised workflows, including risk assessments, forensic investigations, and reporting to regulators if necessary.
    2. IT incidents follow standard troubleshooting, escalation, and resolution processes focused on restoring service.
  3. Regulatory Compliance
    1. Cybersecurity incidents may need to comply with specific reporting laws (e.g., GDPR, Australian Privacy Act), which require tight control over who accesses the incident data.
    2. IT incidents usually do not have the same compliance burden, making them easier to manage within broader IT teams.
  4. Clearer Metrics and Reporting
    1. Separating data allows organisations to track cybersecurity trends (e.g., phishing attack frequency) independently from IT metrics (e.g., average resolution time for system outages).
    2. This distinction helps in strategic planning, resource allocation, and risk mitigation.
  5. Minimised Risk of Oversight
    1. Mixing sensitive cybersecurity data with operational IT tickets increases the risk of unauthorised access or improper handling, potentially leading to data leaks or compliance breaches.

➡️ Best Practices for Managing Security and IT Incident Data

  1. Configure Separate Ticket Queues
    1. Set up distinct queues or modules within your ITSM tool for cybersecurity and IT incidents. Ensure they have different access permissions based on roles.
    2. Example: Only security team members can access cybersecurity queues, while IT support teams handle general incident queues.
  2. Define Clear Classification Options
    1. For cybersecurity incidents, include categories like phishing, malware, data breach, and unauthorised access.
    2. For IT incidents, use categories such as network issues, application errors, and hardware failures.
  3. Enforce Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
    1. Apply strict access controls to cybersecurity incident data. Only authorised personnel should be able to view, edit, or resolve these tickets.
  4. Enable Audit Trails
    1. Use your ITSM tool’s audit logging features to track all access and actions on cybersecurity incident tickets for accountability and compliance.
  5. Train Teams on the Separation
    1. Ensure all IT and security staff understand why this separation exists and how to properly classify and handle incidents in their respective domains.

➡️ Protecting Security and Operational Efficiency

While both cybersecurity and IT incidents play critical roles in an organisation’s resilience, their unique characteristics necessitate distinct handling processes. By keeping security incidents and technology-related incidents separate in your ITSM tool, you can:

  • Enhance data confidentiality.
  • Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
  • Optimise response workflows for both security and operational needs.

Organisations that implement this separation not only improve their incident response effectiveness but also build trust with stakeholders by demonstrating a robust commitment to security and operational excellence.

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Kirk is a certified ITIL expert (v3) and Six Sigma Green Belt. He has worked on a variety of ITSM based transformation programs across Utilities, Telecommunications, Banking & Finance, Government & Public Sector, Real Estate & Transportation industries over the past 15 years. He is regularly called on by senior leaders and executives to provide ITSM strategy and guidance on complex projects across Asia Pacific.

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