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Severity matrix

Definition

A two-dimensional scoring tool that combines technical impact and business impact to assign a severity level to a confirmed incident. Outputs are typically a four-level scale: critical, high, medium, and low (or equivalent numerals). The matrix makes prioritisation consistent and defensible across different analysts.

Related terms

Alert fatigue
The condition in which analysts receive more alerts than they can meaningfully review, leading to delayed responses, dismissed true positives, and reduced...
Asset criticality
A pre-assigned score or label that records how important a system, service, or data set is to the organisation. Used during triage...
Escalation threshold
A defined criterion, based on severity level, asset type, or indicator type, that triggers handoff of an alert from a first-tier analyst...
False positive
A test result that indicates the presence of a target analyte when it is absent. In forensic serology this may mean incorrectly...
Triage
The structured process of evaluating an alert to determine whether it is a genuine security incident and, if so, what severity level...

Explained in

  • Triage and Incident PrioritisationA two-dimensional scoring tool that combines technical impact and business impact to assign a severity level to a confirmed incident. Outputs are typically a f...

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