What is the Difference Between Incident and Event?

The difference between an incident and an event lies in their definitions and the impact they have on a system or organization. Here's a breakdown of the two concepts:

• Event: An event is any observable occurrence in your IT infrastructure or system. It can be benign and unremarkable, such as typing on a keyboard or receiving an email. Events can be both positive and negative, and they don't necessarily require action. Examples of events include updating router ACLs, pushing firewall policy, or a user logging on to a system.
• Incident: An incident is an event that negatively affects IT systems and impacts the business. It's an unplanned interruption or reduction in quality of an IT service. Incidents always have a negative outcome, affecting the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an organization's data. Examples of incidents include a DDoS attack, flooding of a server room, or a data breach.

In summary, an event is any observable occurrence, while an incident is an event that has a negative impact on IT systems and the organization. All incidents are events, but not all events are incidents.

Comparative Table: Incident vs Event

The main difference between an incident and an event lies in their impact on IT systems and the business. Here is a table summarizing the key differences between incidents and events:

In summary, an incident is a disruptive occurrence that negatively affects IT systems and the business, while an event can be either positive or negative and can be planned or happen unexpectedly.