Incident Management Policy

Effective Date: [Insert Date]
Last Reviewed: [Insert Date]
Owner: [Owner Name, e.g., Incident Response Manager]
Reviewed By: [Reviewing Team/Department]

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline the procedures for classifying, monitoring, and managing incidents within [Organization Name]. The goal is to minimize the impact of incidents on business operations, restore normal service as quickly as possible, and provide a structured approach to incident response.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and systems under the management of [Organization Name]. It includes the identification, classification, response, and resolution of incidents that disrupt or threaten to disrupt service operations.

3. Incident Classification

Incidents are categorized based on their severity and impact on business operations. Classifications help prioritize response efforts and allocate appropriate resources.

• Severity Levels:
  • Critical: Incidents causing a complete service outage or a major security breach impacting a large number of users or critical business operations. Requires immediate action.
  • High: Incidents causing significant performance degradation or impacting key business functions. Requires urgent attention.
  • Medium: Incidents causing moderate disruption, with workarounds available or affecting a limited number of users.
  • Low: Minor incidents that have little to no impact on service operations and can be addressed as part of regular support activities.

4. Incident Lifecycle

The incident management process follows a structured lifecycle to ensure consistency and efficiency in response and resolution.

1. Detection and Logging:
   • Incidents are detected through monitoring tools, user reports, or system alerts.
   • All incidents must be logged in the [Incident Management System], including details such as time of detection, description, severity, and assigned responder.
2. Classification and Prioritization:
   • Classify the incident based on severity and impact.
   • Prioritize incidents for response based on their classification, ensuring critical incidents are addressed first.
3. Investigation and Diagnosis:
   • The Incident Responder conducts an initial investigation to identify the cause and determine potential workarounds.
   • Gather relevant data, such as system logs and user reports, to aid in diagnosis.
4. Incident Response and Resolution:
   • Follow the predefined steps in the Incident Response Playbook to mitigate the impact and restore normal service.
   • Apply workarounds as needed while working on a permanent resolution.
   • Document all actions taken and update the incident log with progress details.
5. Escalation:
   • If the incident cannot be resolved at the initial response level, escalate to higher support tiers or specialized teams.
   • Notify the Incident Manager if an incident cannot be resolved within a specified time frame or if the impact increases.
6. Communication:
   • Inform relevant stakeholders about the incident status, impact, and expected resolution timeline.
   • Provide regular updates to affected users, management, and other interested parties until the incident is resolved.
7. Incident Closure:
   • Once the incident is resolved, verify that service has been fully restored and there are no lingering issues.
   • Close the incident in the [Incident Management System] and update documentation with a summary of actions taken.

5. Monitoring and Escalation

• Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of systems and applications is essential for early detection of incidents. Automated tools such as [Monitoring Tool] should be used to generate alerts based on predefined thresholds.
• Escalation Criteria: Incidents must be escalated if:
  • They cannot be resolved within the response team’s capabilities.
  • They meet escalation criteria defined for each severity level.
  • The incident’s impact increases or poses additional risks.

6. Roles and Responsibilities

• Incident Responder:
  • Detects, logs, and classifies incidents.
  • Takes initial action to investigate, mitigate, and resolve incidents.
  • Escalates incidents as needed and provides status updates.
• Incident Manager:
  • Oversees the incident management process and ensures proper coordination.
  • Approves escalation decisions and communicates with stakeholders.
  • Conducts post-incident reviews to improve future response efforts.
• Support Teams:
  • Provide additional expertise and support for incident resolution.
  • Assist with escalated incidents and collaborate to restore service.

7. Post-Incident Review

• Conduct a review after significant incidents to analyze what went well and what could be improved.
• Document lessons learned and update the Incident Response Playbook.
• Use findings to refine incident management processes and reduce future risk.

8. Supporting Tools and Resources

• Monitoring Tools: [e.g., Amazon CloudWatch, Datadog]
• Incident Management System: [Specify the tool used, e.g., ServiceNow, Jira]
• Communication Tools: [e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Amazon SNS for notifications]
• Documentation: Incident Response Playbook, runbooks, and escalation matrices

9. Continuous Improvement

The incident management process will be reviewed regularly and updated based on lessons learned from incidents, changes in the operational environment, and feedback from teams.