What is the key information collected in the initial stages of incident response?

The initial stages of incident response involve gathering essential information that helps identify and assess the nature and scope of the incident. A critical element during this phase is understanding the current threat landscape, which can include analyzing spikes in malware infections. Identifying increases in malware activity provides insight into potential compromises or ongoing attacks, helping security teams to evaluate immediate risks and take necessary actions.

Understanding malware spikes can also inform response strategies, such as isolating affected systems, improving monitoring, and enhancing prevention measures. This situational awareness is vital for prioritizing resources and determining the next steps in the incident response process.

While other options such as network diagrams, user access logs, and data encryption statuses are valuable pieces of information for an incident response, they are generally more relevant in later stages when assessing the impact of an incident or during the investigation phase rather than during the initial threat identification process.