In incident management, what is the first step to take when an incident occurs?

The first step to take when an incident occurs is to log the incident report. This action is crucial as it provides a formal record of the incident, ensuring that details such as the time it occurred, affected services, and initial symptoms are documented. Logging the incident is essential for tracking, prioritizing, and managing incidents throughout their lifecycle. This documentation serves as a foundation for further actions, including analyzing the incident's impact, escalating issues to the appropriate teams, and facilitating communication among stakeholders. An accurate log also aids in future problem-solving and can contribute valuable data for improving processes, thus enhancing overall incident management practices.

Beginning a root cause analysis, notifying stakeholders, and restoring services to normal operation are important subsequent steps but should only occur after the proper documentation of the incident has been completed.