What is considered a major incident?

A major incident is defined as an event that results in significant disruption to critical services or operations. This definition reflects the impact that such incidents have on an organization’s ability to function effectively, often leading to a substantial degradation of service quality or even complete service outages.

When an incident causes significant disruption, it typically necessitates a more urgent and coordinated response, involving multiple teams and resources to restore services and minimize impact. Recognizing the scale and severity of a major incident is essential for effective incident management, as it influences how resources are allocated and how stakeholders are engaged.

In contrast, incidents that are easily resolved, those impacting only non-critical functions, or issues of data inconsistency do not reach the level of severity or urgency associated with major incidents. These types of incidents often require less immediate attention and may not necessitate the same level of response or coordination, thereby underscoring the importance of correctly identifying incidents that qualify as major to ensure that appropriate measures are taken.