Security incident or data breach, what is the difference?

Not every incident is a breach. A breach is an incident where personal data was accidentally destroyed, lost, altered, accessed, or shared.

Try this first

1. 1Security incident: a disruption or weakness in security. Phishing attempt, failed ransomware, unpatched server. Internal logging, not automatic external notification.
2. 2Breach: personal data is involved in a loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Ransomware encrypting personal-data files counts. A blocked attempt does not.
3. 3In doubt? Treat as a breach until proven otherwise. Notifying early is safer than late.
4. 4Track both categories separately. The incident register supports audits; the breach register is statutory.
5. 5Train staff on the distinction. People often label something a "breach" that is not, or vice versa.

None of the above fits?

Describe your situation below. We pass your input plus the steps you already saw to our AI and return tailored next-step advice. If it's too risky to DIY, we'll say so.