Which metric best measures the speed of detecting and resolving security incidents?

Which metric best measures the speed of detecting and resolving security incidents?

• A. Mean time to detect/resolve
• B. Incident frequency
• C. Patch compliance
• D. Auditor findings

Answer: (A)

Measuring how quickly security incidents are detected and resolved focuses on the time span from the start of an incident to its completion. The mean time to detect/resolve captures that lifecycle, averaging the duration it takes to identify an incident and then bring it to a full resolution. This metric directly reflects responsiveness and the efficiency of both detection and remediation processes; shorter times mean faster discovery, containment, and recovery, which reduces attacker dwell time and minimizes impact. Other metrics look at different aspects. Incident frequency tells you how often incidents occur, not how fast you handle them. Patch compliance assesses how timely patches are applied, not how quickly an incident is detected or closed. Auditor findings reflect discovered issues and control gaps, not the speed of incident handling.

Measuring how quickly security incidents are detected and resolved focuses on the time span from the start of an incident to its completion. The mean time to detect/resolve captures that lifecycle, averaging the duration it takes to identify an incident and then bring it to a full resolution. This metric directly reflects responsiveness and the efficiency of both detection and remediation processes; shorter times mean faster discovery, containment, and recovery, which reduces attacker dwell time and minimizes impact.

Other metrics look at different aspects. Incident frequency tells you how often incidents occur, not how fast you handle them. Patch compliance assesses how timely patches are applied, not how quickly an incident is detected or closed. Auditor findings reflect discovered issues and control gaps, not the speed of incident handling.