In terms of risk assessment and alerts, what does the severity level 'High' indicate?

The severity level 'High' in the context of risk assessment and alerts indicates an urgent requirement for investigation and response. This classification signifies that the potential threat or vulnerability poses a significant risk to the organization, demanding immediate attention from security teams to mitigate harm or prevent exploitation.

A high severity alert typically indicates the presence of indicators of compromise (IOCs) or unusual activity that could likely lead to a data breach or system disruption. Security analysts and incident response teams prioritize these alerts to swiftly implement containment strategies or remediation actions, thereby reducing the possibility of potential damage.

Other severity levels, such as low or medium, imply less immediate risk and may involve routine monitoring or standard procedures for further investigation. The distinction of high severity is critical in a security operations center (SOC) where resource allocation and response times are crucial in protecting the organization from emerging threats.