Which statement best describes universal definitions for computer security incidents?

• A. There is a single universal standard
• B. There is no single standard adhered to by all organizations
• C. Standards are irrelevant
• D. All organizations follow a global standard

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that incident definitions are not standardized across every organization. While many organizations reference well-known frameworks and standards (for example NIST, ISO/IEC 27035, or other industry guidelines), there isn’t one single definition that all organizations use. Regulatory needs, industry requirements, risk tolerance, and local practices lead to a variety of criteria for what counts as a security incident and how it should be handled. That variability is why the most accurate statement is that there is no single standard adhered to by all organizations.

Some frameworks help guide incident response, but they aren’t universally adopted in a uniform way. Saying standards are irrelevant isn’t correct because these guidelines provide structure for detection, containment, and recovery. Likewise, saying all organizations follow a global standard isn’t true, since different sectors and regions adopt different frameworks and sometimes create internal definitions tailored to their environment.