Incident review is the process of checking logs, user accounts, alerts, and affected systems after a security claim or suspicious event. The goal is to determine whether the claim is real, what data or services may be involved, and whether attackers still have access. A review usually starts with fast evidence collection: authentication logs, VPN records, email activity, endpoint alerts, and changes to privileged accounts.
This matters because public leak posts and ransom claims can be incomplete, exaggerated, or false, yet they still create risk. A careful incident review helps defenders separate noise from confirmed compromise, contain active access, and preserve evidence for later analysis. In real attacks, reviewers look for signs such as unusual logins, new admin accounts, data transfer spikes, disabled security tools, or exposed services. In defense, incident review supports incident response, communication planning, credential resets, and decisions about whether to escalate into a full breach investigation.