Formula
Security Incident Rate = (Number of Security Incidents ÷ Total Number of Monitored Events) × 100
Calculation Example
If a company detects 10 security incidents in 10,000 monitored events, Incident Rate = (10 ÷ 10,000) × 100 = 0.1%
Data Source
SIEM Systems, Security Logs, Cybersecurity Reports
Tracking Frequency
Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly
Optimal Value
Lower is better; a high incident rate suggests security vulnerabilities.
Minimum Acceptable Value
A high rate may indicate weak security measures or frequent attacks.
Benchmark
Industry benchmarks: Financial Services ~0.1-0.5%, Healthcare ~0.3-1%, SaaS ~0.2-0.8%
Recommended Chart Type
Bar chart (to compare security threats), Line chart (to track trends)
How It Appears in Reports
Displayed in cybersecurity reports to assess risk levels.
Why Is This KPI Important?
Indicates security risks and the effectiveness of security controls.
Typical Problems and Limitations
Not all incidents are breaches; some may be false positives.
Actions for Poor Results
Improve security protocols, conduct regular penetration testing, enhance staff training.
Related KPIs
System Uptime, Bug Fix Time, Cost of Downtime
Real-Life Examples
A financial institution reduced incident rates by 40% by deploying AI-based anomaly detection.
Most Common Mistakes
Focusing on incident detection without improving response and mitigation strategies.
