Endpoint Triage
Collect volatile and persistent endpoint context quickly while minimizing change to the system.
On this page · 4 sections
Operating context
Endpoint triage establishes user, host, process, network, persistence, and security-control context. Collection depth follows incident severity and evidence requirements.
- Define the security decision that endpoint triage must support.
- Assign accountable owners, escalation paths, service levels, and privacy boundaries.
- Measure signal quality, response consistency, operational cost, and improvement over time.
Operational workflow
- 01
Establish scope, dependencies, normal behavior, and a documented baseline.
- 02
Collect the minimum telemetry and context needed for endpoint triage.
- 03
Correlate independent signals and state confidence before taking disruptive action.
- 04
Document the decision, evidence, containment or control action, and responsible owner.
- 05
Review the outcome, tune the process, and validate the improvement with a safe test.
Signals, evidence & decisions
| Signal or artifact | Decision it supports |
|---|---|
| process, connection, and logged-on-user snapshot | Establish event sequence and affected scope. |
| persistence and execution artifacts | Confirm identity, asset, or control context. |
| EDR timeline and acquisition record | Support containment, recovery, or tuning. |
Record source, timestamp, collection method, confidence, owner, and disposition. Preserve the smallest useful evidence set and document any uncertainty.
Implementation & improvement
- Use approved collection packages with hashes.
- Record timezone and collection order.
- Escalate to forensic imaging when triage is insufficient.