What is a critical first step for incident responders upon arriving at a scene?

Documenting the situation is a critical first step for incident responders upon arriving at a scene because it establishes a clear and detailed record of the initial environment and the events observed. This documentation serves multiple purposes: it helps maintain an accurate account of what was happening prior to the incident response, including the state of systems and any evidence present, and it provides context that can be crucial for later analysis and reporting.

Thorough documentation allows incident responders to track the timeline of events, identify key players involved (both technical personnel and possible suspects), and clarify the extent of the incident without jumping to conclusions. It also aids in preserving the integrity of the evidence, which is vital for potential legal proceedings or forensics investigations down the line. The documentation should include notes on system states, visual observations, communications with others present, and any actions taken immediately upon arrival.

Other choices, while relevant to incident response, do not take precedence at the initial stage. Shutting down all systems may lead to critical data loss and disrupt ongoing investigations; collecting all evidence immediately requires prior context and approach to ensure nothing is overlooked or compromised; and analyzing network traffic is essential but is typically performed after gathering initial contextual documentation to understand the overall situation and focus on specific areas of concern.