Critical Network Incident: The First 30 Minutes

A simple framework to stabilize the situation before chasing a perfect explanation.

In a major incident, the priority is to build a reliable picture, protect service and organize decision-making. This checklist helps prevent early chaos.

01
Name an incident commander and one primary channel
02
Define impact, scope, affected services and start time
03
Freeze non-essential changes
04
Build a factual timestamped timeline
05
Compare current state with the last known-good baseline
06
Separate symptoms, hypotheses and confirmed facts
07
Protect paths or services that remain stable
08
Assign next actions with owner and deadline
09
Communicate at a regular cadence without speculation
10
Prepare restoration or rollback if required

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