Which impact category describes an incident that affects the entire organization?

• A. Immediate
• B. Organization-wide
• C. Total
• D. Localized

Answer: (B)

Understanding how to classify the scope of an incident’s impact helps determine how the organization should respond. An incident described as organization-wide means the disruption touches every part of the organization—across departments, units, and possibly multiple locations—so the effects are felt enterprise-wide. This level of impact requires coordinated, cross-functional response, broad communication to stakeholders, and governance oversight because no single area can operate independently to recover.

Localised impact, by contrast, affects only a specific area or function, such as one department or one site, and doesn’t require enterprise-wide coordination. Immediate describes when the effects occur, not how widespread they are. Total isn’t a standard term for scope and can be ambiguous, whereas organization-wide clearly signals enterprise-level reach.