Mobile Techs
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June 30, 2026

What counts as a security incident, why reporting matters, and how to report without fear.

Reporting a Security Incident

Reporting a security incident early is one of the most useful things any employee can do. The faster you tell IT, the faster they contain the damage, which is often the difference between a minor incident and a major breach.

The Incident Reporting Decision Flow

✓ Key Point

When in doubt, always report. IT security teams would far rather investigate a false alarm than miss a real incident because someone wasn’t sure it was worth mentioning. You will never be in trouble for reporting something that turns out to be harmless.

What Counts as a Security Incident?

Situation	Report?
Clicked a phishing link	YES, immediately
Entered credentials on a suspicious site	YES, immediately, change password too
Received unexpected MFA push requests	YES, your password may be compromised
Found a USB drive and plugged it in	YES, malware may have executed
Lost or had a work device stolen	YES, device must be remotely wiped
Emailed sensitive data to wrong person	YES, potential notifiable data breach
Noticed unusual activity on your account	YES, possible account compromise
Suspicious email you didn’t interact with	REPORT IT, use the “Report Phishing” button

The Cost of Delayed Reporting

Barriers to Reporting (and Why They Are Wrong)

Many people don’t report because they feel embarrassed or fear consequences. This is what attackers rely on.

⚠ Warning

“I’m scared of getting in trouble.” Organisations have security incident policies because mistakes happen. The person who covers up a phishing click and causes a full breach is in far more trouble than the person who reported one.

“It was probably nothing.” Let IT make that call. Your job is to report; their job is to assess.

“I’ll wait and see if anything happens.” By then it is too late. Credential stuffing attacks are automated and happen within minutes.

How to Report

Every organisation has a preferred reporting channel. Know yours before you need it:

The “Report Phishing” button in Outlook or Gmail (if configured)
Your IT helpdesk phone number or email
A dedicated security@yourcompany email address
Your manager, who escalates to IT

When you report, include:

What happened and when
What you clicked, opened, or entered
Any unusual behaviour you observed afterwards

Mobile Techs IT Consulting

Something looks wrong right now?

Clicked something you shouldn’t have, or seeing activity you can’t explain? Every minute matters. Mobile Techs IT Service provides rapid incident response for Gold Coast businesses: containment, password resets, malware removal and recovery, with no blame and no judgement. We can also set your business up before anything goes wrong: clear reporting channels, a simple incident plan, and staff who know what to do. Home users welcome too, on-site or remote, anywhere in Australia.

Get incident help now Talk to us first

Call 1300 644 588 · office@mobiletechs.com.au
More on our managed IT services and remote security audit.