An alert in cybersecurity is a critical notification generated by security monitoring systems when they detect anomalies, suspicious activities, or potential threats that deviate from established baselines or security policies. These automated signals originate from tools such as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platforms, and firewalls, consolidating data from network traffic, system logs, user activities, and threat intelligence feeds.

For security operations teams, alerts serve as the initial trigger for incident response workflows. Each alert typically includes essential data points such as the event's nature, timestamp, source, destination, and severity level, enabling analysts to efficiently triage, prioritize, and investigate potential breaches. Effective alert management is fundamental to maintaining a strong security posture, mitigating risks, and protecting organizational assets against evolving cyber threats.