# Acknowledge System

Acknowledging an incident is crucial because it triggers the **Stop on Acknowledge** logic defined in your Escalation Policies. Once acknowledged, the system **stops notifying** other team members or escalating to the next level, preventing unnecessary noise.

ITOC360 offers two convenient ways to acknowledge an incident.

#### Method 1: Instant Acknowledge (via Public Link)

This is the fastest method, designed for responders who are on the go or away from their dashboard.

When you receive a notification via SMS or Email, it includes a unique, secure link.

1. **Click the Link:** Open the URL provided in the notification message.
2. **No Login Required:** You will be directed to a public acknowledgement page. You do not need to log in to the ITOC360 dashboard to perform this action.
3. **Confirm:** Review the brief summary and click the Acknowledge button.

*By clicking acknowledge, you confirm that you have received the alert and taken ownership of the incident.*

> **Security Note:** The link generated is unique to the incident and secure. It allows only for the acknowledgement action and does not expose sensitive internal system data.

#### Method 2: Dashboard Acknowledge

If you are already logged into the ITOC360 portal or triaging multiple issues, you can acknowledge incidents directly from the interface.

1. Navigate to the Monitoring > **Alerts** page.
2. Click on the specific alert to open the **Detail View**.
3. Locate the **Acknowledge** button in the top-right corner of the detail panel.
4. A**dd a Note (Optional):** You can enter a brief message (e.g., "Checking the database logs now") to provide context to your team.
5. Click **Confirm**.

#### What happens after Acknowledgement?

Once an incident is successfully acknowledged (via either method):

1. **Escalation Stops:** The countdown for the next escalation level is cancelled immediately. No further phone calls or SMS messages will be sent for this specific incident.
2. **Status Update:** The status of the incident changes from **Triggered/Open** to **Acknowledged** on the dashboard.
3. **Audit Log:** The system records *who* acknowledged the alert and *when* (and via which method), providing a clear timeline for post-mortem analysis.