Process Mining use cases for security incidents

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  • Updated July 31, 2025
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    Summary of Process Mining use cases for security incidents

    This guide details how ServiceNow customers can leverage Process Mining to analyze and optimize the resolution of security incidents. By applying various analytical methods within the Process Mining Workspace, customers can identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and SLA breaches in their security incident management processes, enabling more effective and timely incident resolution.

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    Multi-hop Analysis

    Identify security incidents that have been reassigned multiple times across different teams, causing delays. Using Variation Analysis in the Analyst Workbench, customers can filter incidents that took longer resolution routes and examine the exact steps where delays occurred. This insight helps improve assignment workflows and reduce resolution times.

    SLA Breach Analysis

    Analyze security incidents that have breached Service Level Agreements (SLAs) by applying filters on Task SLA data within the Analyst Workbench. Customers can specify SLA breach conditions and definitions to get a list of non-compliant incidents, then review their resolution routes to understand and address root causes of SLA failures.

    Priority Analysis

    Review changes in priority assignments for security incidents, particularly those where priority was downgraded from critical. Using Transition filters, customers can track incidents initially marked as Priority 1 (Critical) and identify when and why priorities changed, allowing refinement of priority assignment policies.

    Bottleneck Analysis

    Identify unusual state transitions and delays in the incident lifecycle by selecting Bottleneck Analysis in the Analyst Workbench. Customers can filter for specific transitions causing hold-ups, such as incidents moving from the Closed state unexpectedly, to pinpoint and mitigate process bottlenecks.

    Long Time to Start but Quick to Resolve

    Detect incidents that remain in the Draft state for extended periods (e.g., more than two days) but are resolved quickly afterward. By configuring advanced transition filters with time constraints, customers can uncover process inefficiencies in incident initiation versus resolution phases, supporting targeted process improvements.

    The following Process Mining use cases provide various analysis methods that you can use to identify inefficiencies during the resolution of your security incidents.

    Multi-hop analysis

    Security incidents that are reassigned multiple times to different teams might result in a resolution delay. By analyzing the reasons of reassignments for such security incidents, and where the incidents are held up for longer durations, you can improve the overall efficiency.

    The following are example steps to get the list of security incidents that took the longer routes:
    1. Navigate to Workspaces > Process Mining Workspace.
    2. Select Assignment group.
    3. Open a project, and navigate to Analyst Workbench.

      When you open a mined process optimization project, by default the Analyst Workbench opens.

    4. Select Variation Analysis.
    5. Select the filter (Filter icon) icon, and set the filter similar to the following:
      • Steps greater than the average number of steps.
      • Records greater than the minimum number of records that have taken a longer route.
        Note:
        You can configure the values as per your requirement.

      Example filter settings for multi-hop analysis
    6. Select Apply.

      All the records that match the filter criteria appear. Select a record to view the closure route of the record.

    7. Select a record, and then select Show Route.

      The route traversed by the record appears. You can use this route to identify the step where the incidents were held up for a longer duration than expected.

    SLA breach analysis

    You can use process mining to analyze security incidents that have breached a certain SLA (Service Level Agreement.)

    The following are example steps to get the list of security incidents that breached the SLA:
    1. Navigate to Workspaces > Process Mining Workspace.
    2. Open a project, and navigate to Analyst Workbench.

      When you open a mined process optimization project, by default the Analyst Workbench opens.

    3. From the Advanced filters, select Conditions.
    4. Select the arrow corresponding to Related List Condition.
    5. Set the conditions similar to the following:
      • Use the Select list to select the Task SLA table.
      • Set the value of the Greater than or equal to field to 1.
      • Set the value of Has breached to True.
      • To identify security incidents which breached a specific SLA, set a SLA definition filter.

      Condition settings for SLA breach

    6. Select Apply.

      All the records that match the conditions appear. Select a record to view the route of the record for analysis.

    Priority analysis

    You can use the process mining to review and improve the existing priority assignment process to your security incidents.

    The following are example steps to get the list of security incidents for which are priority was modified:
    1. Navigate to Workspaces > Process Mining Workspace.
    2. Open a project, and navigate to Analyst Workbench.

      When you open a mined process optimization project, by default the Analyst Workbench opens.

    3. Select Priority.
    4. From the Advanced filters, select Transitions.
    5. In Advanced filter on transitions, configure the following:
      1. Set Priority is 1 - Critical.
      2. Select Eventually followed By
      3. Priority is not 1 - Critical.
      Priority analysis conditions
    6. Select Apply all chains.

      The map shows all the security incidents that were assigned a priority 1 and their priority was later lowered.

    Bottleneck analysis

    You can use the process mining to review the state transitions of your security incidents. This analysis identifies the transitions that are not usual and the time delay caused because of such.

    The following are example steps to perform the bottleneck analysis:
    1. Navigate to Workspaces > Process Mining Workspace.
    2. Open a project, and navigate to Analyst Workbench.

      When you open a mined process optimization project, by default the Analyst Workbench opens.

    3. Select Bottleneck Analysis from the Model Options.

      The screen displays the state transitions for the security incidents.

      Bottle neck analysis

    4. Select the Filter by to identify bottleneck transitions. Alternatively, use the search bar to search for bottleneck transitions. For example, to identify incidents which were moved to other states from the Closed state, use "Closed " or "Closed -".

    Long time to start than resolve

    You can use the process mining to review the incidents that take a long time to get to the Draft state, but then were closed in a relatively shorter time.

    The following are example steps to identify security incidents that were in the Draft state for more than two days and were closed within 30 minutes after moving to the Analysis state:
    1. Navigate to Workspaces > Process Mining Workspace.
    2. Open a project, and navigate to Analyst Workbench.

      When you open a mined process optimization project, by default the Analyst Workbench opens.

    3. From the Advanced filters, select Transitions.
    4. In Advanced filter on transitions, configure the following:
      1. Set State (Incident) is Draft.
      2. Select Eventually followed By
      3. Select Add constraints and set From as 2 days.
      4. Select Add next activity.
      5. Set State (Incident) is In Analysis.
      6. Select Eventually followed By
      7. Select Add constraints and set Up to as 30 minutes.
      8. Select Add next activity.
      9. Select Eventually followed By
      10. Select Add constraints and set Up to as 30 minutes.
      11. Set State (Incident) is Closed.

        Long analysis time example

    5. Select Apply all chains.
    6. Select Breakdown Filters and sort by Longest Avg Duration.