Which terminology identifies an underlying cause of one or more incidents?

The terminology that identifies an underlying cause of one or more incidents is referred to as a Problem. In ITIL Service Operation, Problems are the root causes of incidents that occur repeatedly or affect multiple users or services. When an incident occurs, the immediate focus is on restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible. However, to prevent recurrence and understand why the incident happened in the first place, it is essential to identify the underlying Problem.

Understanding Problems allows organizations to conduct thorough investigations to find the root cause. This is critical for long-term service improvement, as addressing the underlying causes leads to more effective solutions and helps avoid similar incidents in the future. Once identified, Problems can be classified into Known Errors if a workaround has been found or a temporary fix can be put in place.

In contrast, the other terms listed have different connotations. A Known Error refers specifically to a Problem that has been analyzed and for which a workaround is known. A Change pertains to an alteration made to any component of the IT infrastructure that could impact the service. An Incident represents an unplanned interruption or reduction in the quality of an IT service. Thus, while all these terms are related to service management, it is the term Problem that specifically refers to the underlying cause of incidents.