The information security manager’s first course of action should be to validate the relevance of the information received from the threat intelligence service. This means verifying the source, credibility, accuracy, and timeliness of the information, as well as assessing the potential impact and likelihood of the threat for the organization. This will help the information security manager to determine the appropriate response and prioritize the actions to mitigate the threat. Conducting an information security audit, performing a gap analysis, and informing senior management are possible subsequent actions, but they are not the first course of action. An information security audit is a systematic and independent assessment of the effectiveness of the information security controls and processes. A gap analysis is a comparison of the current state of the information security program with the desired state or best practices. Informing senior management is a communication activity that should be done after validating the information and assessing the risk. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, pages 44-451; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 632

The first step the information security manager should take upon learning of the potential threat is to validate the relevance of the information. This should involve researching the threat to evaluate its potential impact on the organization and to determine the accuracy of the threat intelligence. Once the information is validated, the information security manager can then take action, such as informing senior management, conducting an information security audit, or performing a gap analysis.