Why must you analyze the situation before choosing a tactic, and what questions does that analysis ask?

Because tactics are context-dependent — the right move depends on the actors and environment, so you assess them first.

Since no tactic is universally best, picking one blindly is gambling. A situation analysis answers questions like:

• Who are the actors? Who else is involved or affected?
• How hostile or favorable is the "climate"? What are the conditions you're operating in?
• Who are the adversaries/competitors, and who are the allies?

Only with that picture can you choose tactics that fit. The same logic underlies cyber defense: you profile the threat actors and your environment before deciding how to defend.

Tip: This mirrors classic military doctrine ("know the terrain and the enemy") and modern threat intelligence — understand who's likely to attack you and how, then pick your defenses.

Go deeper:

• Cyber threat intelligence (Wikipedia) — profiling actors and environment before choosing defenses.
• The Art of War (Wikipedia) — the "know the terrain and the enemy" doctrine.