Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment: Identifies, analyzes, and assesses threats, vulnerabilitiesVulnerabilityA technical or organizational weakness that can be exploited by a threat., and impactsImpactThe consequence a security event or risk scenario would have for an organization or system.. The topic facilitates the transparent assessment and management of cyber risksCyber RiskThe possibility that a cyber threat will cause harm to systems, data, people, or business objectives.. Decisions should be based on protection requirementsProtection RequirementThe required level of protection derived from the value and sensitivity of an asset or process., likelihoodLikelihoodAn estimate of how likely it is that a defined risk scenario will occur. of occurrence, impact, controls, and accepted residual riskResidual RiskThe risk remaining after controls and treatment measures have been applied..

How it works and where it fits

Risk Assessment creates a traceable framework for security decisions. Scope, assumptions, evaluation criteria, responsibilities, and expected outcomes are made explicit. It is therefore more than documentation: it connects business objectives and protection needs to concrete controls, accepted residual risks, and verifiable evidence.

Practical security relevance

Effectiveness requires an accountable owner, periodic review, and measurable criteria. Decisions should use current data, while exceptions record rationale, duration, and compensating measures. Audits and metrics should test not only whether a requirement formally exists, but whether it is applied in daily work and actually reduces the intended risk.

Related concepts

• Vulnerability AssessmentVulnerability AssessmentSystematically identifies and assesses vulnerabilities in a defined environment.: Systematically identifies and assesses vulnerabilities in a defined environment.
• Cyber Threat IntelligenceCyber Threat IntelligenceProcessed information regarding threat actors, tactics, indicators, and risks.: Processed information regarding threat actors, tactics, indicators, and risks.
• Governance, Risk and ComplianceGovernance, Risk and ComplianceIntegrated approach to managing policies, risks, controls, and evidence.: Integrated approach to managing policies, risks, controls, and evidence.
• Information Security Management SystemInformation Security Management SystemManagement system for the risk-based planning, implementation, and improvement of information security.: Management system for the risk-based planning, implementation, and improvement of information security.