What is the Purpose of a Risk Assessment?
The purpose of a risk assessment is to uncover any vulnerabilities or weaknesses in an IT system or network that can be exploited by a threat. Risk assessment can be performed on any component of a system or network. The risk assessment should be based upon the CIA Triad and address the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability requirements of the greater system including networks, computers, software, and data.
What Are the Steps of a Risk Assessment?
The steps in a risk assessment must be well-structured and purposeful.
- Characterization of the System
A risk assessment typically starts with a characterization of the system. This initial step looks at the overall IT system and its components, the data, the data flows, and most importantly, the criticalness of each of these areas. It must be noted that not all components and all data are created equal. Some elements are much more critical than others, and a loss of such a critical system, piece of software, or data could severely affect the organization and its ability to function. - Identification of Threats
The second step in the risk assessment process is the identification of…
