If threat, vulnerability, or impact increases, what happens to risk?

If threat, vulnerability, or impact increases, what happens to risk?

• A. Increases
• B. Decreases
• C. Stays the same
• D. Uncertain

Answer: (A)

Risk increases when threat, vulnerability, or impact increases. These three elements drive the overall level of risk: if a more likely harmful event (threat) occurs, or there’s a weakness that makes exploitation easier (vulnerability), or the consequences of a breach are more severe (impact), the potential harm grows. Because risk is effectively a function of these factors, stepping up any one of them raises the total risk. The other possibilities—risk decreasing, staying the same, or being uncertain—don’t fit, since a rise in any component directly elevates the overall risk.

Risk increases when threat, vulnerability, or impact increases. These three elements drive the overall level of risk: if a more likely harmful event (threat) occurs, or there’s a weakness that makes exploitation easier (vulnerability), or the consequences of a breach are more severe (impact), the potential harm grows. Because risk is effectively a function of these factors, stepping up any one of them raises the total risk.

The other possibilities—risk decreasing, staying the same, or being uncertain—don’t fit, since a rise in any component directly elevates the overall risk.