Vulnerability Concepts and Risk
From Weakness to Risk
What Is a Vulnerability?
A vulnerability is a weakness that could be exploited. Not every vulnerability is equally dangerous; impact depends on how easy it is to reach and how valuable the affected asset is.
Risk in Simple Terms
Risk is a combination of likelihood and impact. A small issue on a critical system can be more important than a big issue on an isolated test machine.
Risk Terms
What does risk depend on most in basic security thinking?
Risk is commonly understood as a mix of likelihood and impact.
Correct answer: Likelihood and impact
What is a vulnerability?
That is the standard beginner-level definition.
Correct answer: A weakness that could be exploited.
Weakness, Threat, and Risk
Weakness/Vulnerability
- A flaw or gap
- Can be technical or procedural
Threat
- Something that could cause harm
- May exploit a weakness
If a flaw is easy to reach and would cause serious damage, what happens to risk?
High exposure and high impact generally increase risk.
Correct answer: It becomes higher