Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Practice Exam 2025 – All-in-One Guide to Mastering Your Certification!

'Risk' in the context of data handling primarily refers to the potential for loss or harm that could result from the identification of threats exploiting vulnerabilities. This definition underscores the relationship between three key components: assets, vulnerabilities, and threats.

By focusing on the potential consequences of threats taking advantage of vulnerabilities in a system, the term 'risk' encapsulates both the possibility of an adverse event and the impact it could have. This understanding helps organizations to assess how likely such events might be and to prioritize their resources and defenses effectively to mitigate these risks. In risk management, identifying and evaluating risks forms the foundation for developing solid security measures and strategies.

Secure passwords, effectiveness of security policies, and the number of security breaches, while relevant to security practices, do not define 'risk' directly. Secure passwords contribute to reducing risk but do not embody the concept itself. Similarly, the effectiveness of security policies and frequency of breaches are indicators of a risk management program's performance, rather than definitions of what risk is in the data handling context.