Qualitative risk assessment
Definition
A methodology that rates likelihood and impact on descriptive or ordinal scales (such as 1-5 or low/medium/high) and combines them in a matrix to produce a risk priority. Fast to apply and accessible to non-technical stakeholders, but inherently subjective and not directly comparable to financial metrics.
Related terms
- ALE (Annualised Loss Expectancy)
- The expected monetary loss from a specific threat over a one-year period. Calculated as: ALE = SLE x ARO (Annualised Rate of...
- FAIR (Factor Analysis of Information Risk)
- A quantitative risk framework standardised by The Open Group (Open FAIR) that decomposes risk into Loss Event Frequency and Loss Magnitude, each...
- Quantitative risk assessment
- A methodology that assigns monetary values to threat scenarios using metrics such as asset value, exposure factor, SLE, ARO, and ALE. Outputs...
- Risk appetite
- The amount and type of risk an organisation is willing to accept in pursuit of its objectives, as defined by its governing...
- SLE (Single Loss Expectancy)
- The expected monetary loss from a single occurrence of a specific threat event against a specific asset. Calculated as: SLE = Asset...
Explained in
- Risk Assessment MethodologiesA methodology that rates likelihood and impact on descriptive or ordinal scales (such as 1-5 or low/medium/high) and combines them in a matrix to produce a ris...