Security and Risk Management Online Training

Security and risk management is a process of identifying, assessing and mitigating potential threats to an organization's assets – especially data and digital infrastructure. The aim of security and risk management is to safeguard against unauthorized access and cyberattacks (or even natural disasters and other hazards) as well as continue operations in the event of one happening. Good security and risk management ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of digital resources.

There are many ways of thinking about and categorizing risk management, and different organizations list different types of risk management. Risk avoidance is one of the most common types of risk management: eliminating exposures that could lead to risk. Risk mitigation is another type of risk management that seeks to reduce the impact of a risk should it happen. Risk transfer shifts the risk to a different party (like insurance).

Good risk management provides many benefits to the network or organization far beyond the simple nature of being safeguarded and protected from threats. Decision making is improved when risks are accurately identified and their likelihood correctly assessed. Preventing or mitigating the consequences of risks make them overall less expensive. Disruptions to operations can be reduced with good risk management. Stakeholders like clients or partners are also heartened by proactive risk management.

There are many different approaches to risk management, but the fundamental principles tend to stay the same: identify, assess and develop strategies to avoid and respond to risks. The principles of risk identification and assessment form the backbone: spotting and evaluating the likelihood of risks informs all the later aspects. Risk prioritization and treatment are the risk management principles most grounded in practical considerations for a company or network.

Security and risk management as a topic applies to nearly everyone who is connected to a business network, from the IT professionals who keep it running, to the non-technical professionals who use it, all the way to the managers, owners and entrepreneurs who own the network and carry the risks involved. It's not just cybersecurity professionals whose entire careers could be affected by the information available on this course.