Get a read on risk.

Why should your organization be using risk maps? 

Building a risk map brings valuable benefits. You will have a thorough understanding of your risk environment and how individual risks compare to one another. You can use this to strategically prioritize your risks and determine where to use your limited resources.

A risk map is built by plotting the frequency of a risk on the y-axis of the chart and the severity on the x-axis. Frequency is how likely the risk is or how often you think it will occur; severity is how much of an impact it would have if it did occur.

A risk map is built by plotting the frequency of a risk on the y-axis of the chart and the severity on the x-axis. Frequency is how likely the risk is or how often you think it will occur; severity is how much of an impact it would have if it did happen. The higher a risk ranks for these qualities, the more threatening it is to your organization.

Last week we discussed the importance of risk mapsand why every risk-conscious organization should begin using them (check out our post on how risk mapping allows you to gain insight, use valuable resources efficiently, and improve mitigation). Now, we’re giving you four tips on how to build the map itself.