How Do I Assess Our Cyber Risk?

Abstract

The question “How do I assess our cyber risk?” addresses how to identify and characterize cyber risk unique to an organization’s critical systems, networks, and data. The chapter begins with a case study about a cyberattack on Ukraine’s electric grid. It details risk assessment for three types of critical systems: mission-critical systems, business-critical systems, and safety-critical systems. It explains the three types of networks critical to many organizations: business and administrative networks, operational and service delivery networks, and communication networks. In outlining the “CIA triad,” it shows how cyber risk can be characterized as a confidentiality, integrity, or availability issue relating to digital assets. Further, it describes how to assess the importance of different digital assets and how to prioritize them using a business impact analysis (BIA). The chapter concludes with real-world Embedded Endurance strategy lessons Rosenbach gained in Saudi Arabia in the wake of one of the world’s most destructive cyberattacks.