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What is an ISO 27001 risk assessment?

An ISO 27001 risk assessment intends to help an organization identify, analyze, and evaluate weaknesses in its information security processes and procedures. 


A successful risk assessment process will help organizations:

  • Identify and understand specific scenarios in which information, systems, or services could be compromised or affected
  • Determine the likelihood or probable frequency with which these scenarios could occur
  • Evaluate the impact each scenario could cause to the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the information, systems, and services
  • Rank risk scenarios based on overall risk to the organization’s objectives


To ensure an effective risk assessment, an organization will need to establish a risk management framework. This framework should be documented as a policy or procedure to ensure a consistent methodology when analyzing, communicating, and treating risks.

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