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Risk Taxonomy

The UML Profile for Risk Taxonomy supports the Open Group Standard for Risk Taxonomy (OR-T), Version 2.0, which provides support for modeling risk scenarios and analyzing the risk conditions.

Risk Taxonomy Toolbox

Toolbox for Risk Taxonomy diagrams in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.

Elements

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Description

See also

Asset Loss

Defines the loss on an asset to the organization (in terms of the assets's value/liability and volume).

Tagged Values

  • Liability/Value
  • Volume
  • Cost – The intrinsic value of the asset
  • Criticality – Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)
  • LossFactor
  • LossForm – Productivity, Response, Replacements, Fines and Judgements, Competitive Advantage, Reputation
  • LossType – Primary, Secondary
  • Sensitivity
  • Embarrassment/ Reputation - The information provides evidence of incompetent, criminal, or unethical management; note that this refers to reputation damage resulting from the nature of the information itself, as opposed to reputation damage that might result when a loss event takes place
  • Competitive Advantage - The information provides competitive advantage (such as key strategies or trade secrets); of the sensitivity categories, this is the only one where the sensitivity represents value - in all other cases, sensitivity represents liability
  • Legal Regulatory - The organization is bound by law to protect the information
  • General - Disclosure of the information results in some form of loss

Assumption

Captures assumptions made in risk analysis.

Tagged Values

  • Rationale

Contact Frequency

The probable frequency, within a given timeframe, with which a threat agent will come into contact with an asset.

Tagged Values

  • ConfidenceLevel - Commonly expressed as a percentage
  • MaximumLikelyValue
  • MinimumLikelyValue
  • Type –
  • Random - The threat agent 'stumbles upon' the asset during the course of unfocused or undirected activity
  • Regular - Contact occurs because of the regular actions of the threat agent
  • Intentional - The threat agent seeks out specific targets

External Loss

Captures external loss factors.

Tagged Values

  • Factors – Event Detection, Legal and Regulatory, Competitors, Media, Other Stakeholders
  • Cost
  • Criticality – Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)
  • LossFactor
  • LossForm – Productivity, Response, Replacements, Fines and Judgements, Competitive Advantage, Reputation
  • LossType – Primary, Secondary
  • Sensitivity –
  • Embarrassment/ Reputation - The information provides evidence of incompetent, criminal, or unethical management; note that this refers to reputation damage resulting from the nature of the information itself, as opposed to reputation damage that can result when a loss event takes place
  • Competitive Advantage - The information provides competitive advantage (such as key strategies or trade secrets); of the sensitivity categories, this is the only one where the sensitivity represents value - in all other cases, sensitivity represents liability
  • Legal Regulatory - The organization is bound by law to protect the information
  • General - Disclosure of the information results in some form of loss

Loss

Captures loss that a threat can result in.

Tagged Values

  • Cost
  • Criticality – Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)
  • LossFactor
  • LossForm – Productivity, Response, Replacements, Fines and Judgements, Competitive Advantage, Reputation
  • LossType – Primary, Secondary
  • Sensitivity
  • Embarrassment/ Reputation - The information provides evidence of incompetent, criminal, or unethical management; note that this refers to reputation damage resulting from the nature of the information itself, as opposed to reputation damage that might result when a loss event takes place
  • Competitive Advantage - The information provides competitive advantage (such as key strategies or trade secrets); of the sensitivity categories, this is the only one where the sensitivity represents value - in all other cases sensitivity represents liability
  • Legal Regulatory - The organization is bound by law to protect the information
  • General - Disclosure of the information results in some form of loss

Loss Event Frequency

The probable frequency, within a given timeframe, that a threat agent will inflict harm upon an asset.

Tagged Values

  • LossType
  • ProbableFrequency - Probability is always is based on a timeframe (event X is 10% likely to occur over the next Y)
  • Rating - Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)
  • TimePeriod

Loss Magnitude

The probable magnitude of loss resulting from a loss event.

Tagged Values

  • LossType
  • Rating - Severe (SV), High (H), Significant (Sg), Moderate (M), Low (L), VeryLow (VL)

Organizational Loss

Captures the loss to the organization.

Tagged Values

  • Factors – Timing, DueDiligence, Response, Detection
  • Cost – The intrinsic value of the asset
  • Criticality – Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)
  • LossFactor
  • LossForm
  • Productivity - The reduction in an organization’s ability to generate its primary value proposition
  • Response - Expenses associated with managing a loss event (such as internal or external person-hours, logistical expenses, legal defense and public relations expenses)
  • Replacement - The capital expense associated with replacing lost or damaged assets
  • Fines and Judgements - Legal or regulatory actions levied against an organization
  • Competitive Advantage - Losses associated with diminished competitive position
  • Reputation - Losses associated with an external stakeholder’s perception that an organization’s value proposition is diminished
  • LossType – Primary, Secondary
  • Sensitivity
  • Embarrassment/ Reputation - The information provides evidence of incompetent, criminal, or unethical management; note that this refers to reputation damage resulting from the nature of the information itself, as opposed to reputation damage that might result when a loss event takes place
  • Competitive Advantage - The information provides competitive advantage (such as key strategies or trade secrets); of the sensitivity categories, this is the only one where the sensitivity represents value - in all other cases, sensitivity represents liability
  • Legal Regulatory - The organization is bound by law to protect the information
  • General - Disclosure of the information results in some form of loss

Probability of Action

The probability that a threat agent will act against an asset once contact occurs.

Tagged Values

  • ConfidenceLevel - Commonly expressed as a percentage
  • LevelOfEffort - Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)
  • MaximumLikelyValue - T he threat agent’s maximum value proposition from performing the act
  • MinimumLikelyValue - The threat agent’s minimum value proposition from performing the act
  • MostLikelyValue - The threat agent’s perceived value proposition from performing the act
  • RiskOfDetection/Capture - Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)

Resistance Strength

The strength of a control as compared to a baseline measure of force.

Tagged Values

  • ConfidenceLevel - Commonly expressed as a percentage
  • LevelOfEffort - Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)
  • MaximumLikelyValue
  • MinimumLikelyValue
  • MostLikelyValue
  • Rating - Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)

Risk Scenario

Defines the environment or situation that involves risk.

Risk

Defines an estimate of the probable frequency and magnitude of future loss

Tagged Values

  • Rating - Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)

Risk Management Decision

The decision to mitigate the risk.

Threat

Defines the harm to an asset that a risk poses.

For electronic data storage and flow, also consider the Cybersecurity elements in Threat modeling.

Tagged Values

  • ThreatScenario – Malicious, Error, Failure, Natural
  • ThreatType – External, Internal
Threat Modeling and Cybersecurity

Threat Agent

The source that could inflict harm upon an asset.

Tagged Values

  • AccessMethod
  • DesiredVisibility
  • Motive
  • Objective
  • PersonalRiskTolerance
  • Resources
  • SkillRating
  • Sponsorship
  • ThreatType – External, Internal

Threat Capability

The probable level of force that a threat agent is capable of applying against an asset.

Tagged Values

  • ConfidenceLevel - Commonly expressed as a percentage
  • MaximumLikelyValue - The maximum level of skills an attacker might have
  • MinimumLikelyValue - The minimum level of skills that an attacker might have
  • MostLikelyValue - The skill level of the most likely attacker
  • Rating - Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)

Threat Community

People associated with the conditions surrounding the asset at risk.

Tagged Values

  • ThreatType – External, Internal

Threat Event Frequency

The probable frequency, within a given timeframe, at which a threat agent will act against an asset.

Tagged Values

  • Rating - Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)

Threat Response

The action associated with managing a loss event.

Consider also Threat mitigation as through the Threat Modeling facility for Cybersecurity.

Tagged Values

  • ResponsePercentage
  • ResponseType:
         -  Containment - An organization’s ability to limit the breadth and depth of an event
         -  Remediation - An organization’s ability to remove the threat agent
         -  Recovery - The ability to bring things back to normal
Threat Modeling and Cybersecurity

Vulnerability

The probability that a threat event will become a loss event.

Tagged Values

  • Rating - Very High (VH), High (H), Moderate (M), Low (L), Very Low (VL)

Relationships

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Description

See also

Affect

Represents an impact that a threat has on an asset.

Deny Access

Represents a relationship type of a threat to an asset.

Destruction

Represents loss on an asset, such as destruction or theft of a non-data asset.

Disclose

Represents an agent illicitly disclosing sensitive information.

Loss Flow

Represents mapping between losses.

Misuse

Represents unauthorized use of assets (such as identity theft, or setting up an illegal distribution service on a compromised server).

Modify

Represents unauthorized changes to am asset.

Unauthorized Access

Represents a simple unauthorized access relationship on an asset.