Define risk management in cybersecurity.

Risk management in cybersecurity refers specifically to the comprehensive process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to information assets. This approach acknowledges that all information systems face potential threats and vulnerabilities that could lead to data breaches or other cyber incidents.

By identifying risks, organizations can understand the potential challenges they face, including technical vulnerabilities, human factors, or operational weaknesses. Once these risks have been assessed, organizations can prioritize them based on various factors such as the likelihood of occurrence and the potential impact on their operations. The mitigation aspect involves implementing strategies and measures designed to reduce the identified risks to an acceptable level. This holistic view not only helps in safeguarding information assets but also supports compliance with regulatory requirements and improves overall organizational resilience.

While monitoring network traffic is an important cybersecurity activity, it is just one component of the broader risk management framework. Enforcing security policies and evaluating software vulnerabilities are also crucial tasks but are subsets of the wider risk management process that seeks to protect information assets as a whole. Understanding this broader context is essential for developing effective security strategies and ensuring that measures taken are aligned with organizational goals.