Risk is defined as the combination of the probability that a particular threat source will exploit, or trigger, a particular information system vulnerability and the resulting mission impact should this occur. Previously, risk avoidance was a common IT security goal. That changed as the nature of the risk became better understood. Today, it is recognized that elimination of all risk is not cost- effective. A cost-benefit analysis should be conducted for each proposed control. In some cases, the benefits of a more secure system may not justify the direct and indirect costs. Benefits include more than just prevention of monetary loss; for example, controls may be essential for maintaining public trust and confidence. Direct costs include the cost of purchasing and installing a given technology; indirect costs include decreased system performance and additional training.
The goal is to enhance mission/business capabilities by managing mission/business risk to an acceptable level.