1. Identify the Assets:

• Determine what assets are crucial for your organisation. Lets think of an example of a healthcare clinic. For a healthcare clinic, these might include patient data, medical equipment, pharmaceutical supplies, and IT infrastructure.

2. Identify Threats and Vulnerabilities:

• List potential threats (like cyber-attacks, natural disasters, theft) and vulnerabilities (weaknesses in systems or processes) that could impact these assets.

3. Assess Likelihood and Impact:

• For each identified threat, evaluate the likelihood of it occurring and the potential impact on the clinic. This can be done on a scale from 1 (low) to 3 (high).

	Low 1	Moderate 2	Catastrophic 3
Certain 3	3	6	9
Likely 2	2	4	6
Rare 1	1	2	3

4. Determine Risk Level:

• Calculate the risk level by multiplying the likelihood by the impact. This will help prioritise which risks need more immediate attention.

5. Develop Mitigation Strategies:

• For high-priority risks, develop strategies to mitigate them. This could include strengthening security protocols, updating software, or training staff.

6. Implement Controls:

• Put the mitigation strategies into action. Ensure that the controls are practical and efficient.

7. Monitor and Review:

• Regularly monitor the effectiveness of the controls and review the risk assessment periodically to account for any changes in the operational environment.

We can also score risk using a matrix like the following one:

Risk Register Example for a Healthcare Clinic:

Operational Environment:

• A medium-sized healthcare clinic in a suburban area.
• Handles sensitive patient data and stores various pharmaceuticals.
• Employs 40 healthcare professionals and 10 administrative staff.
• Uses a mix of on-premise and cloud-based IT systems.

Notes:

• The clinic’s operational environment influences the type of risks it faces.
• High reliance on digital data makes cybersecurity a top priority.
• Physical assets like medical equipment are also crucial, requiring adequate security measures.
• Regular review and updates to the risk assessment are necessary to adapt to evolving threats.

This expanded example provides a more detailed look into the risk assessment process for a healthcare clinic, highlighting the importance of considering both digital and physical assets, along with various threats, in developing a comprehensive risk management strategy.

Asset	Risk(s)	Description	Likelihood	Severity	Priority
Funds	Hospital  email compromise	An employee in the hospital’s administration is deceived by a phishing email, leading them to inadvertently share login credentials. This breach allows unauthorised access to patient records.	3	3	9
	Compromised user database	The patient database at a clinic uses outdated encryption methods, making it vulnerable to cyber attacks. This weak security results in unauthorized access to sensitive patient health information.	2	3	6
	Financial records leak	A backup server containing financial transactions and billing information for hospital patients is mistakenly configured for public access, leading to a leak of confidential financial data.	2	3	6
	Theft	In a hospital, a storage room containing expensive medical equipment is left unlocked overnight. This oversight results in the theft of vital diagnostic and treatment devices.	2	2	4
	Supply chain disruption	A natural disaster disrupts the supply chain of essential pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to a network of clinics, significantly impacting their ability to provide critical healthcare services.	1	3	3
Notes