Definition

Consequence refers to the effect of an event, incident, or occurrence. In cybersecurity, it signifies the impact of losing confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information or information systems on:

An organization’s operations
Its assets
Individuals
Other organizations
National interests

Source: DHS Risk Lexicon, National Infrastructure Protection Plan, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 4

How Does It Work?

In cybersecurity, consequence is a critical factor in risk management. It works by identifying and assessing the potential outcomes of a security breach or failure. The process typically involves:

Risk Identification: Pinpointing threats to information systems.
Impact Analysis: Estimating the consequences of a data breach or system compromise.
Severity Rating: Classifying consequences based on their severity (low, medium, high).
Mitigation Planning: Developing strategies to reduce or prevent consequences.
Response and Recovery: Outlining steps to minimize the impact if an incident occurs.

Users

The concept of consequence is widely used by:

Cybersecurity professionals
Risk management teams
IT departments
Government agencies
Business continuity planners
Compliance officers

Benefits

Helps organizations prioritize security risks.
Supports informed decision-making in risk management.
Enhance data protection strategies.
Improves regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
Strengthens incident response and disaster recovery plans.

Key Points

Directly tied to risk assessment and risk management frameworks.
It can affect financial stability, reputation, and legal standing of organizations.
Plays a vital role in business continuity planning.
Often measured alongside likelihood to determine overall risk.

Consequences of Ignoring It

Financial losses from data breaches.
Legal penalties due to non-compliance.
Reputation damage.
Loss of customer trust.
National security threats (in critical infrastructure sectors).