A threat is any potential danger or harmful event that could exploit one or more vulnerabilities to negatively impact the confidentiality, integrity or availability of information assets or systems. Threats can be intentional, such as cyberattacks and insider sabotage, or unintentional, including natural disasters, hardware failures and human error. Identifying and categorising threats is a foundational step in any risk management framework.
Understanding the threat landscape relevant to your organisation enables more effective allocation of security resources. Threats should be assessed in combination with existing vulnerabilities and the potential business impact of exploitation. Regular threat assessments, informed by up-to-date threat intelligence, help organisations stay ahead of adversaries and maintain a robust security posture.