{"id":17659,"date":"2022-11-22T09:54:46","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T12:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neomind.com.br\/?p=17659"},"modified":"2022-11-24T15:12:54","modified_gmt":"2022-11-24T18:12:54","slug":"5-tips-to-reduce-it-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neomind.com.br\/en\/blog\/5-tips-to-reduce-it-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"5 tips to reduce IT risks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many organizations depend critically on their information and communication systems development. In general, such systems exist to help the corporation\u2019s evolutionary process by ensuring that automated operations and strategic measures are taken when necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, even technologies so beneficial to the organization must be used wisely and with caution. The rampant adoption and mismanagement of technologies already in use can lead the company to truly chaotic scenarios, as pointed out by Ekinci, Sharma, and Stone (2009)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, considering that IT risk management is a vast field of study, with this article I want to present, even if in a summarized and simplified way, five steps to reduce IT risks in enterprise environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are IT risks?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

IT risks can essentially be seen by the formula Risk = vulnerability * threat<\/em>. In other words, risk can be assessed according to the fragility\/vulnerability of the system in question in relation to the level of threats it faces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, when the number of vulnerabilities or the number of threats is sufficiently small (approaching 0), the risk will be reduced and tend to be lower. Translating, if there are no threats to a system, then the number of vulnerabilities does not change the risk involved and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, in business environments, we also talk about risk levels, since risk alone does not show us the need for investments in IT security and management. The risk level is obtained by evaluating the losses involved if the risk occurs. For simplicity, we have the formula: Risk Level= risk * asset value * consequences<\/em>, where consequences are the negative points of the occurrence of the risk. This indicator is very important for organizations to better distribute investments in information security since it is possible to “weigh” the risks and losses involved, and thus focus on points of greater interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among IT risks are software\/hardware<\/em> failure, human error, viruses, malicious attacks, and natural causes such as fire, for example. In addition, the theft of confidential information can cause huge losses, which has become one of the biggest reasons for major investments in IT management and information security. When it comes to risks with the use of IT, the idea is to minimize them as much as possible so that they do not occur and, still, know and prepare for the various scenarios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to reduce IT risks?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The following are five of the seven steps cited by Blood-Rojas (2017)<\/a> in his article on technology risk reduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Identify key risks and assess their likelihood and impact<\/strong><\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    It is common to hire IT specialists in this process. Companies seek to identify areas of greatest concern, in addition to assessing the probability of a risk’s occurrence, as well as its possible impacts. This stage includes risks whose impact, should they occur, is very high and critically influences the organization’s survival. The objective here is to identify the chances of a risk occurring, minimize them, and create action plans, both to avoid the risk and to deal with a pessimistic scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n