An organization has allowed several employees to retire early in order to avoid layoffs Many of these employees have been subject matter experts for critical assets Which type of risk is MOST likely…

While confidentiality breaches are a risk, the scenario specifically points to the departure of SMEs and their knowledge, not a compromise of sensitive information by malicious actors.

When subject matter experts (SMEs) retire, they take with them their unique understanding, experience, and historical context regarding critical assets and processes. This departure directly leads to a loss of institutional knowledge, making it difficult for remaining staff to perform their duties or troubleshoot issues effectively.

Intellectual property loss typically refers to the unauthorized disclosure or theft of patents, copyrights, or trade secrets, which is not directly implied by employees retiring, even if they possess IP knowledge.

Unauthorized access relates to individuals gaining entry to systems or data without proper permissions, which is distinct from the problem of expertise leaving the organization.