ITIL-FOUNDATION · Question #322
Which of the following is the BEST definition of a Risk?
The correct answer is D. Something that might happen. Risk is defined as an uncertain future event that may or may not occur, distinguishing it from certainties or past events.
Question
Which of the following is the BEST definition of a Risk?
Options
- ASomething that won't happen
- BSomething that will happen
- CSomething that has happened
- DSomething that might happen
How the community answered
(38 responses)- A8% (3)
- B3% (1)
- C3% (1)
- D87% (33)
Why each option
Risk is defined as an uncertain future event that may or may not occur, distinguishing it from certainties or past events.
Something that will not happen carries no probability of occurrence and therefore cannot be a risk by definition.
Something that will definitely happen is a certainty or a planned event, not a risk, because risk requires uncertainty.
Something that has already happened is an incident or issue, not a risk, because risk is always a future-oriented concept.
In IT service management and risk management frameworks, risk is fundamentally defined as a potential future event with uncertain outcome. It has not yet occurred and may or may not occur, which is what separates it from issues or planned outcomes. This definition is consistent across ITIL, ISO 31000, and NIST frameworks.
Concept tested: Definition of risk in IT service management
Source: https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-30/rev-1/final
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