Risk Assessment: Building A Simple Risk Register

Lesson: You don’t need Excel or ISO standards to start risk assessment. Just identify assets, threats, vulnerabilities, impacts, and controls.

Example Risk Register (Notepad Format)

Asset: Gmail Account

Threat: Phishing Email
Vulnerability: No 2FA Enabled
Impact: High (Unauthorized email access)
Likelihood: Medium
Risk Score: High
Control: Enable 2FA

Exercise: Create a similar risk table for:

Laptop
WhatsApp Account
Pen Drive

You Should Know: Practical Risk Assessment Steps & Commands

1. Identifying Assets (Linux/Windows Commands)

List System Hardware (Linux):
```
lshw -short 
```

Check Installed Software (Windows):

Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Select-Object Name, Version

2. Threat Detection & Vulnerability Scanning

Scan Open Ports (Linux):
```
nmap -sV <target_IP> 
```
Check for Weak Passwords (Windows):
```
net accounts 
```

3. Enabling 2FA (Security Control)

For Linux SSH (Google Authenticator):

sudo apt install libpam-google-authenticator 
google-authenticator

Windows Account Security (Command Line):

Set-MsolUser -UserPrincipalName [email protected] -StrongAuthenticationRequirements @{}

4. Risk Scoring (Manual Calculation)

Formula: `Risk Score = Impact × Likelihood`
Example:
Impact (1-5): 5 (Critical)
Likelihood (1-5): 3 (Medium)
Risk Score: 15 (High)

What Undercode Say

Risk assessment doesn’t require complex tools—just structured thinking. Start small:
– Linux: Use chmod, ufw, and `fail2ban` to mitigate risks.
– Windows: Apply `gpupdate /force` for security policies.
– Cloud: Enable MFA via aws iam enable-mfa-device.

Expected Output: A structured risk register in Notepad, actionable security commands, and a proactive security mindset.

Reference: Unlock the Secret to Building the Perfect Risk Management Plan