What is the reasonable expectation to have of a risk management program?

A risk management program is designed to identify, assess, and manage risks to an organization’s information systems and assets. The concept of residual risk is critical in this context. Residual risk refers to the amount of risk that remains after controls have been implemented to mitigate or reduce it.

The reasonable expectation of a risk management program is to maintain residual risk at an acceptable level. This means that while it may not be possible—or practical—to eliminate all risks, organizations should implement measures to bring risks down to a level that aligns with their risk appetite and tolerance.

By focusing on maintaining residual risk at an acceptable level, organizations can effectively balance protective measures and operational needs, ensuring that the cost of risk management does not outweigh the benefits. This proactive approach allows businesses to be aware of their risk landscape while recognizing that some level of risk will always exist.

Considering the other options, achieving zero inherent risk or zero control risk is unrealistic. Risks are an inherent part of any process, and controls serve to minimize, not eliminate, them. Additionally, applying preventive controls for every possible threat can be overly burdensome, costly, and impractical, leading to inefficiencies without guaranteeing complete protection. Thus, maintaining residual risk at an acceptable level is the most reasonable and practical