Which type of analysis follows a vulnerability assessment?

A vulnerability assessment is a process used to identify, quantify, and prioritize vulnerabilities in a system. After this assessment is completed, a risk assessment naturally follows as the next logical step.

The purpose of a risk assessment is to evaluate the identified vulnerabilities in the context of potential threats and likelihood of exploitation, which helps in understanding the overall risk associated with those vulnerabilities. It involves analyzing the potential impact of different threats exploiting the vulnerabilities as well as the existing controls to mitigate those risks.

This process aids in decision-making regarding prioritizing vulnerabilities for remediation based on the assessed risk level. The risk assessment helps the organization in making informed choices about where to allocate resources and which vulnerabilities to address first to enhance security posture.

In contrast, while countermeasure analysis, cost analysis, and compliance review are important components of overall risk management, they do not directly follow a vulnerability assessment in the same systematic way that a risk assessment does. Countermeasure analysis focuses on identifying and evaluating mitigative strategies, cost analysis assesses the financial aspects of potential security measures, and compliance review ensures adherence to regulations and standards, but none of these directly expand upon the findings of a vulnerability assessment as robustly as a risk assessment does.