Domain 03 - Risk Management

Welcome to the definitive guide on CISSP Domain 3: Risk Management. This video explores one of the most vital elements in information security—governance and risk management. You’ll be taken through the essential principles that form the foundation of any organisation’s security posture, from understanding assets and threats to deploying robust governance frameworks. Designed to help you prepare for the CISSP exam and to elevate your understanding of enterprise-level risk, this session dives deep into theory and practice.

Information security governance is more than policy—it is alignment with business goals, strategic foresight, and operational clarity. You will learn how to develop, implement, and maintain security policies, standards, procedures, and guidelines that uphold confidentiality, integrity, and availability across all systems. This session also highlights the integration of security with corporate governance, showing how leadership and board-level decision-making intersect with effective information protection.

You will discover why data classification, risk assessment, and risk analysis are critical for identifying vulnerabilities and managing threats. The session covers internal and external auditing, the roles of CISOs, line managers, consultants, and end-users, and how each contributes to the broader security ecosystem. Hiring and termination processes, employee education, and the importance of awareness campaigns are thoroughly addressed to ensure operational resilience.

Delve into regulatory compliance, from the Data Protection Act and Safe Harbor Principles to privacy requirements involving PII, healthcare data, genetic records, and financial information. Learn how standards like P3P, XACML, and EPAL enable structured privacy governance across systems.

A major highlight is the discussion on control frameworks. From COBIT, COSO, and Basel II/III to ISO 27000, ITIL, MOF, and PCI DSS, you will be guided through their principles, enablers, and how they integrate into a risk-aware environment. Learn the difference between due care and due diligence, and how this distinction influences organisational liability and security accountability.

This session walks you through the principles of least privilege, need-to-know, and separation of duties. It breaks down policy structures, how to develop and enforce them, and how to ensure they are aligned with business processes and legal requirements. You’ll learn how policies, standards, procedures, baselines, and guidelines support the broader information security management system.

Understand the information lifecycle—from creation and classification to disposal and assurance—and how it ties into comprehensive risk management. Learn the risk equation and how to analyse threats, vulnerabilities, impacts, and countermeasures. You’ll also explore the NIST 800-30 approach to risk management, examining threats, exposures, and probabilities to derive residual risk.

Gain clarity on the differences between quantitative and qualitative risk analysis. Quantitative methods focus on asset valuation, exposure factor, annual rate of occurrence, and annualised loss expectancy. Qualitative methods use scenario-based, expert-led judgement to rank risks and determine critical mitigation steps.

Learn about Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) for proactive risk identification and planning. Explore the full spectrum of risk mitigation strategies: acceptance, reduction, transference, avoidance, and their operational impact.

Staff lifecycle risk management is also covered—from hiring, onboarding, and acceptable use policy signing to termination processes and access revocation. Understand how geography and employment law influence termination procedures globally. Contractor and vendor risk is addressed with best practices on performance indicators, job rotation, separation of duties, and compulsory leave.

This tutorial also covers security training and awareness. From executive to technical staff, contractors, and end-users, every role is covered in the context of knowledge-building, compliance, and behaviour modification. Learn how to develop training that is effective, targeted, and sustainable, including evaluation and feedback mechanisms.

Security management is positioned as a top-down initiative that requires leadership buy-in, structured frameworks, and a defence-in-depth approach. You will see how this manifests in physical, logical, and administrative controls.

By the end of this session, you will not only understand how to manage risk effectively but also how to embed security governance into the DNA of your organisation. Perfect for aspiring CISSP candidates, security architects, GRC professionals, and enterprise risk leaders, this comprehensive breakdown will give you the edge in understanding and applying world-class risk management principles.