Which of the following best describes the term 'exploitability' in risk assessment?

Exploitability refers to the ease with which a vulnerability can be successfully exploited by a threat actor. This concept is critical in risk assessment because it helps organizations understand how vulnerable a system or asset is to specific threats. By assessing exploitability, an organization can prioritize which vulnerabilities to address based on how easily they can be taken advantage of.

For instance, a vulnerability that has a high exploitability score may indicate it is simple for an attacker to use the exploit, thus posing a greater risk to the organization. Understanding exploitability helps in making informed decisions about resource allocation for security measures and mitigations.

The other choices relate to aspects of risk and security, but they do not define exploitability specifically. The severity of potential impact reflects the seriousness of the consequences should an exploit be successful, while the chance of a threat occurring measures likelihood rather than ease of exploitation. The overall risk management strategy encompasses many processes and methodologies for managing risks but does not specifically address the concept of exploitability.