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Governance, Risk, Audit & Privacy · Foundational

Risk Heat Map

Visual matrix plotting risks by likelihood and impact, using color to show severity.

Definition

A heat map (risk matrix) places each risk on a grid, commonly 3x3 or 5x5, with likelihood on one axis and impact on the other. Colors from green to red show priority. It communicates qualitative or semi-quantitative results simply but can oversimplify and mask differences within a cell.

Example

A 5x5 heat map shows ransomware in the top-right red cell.

Exam tip

Heat maps are a reporting and prioritization tool, not a substitute for quantitative analysis.

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