Which problem first?
An analyst lists six things that could go wrong with the leisure centre's data. A stolen laptop. A wrong column. A late deletion. She has time to fix two this month.
How does she choose? She scores each risk and ranks them. This lesson shows how.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Personal data | Information about a living person who can be identified. |
| Risk | Something that might go wrong and harm people or the business. |
| Probability | How likely it is that the risk will happen. |
| Impact | How much harm it does if it happens. |
| Prioritisation | Putting risks in order, worst first. |
| Risk register | A table that lists risks and their scores. |
| Data subject | The person the data is about. |
| Database | An organised store of data in tables. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can identify data risks, score probability and impact, and rank the risks.
Starter: last lesson
Have a go
Starter: last lesson
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Step 1: identify the risks
A risk is something that might go wrong when you handle data. Walk through the work and ask, "What could go wrong here?" Think about people, equipment, software and rules.
Write each risk as a short sentence in a risk register.
Steps 2 and 3: probability and impact
Probability is how likely the risk is. Score it from 1, very unlikely, to 5, very likely.
Impact is the harm if it happens. Score the impact on quality, on cost and on time. Include the effect on the data subject, for example embarrassment or lost money. Use the highest of the three.
What impact can mean
| Kind of impact | Question to ask | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | Will the data or the report be wrong? | A wrong column gives wrong advice |
| Cost | Will it cost money, fines or repair? | A fine or a refund for a data leak |
| Time | Will work stop or be late? | A power cut loses a day |
| The data subject | Will a person be harmed? | Their address reaches a stranger |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check: probability and impact
Have a go
Check: probability and impact
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.