Security Incident Impact
Business impact score of security incidents
Current Value
2.1/5
-0.3 from previous period
Industry average: 2.8/5
Calculation Method
Weighted average of incident impact scores across financial, operational, reputational, and compliance dimensions.
Significance
This KPI measures the severity and business impact of security incidents rather than just frequency. A lower score indicates that while incidents may occur, their business impact is minimized through effective controls and response procedures.
Definition
Security Incident Impact measures the average business consequences of security incidents, considering financial, operational, reputational, and regulatory dimensions. Unlike incident count, this KPI focuses on the severity and business disruption caused by security incidents.
Significance
As security programs mature, the goal shifts from eliminating all incidents (which is unrealistic) to ensuring that when incidents do occur, their business impact is minimized.
This KPI helps organizations prioritize security investments based on potential business impact, rather than focusing solely on technical vulnerabilities or threat metrics. It bridges the gap between technical security metrics and business outcomes.
Calculation Method
Impact Score is calculated on a 1-5 scale across four dimensions:
- Financial Impact: Direct costs and lost revenue (25%)
- Operational Impact: Business disruption and productivity loss (25%)
- Reputational Impact: Brand damage and customer trust loss (25%)
- Regulatory Impact: Compliance violations and potential penalties (25%)
Final score = Weighted average of all incidents in the measurement period
Benchmark
Industry average: 2.8/5 impact score
Best practice targets: <2.0/5 impact score; No incidents scoring 4 or 5 in any dimension