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Risk Heatmap

The risk heatmap provides a visual representation of your risk landscape.

What is a Risk Heatmap?​

A heatmap displays risks on a grid based on:

  • X-axis: Likelihood (probability)
  • Y-axis: Impact (severity)

Risks cluster in cells showing their relative priority.

        Impact
    Low  Med  High
   ┌────┬────┬────┐
Hi │ 🟡 │ 🟠 │ 🔴 │
   ├────┼────┼────┤  Likelihood
Me │ 🟢 │ 🟡 │ 🟠 │
   ├────┼────┼────┤
Lo │ 🟢 │ 🟢 │ 🟡 │
   └────┴────┴────┘

Viewing the Heatmap​

  1. Navigate to Risks
  2. Click Overview or Heatmap view
  3. See risks plotted by likelihood and impact

Reading the Heatmap​

Colors​

ColorMeaning
🔴 RedCritical - Immediate attention
🟠 OrangeHigh - Priority treatment
🟡 YellowMedium - Monitor closely
🟢 GreenLow - Acceptable risk

Risk Count​

Each cell shows the number of risks in that category.

Drill Down​

Click on a cell to see the specific risks in that category.

Heatmap Types​

Inherent Risk Heatmap​

Shows risks before controls are applied.

  • Baseline risk picture
  • Identifies highest raw risks

Residual Risk Heatmap​

Shows risks after controls are applied.

  • Current risk exposure
  • Measures control effectiveness

Comparison View​

Side-by-side inherent vs residual:

  • See risk reduction
  • Identify treatment gaps

Filtering the Heatmap​

Filter risks displayed on the heatmap:

  • Category — Show specific risk categories
  • Owner — Show risks by owner
  • Status — Show by treatment status
  • Tags — Filter by tags

Using the Heatmap​

Prioritization​

Focus on risks in the red zone first.

Reporting​

Export heatmap for management reports.

Trend Analysis​

Compare heatmaps over time to see improvement.

Gap Analysis​

Identify areas with concentrated risks.

Best Practices​

  1. Review regularly — Check heatmap in risk meetings
  2. Compare views — Look at both inherent and residual
  3. Drill down — Investigate clusters of high risks
  4. Track movement — Watch for risks moving between zones
  5. Share with stakeholders — Visual communication is powerful

Next Steps​