What reduces the frequency and/or probability of Threat Agents establishing contact with Assets?

The most effective way to reduce the frequency and/or probability of Threat Agents establishing contact with Assets is through avoidance controls. These controls are designed to eliminate the possibility of threats entirely by either avoiding the conditions or practices that expose assets to those threats or by discontinuing the activities that lead to the contact with threats.

For example, an organization might choose to avoid certain high-risk activities that could attract threat agents or decide not to operate in a geographical area known for a high frequency of cyber threats. By applying avoidance controls, the organization significantly minimizes the risk of threat agents successfully interacting with critical assets, thereby protecting them from potential harm.

Mitigation controls, while important, aim to reduce the impact or likelihood of a successful attack but do not completely eliminate the potential for contact with assets. Transfer controls involve reallocating risk to another party, and acceptance controls recognize risk but do not actively reduce the likelihood of threat encounters. Each of these alternatives plays a role in risk management but does not focus on outright avoidance like avoidance controls do.