Risikotype

Risikotype is a term used in risk management to denote a defined category of risk characterized by a shared set of attributes, drivers, and potential mitigations. It functions as a way to classify risks into typologies so that assessments, monitoring, and response planning can be standardized across an organization or domain. The concept emphasizes not just the danger itself, but the pattern of likelihood, consequence, speed of onset, detectability, and controllability that distinguishes one risk type from another.

In practice, risikotype supports the creation of uniform risk registers and quantitative scoring models. By grouping risks into types, organizations can compare similar hazards, apply common control measures, and communicate risk profiles more clearly to executives and stakeholders. A risikotype typically includes descriptors such as the source of risk (operational, strategic, financial, cyber), the primary drivers, typical indicators, and representative mitigation strategies. It may also specify preferred time horizons and residual risk targets.

Applications span many fields, including corporate governance, project risk management, cybersecurity, and supply chain resilience. For example, a risikotype might describe a high-velocity, high-impact vendor failure risk requiring robust redundancy and supplier diversification, while another type might focus on slow-moving regulatory changes necessitating ongoing compliance monitoring.

Risikotype is not a universally standardized term in risk management but can be used as a practical labeling approach within risk typologies to improve clarity, comparability, and coordination of risk responses. See also risk type, risk typology, risk assessment, and risk register.