Riskun

Riskun is a term used in risk management to describe a compact, system‑level risk metric that blends probability, consequences, and exposure into a single score. It is typically presented on a 0 to 100 scale or 0 to 1, with higher values indicating greater risk. The goal of riskun is to provide a quick, comparable indicator that supports prioritization and decision making across components, projects, or scenarios.

Calculation approaches for riskun vary. In many implementations, it is a weighted combination of factors such as the probability of an adverse event (p), the potential impact or severity (c), and the level of exposure or vulnerability (e). Weights or transformation functions may be applied to reflect context, with some models using nonlinear mappings or Bayesian updating to incorporate new information. Normalization is common to enable aggregation across subsystems or time periods, and some methods employ Monte Carlo simulation to propagate uncertainty.

Applications of riskun span diverse domains, including project risk management, information security, supply chain resilience, and disaster planning. Organizations use riskun dashboards to compare risks, prioritize mitigation actions, and monitor changes over time. It can be integrated with other decision-support tools to inform resource allocation and contingency planning.

Criticism of riskun centers on its simplification of complex, multi‑dimensional risk. The choice of weights and functional form can heavily influence outcomes, and the single score may mask important patterns or uncertainties. As a result, riskun is typically recommended as a complementary metric alongside qualitative assessments, scenario analysis, and deeper risk modeling rather than a standalone verdict. Related concepts include risk score, risk index, and risk appetite.