IEC 62443-IC33 RISK ASSESSMENT SPECIALIST
STUDY GUIDE 2026 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Developing a Plan to Address Unacceptable Risk. Answer: This
involves evaluating existing countermeasures, recommending
additional ones and changes to current policies, prioritizing
recommendations based on relative risk, and assessing the balance
between cost/complexity and effectiveness.
◉ Benefits of Cyber Risk Assessments. Answer: Helps determine
priority plants/processes, understand threats and vulnerabilities,
intelligently design and apply countermeasures to reduce risk,
prioritize activities and resources, and evaluate countermeasures
based on their effectiveness versus cost/complexity.
◉ Balancing Security and Cost. Answer: Perfect security is
unaffordable. Thus, risk reduction is balanced against the cost of
security measures intended to mitigate the risk.
◉ 4.2.3.1 Select a risk assessment methodology. Answer: The
organization shall select a particular risk assessment and analysis
approach and methodology that identifies and prioritizes risks
based upon security threats, vulnerabilities and consequences
related to their IACS assets.
,◉ 4.2.3.2 Provide risk assessment background
Information. Answer: The organization should provide participants
in the risk assessment activity with appropriate
information including methodology training, before beginning to
identify the risks.
◉ 4.2.3.3 Conduct a high-level risk assessment. Answer: A high-level
system risk assessment shall be performed to understand the
financial and HS&E consequences in the event that availability,
integrity, or confidentiality of the IACS is compromised.
◉ 4.2.3.4 Identify the industrial automation and control systems.
Answer: The organization shall identify the various IACS, gather data
about the devices to characterize the nature of the security risk, and
group the devices into logically integrated systems.
◉ Risk Identification, Classification, and Assessment. Answer: A
systematic process to identify and assess the severity of IACS cyber
risks an organization faces. It involves prioritizing and analyzing
potential threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences. The objective is
to guide cybersecurity investments to lower risk.
◉ 4.2.3.5 Develop simple network diagrams. Answer: The
organization shall develop simple network diagrams for each of the
, logically integrated systems showing the major devices, network
types, and general locations of the equipment.
◉ 4.2.3.6 Prioritize systems. Answer: The organization shall develop
the criteria and assign a priority rating for mitigating the risk of each
logical control system.
◉ 4.2.3.7 Perform a detailed vulnerability assessment. Answer: The
organization shall perform a detailed vulnerability assessment of its
individual logical IACS, which may be scoped based on the high-level
risk assessment results and prioritization of IACS subject to these
risks.
◉ 4.2.3.8 Identify a detailed risk assessment methodology. Answer:
The organization's risk assessment methodology shall include
methods for prioritizing detailed vulnerabilities identified in the
detailed vulnerability assessment.
◉ 4.2.3.9 Conduct a detailed risk assessment. Answer: The
organization shall conduct a detailed risk assessment incorporating
the vulnerabilities identified in the detailed vulnerability
assessment.
◉ 4.2.3.10 Identify the reassessment frequency and triggering
criteria. Answer: The organization shall identify the risk and
vulnerability reassessment frequency as well as any reassessment
STUDY GUIDE 2026 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Developing a Plan to Address Unacceptable Risk. Answer: This
involves evaluating existing countermeasures, recommending
additional ones and changes to current policies, prioritizing
recommendations based on relative risk, and assessing the balance
between cost/complexity and effectiveness.
◉ Benefits of Cyber Risk Assessments. Answer: Helps determine
priority plants/processes, understand threats and vulnerabilities,
intelligently design and apply countermeasures to reduce risk,
prioritize activities and resources, and evaluate countermeasures
based on their effectiveness versus cost/complexity.
◉ Balancing Security and Cost. Answer: Perfect security is
unaffordable. Thus, risk reduction is balanced against the cost of
security measures intended to mitigate the risk.
◉ 4.2.3.1 Select a risk assessment methodology. Answer: The
organization shall select a particular risk assessment and analysis
approach and methodology that identifies and prioritizes risks
based upon security threats, vulnerabilities and consequences
related to their IACS assets.
,◉ 4.2.3.2 Provide risk assessment background
Information. Answer: The organization should provide participants
in the risk assessment activity with appropriate
information including methodology training, before beginning to
identify the risks.
◉ 4.2.3.3 Conduct a high-level risk assessment. Answer: A high-level
system risk assessment shall be performed to understand the
financial and HS&E consequences in the event that availability,
integrity, or confidentiality of the IACS is compromised.
◉ 4.2.3.4 Identify the industrial automation and control systems.
Answer: The organization shall identify the various IACS, gather data
about the devices to characterize the nature of the security risk, and
group the devices into logically integrated systems.
◉ Risk Identification, Classification, and Assessment. Answer: A
systematic process to identify and assess the severity of IACS cyber
risks an organization faces. It involves prioritizing and analyzing
potential threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences. The objective is
to guide cybersecurity investments to lower risk.
◉ 4.2.3.5 Develop simple network diagrams. Answer: The
organization shall develop simple network diagrams for each of the
, logically integrated systems showing the major devices, network
types, and general locations of the equipment.
◉ 4.2.3.6 Prioritize systems. Answer: The organization shall develop
the criteria and assign a priority rating for mitigating the risk of each
logical control system.
◉ 4.2.3.7 Perform a detailed vulnerability assessment. Answer: The
organization shall perform a detailed vulnerability assessment of its
individual logical IACS, which may be scoped based on the high-level
risk assessment results and prioritization of IACS subject to these
risks.
◉ 4.2.3.8 Identify a detailed risk assessment methodology. Answer:
The organization's risk assessment methodology shall include
methods for prioritizing detailed vulnerabilities identified in the
detailed vulnerability assessment.
◉ 4.2.3.9 Conduct a detailed risk assessment. Answer: The
organization shall conduct a detailed risk assessment incorporating
the vulnerabilities identified in the detailed vulnerability
assessment.
◉ 4.2.3.10 Identify the reassessment frequency and triggering
criteria. Answer: The organization shall identify the risk and
vulnerability reassessment frequency as well as any reassessment
