Understanding Risk: What is Vulnerability and what is a Threat

Hemant builds a fence around his house. At one or two places, he does not fix the wood as firmly as required, or puts only one horizontal bar instead of two.

What will this do? Obviously, this will make the fence weaker at those points and make it easy for someone to break the fence.

This is a vulnerability – a weakness in our system that someone can exploit (take advantage of or use) to hurt us or to break down a defence system.

Threat

Next to Hemant’s house is a vast field. Beyond the field is the forest. Sometimes, Nilgai or buffaloes from the forest make their way to the field and then try to enter the house by pushing against the fences and trying to break them.

Likewise, sometimes, boys from the village play cricket in the field next to Hemant’s house. When one of them hits the ball into Hemant’s courtyard, they try to jump or break the fence, enter, and get their ball, instead of asking for it nicely. They think that no one will see them enter and take a ball, and they will not get scolded.

The boys and the buffaloes are both threats. They will try to enter Hemant’s house. To protect against these threats, a defence system (the fence) has been installed.