The core duty of cybersecurity is to identify, mitigate, and manage what?

The core duty of cybersecurity is fundamentally centered around identifying, mitigating, and managing cyberrisk. Cyberrisk encompasses the potential for harm or loss resulting from unauthorized access, damage to systems, data breaches, and other threats that target digital assets and infrastructure. Understanding and addressing cyberrisk is essential for organizations to protect sensitive information, maintain business operations, and uphold their reputation in an increasingly digital world.

Focusing on cyberrisk involves implementing strategies to assess vulnerabilities, strengthen defenses, and reduce the likelihood and impact of cyber threats. As cyber environments evolve with new technologies and attack vectors, the approach to managing these risks is crucial for establishing a robust cybersecurity posture.

In contrast, concepts like operational risk, cybersecurity policy, and compliance requirements are important within the broader field of risk management but do not encapsulate the primary responsibility of cybersecurity. Operational risk pertains more to risks affecting the organization's operations, while cybersecurity policy involves the guidelines and rules governing cybersecurity practices. Compliance requirements focus on adhering to laws and regulations, which is a significant aspect but secondary to the direct goal of mitigating cyber threats. Thus, cyberrisk is at the heart of cybersecurity efforts, making it the correct choice.