Software Architect's Handbook

Damage potential

Damage potential represents the level of damage that could be done to users and the organization if an attack were to succeed. For example, damage to an individual user's data would be rated lower than an attack that could bring down the entire system. Depending on the type of attack and the asset(s) being targeted, damage could be something concrete, such as financial liability, or abstract, such as damage to an organization's reputation.