Which outcome is specifically identified as a possible consequence of not conducting cybersecurity assessments?

### Why this is right An assessment is intended to identify security issues. Without that structured review, vulnerabilities may remain unknown, leaving an organization unaware of weaknesses that could be exploited. ### The concept A **vulnerability** is a weakness that could be used to cause harm. An assessment can help an organization discover such weaknesses and consider what risks they create. Discovering a vulnerability does not automatically fix it, and an assessment cannot promise that every attack will be prevented. Its value is that it gives decision-makers information they would otherwise lack. ### The other options - **B. Every cyberattack being prevented**: An assessment can inform risk reduction, but the material does not claim that assessments prevent every attack. - **C. Automatic elimination of regulatory duties**: Assessments do not erase an organization's regulatory responsibilities. - **D. Guaranteed reduction in all operating costs**: The material identifies financial loss as a possible consequence of lacking assessments, not a guaranteed cost reduction from conducting one. ### Terms - **Cybersecurity assessment**: A structured evaluation of an organization's assets, threats, vulnerabilities, risks, and recommended controls. - **Vulnerability**: A weakness that may be exploited or otherwise contribute to harm. ### Remember The first benefit of assessment is visibility: it can reveal weaknesses that would otherwise remain unknown.