In threat analysis, a higher perceived level of effort (LoE) indicates what?

In threat analysis, a higher perceived level of effort indicates a decreased likelihood of the threat actor launching an action. When a potential attacker assesses a target, they weigh the ease of executing an attack against the potential rewards. A high perceived level of effort suggests that the attack would require significant resources, time, or complex tactics, which may deter the attacker from proceeding.

Threat actors are often opportunistic and may choose to target easier or less guarded assets to maximize their chances of success with minimal effort. Therefore, if an asset or its defenses are seen as requiring a high level of effort to compromise, many threat actors may decide that it’s not worth pursuing, leading to a lower likelihood of an attack occurring.

The other options do not accurately reflect the dynamics between effort and likelihood of attack. While an increase in effort could theoretically raise motivation for some attackers, generally speaking, the opposite is true; a higher effort tends to dissuade rather than encourage action. Similarly, while perceived value of an asset plays a critical role in targeting decisions, it is not directly tied to the effort required. Lastly, the costs associated with potential secondary losses may factor into an attacker’s decision-making but are not necessarily linked to the perceived level of effort in the same way that likelihood