AI Risk Prioritization

With limited resources, knowing what to address first is critical. PartnerAlly's AI analyzes your risks and gaps to suggest optimal prioritization based on multiple factors.

How AI Prioritizes

Factors Considered

AI evaluates multiple dimensions:

Scoring Algorithm

AI combines factors into a priority score:

• Higher scores = address first
• Scores update as context changes
• Relative ranking most important

Priority Queue

Accessing the Queue

The Priority Queue shows AI-ranked risks:

Queue Features

The priority queue shows:

• Rank position
• Priority score
• Key factors driving score
• Recommended action

Understanding Priority Scores

Score Components

See why an item is ranked:

• "High severity + High likelihood = Top priority"
• "Critical control gap affecting multiple frameworks"
• "Quick win: Low effort, medium impact"

Score Changes

Priority scores update when:

• Risk attributes change
• Related items are resolved
• New risks are added
• Context is updated

Using AI Recommendations

Following the Queue

Work through priorities:

1. Start with top-ranked items
2. Create workflows for remediation
3. Track progress
4. Watch rankings adjust

When to Override

Your judgment may override AI:

• Business context AI doesn't know
• Resource constraints
• Strategic priorities
• External deadlines

Priority Categories

Must Address Now

Top priorities typically:

• Critical severity
• Active threat or exposure
• Audit deadline approaching
• Legal/regulatory requirement

Should Address Soon

Medium priorities often:

• High severity, manageable impact
• Part of larger initiative
• Improves overall posture
• Customer-requested

Can Plan For Later

Lower priorities usually:

• Low severity or likelihood
• Already mitigated partially
• High effort, low impact
• Nice to have improvements

Quick Wins

AI Identifies Quick Wins

Low-effort, meaningful-impact items:

• Easy to implement
• Noticeable improvement
• Build momentum
• Often ranked higher than effort suggests

Finding Quick Wins

1. Filter by "Quick Wins" in priority queue
2. See low-effort, high-value items
3. Knock out several quickly
4. Build team confidence

Framework-Specific Prioritization

By Framework

Prioritize within a framework:

1. Filter priority queue by framework
2. See framework-specific ranking
3. Focus audit preparation
4. Track framework progress

Cross-Framework Impact

AI considers cross-framework effects:

• "Fixing this addresses 3 framework requirements"
• "Control relevant to multiple TSC"
• Cross-framework items ranked higher

Dependency Awareness

Understanding Dependencies

AI identifies connected items:

• "Resolve X before Y"
• "These three items form a group"
• "Blocking other remediation"

Dependency Impact on Priority

Blocking items get priority boost:

• Multiple items waiting = higher priority
• Critical path items elevated
• Dependencies shown in reasoning

Customizing Prioritization

Adjusting Weights

If available, adjust AI weights:

• Increase severity importance
• Emphasize certain frameworks
• Weight business impact higher
• Customize for your needs

Manual Overrides

You can always:

• Manually set priority levels
• Reorder your working list
• Ignore AI recommendations
• Mix AI and manual priorities

Time-Based Considerations

Deadline Awareness

AI factors in timing:

• Audit dates approaching
• Customer commitments
• Regulatory deadlines
• Contract requirements

Urgency Escalation

Items escalate as deadlines near:

• Increases in priority score
• Appears in urgent queue
• Notifications triggered

Team Capacity

Workload Balancing

AI may consider:

• Current team assignments
• Skill requirements
• Available capacity
• Parallel work opportunities

Recommendations for Distribution

Suggestions like:

• "Assign to security team (technical control)"
• "Good for parallel work"
• "Requires specialized knowledge"

Reviewing AI Decisions

Transparency

AI explains rankings:

• Click any priority score
• See factor breakdown
• Understand the reasoning
• Challenge if needed

Feedback

Help AI improve:

• Mark if priority was right
• Note if ranking was off
• Explain context AI missed
• Improves future recommendations

Integration with Workflows

From Priority to Action

Smooth transition to remediation:

1. Review priority queue
2. Select top items
3. Generate workflows
4. Assign and track

Priority Updates

As you work:

• Completed items removed
• Rankings recalculate
• New top priorities surface
• Progress reflected

Best Practices

Regular Review

Check priorities regularly:

• Weekly: Review top 10
• Monthly: Assess overall queue
• Quarterly: Review completed items

Don't Ignore Low Priority

Lower priority doesn't mean ignore:

• Review periodically
• May become urgent
• Easy wins matter
• Completeness counts

Document Decisions

Record your reasoning:

• Why you followed AI
• Why you overrode
• Business context
• Future reference

Common Questions

How often does prioritization update?

Scores recalculate when relevant changes occur. The queue is always current.

Can I see historical priorities?

Current rankings are shown. Audit logs capture when items were addressed.

What if I disagree with AI?

Override freely. AI provides suggestions; you make decisions. Document your reasoning.

Does priority affect notifications?

Yes. Higher priority items may trigger more urgent notifications.

Can I set my own priority formula?

Custom weights may be configurable. Contact support for advanced customization.

Next Steps

• Risk Registry - View all risks
• Priority Queue - Work the prioritized list
• Workflow Generation - Turn priorities into action