Does the CRA mandate a specific risk assessment methodology?

The CRA does not mandate a specific cybersecurity risk assessment methodology. The manufacturers can decide on the methodology they use to identify and treat the relevant risks. Manufacturers need to address all relevant risks emerging from the cybersecurity risk assessment, and the risk assessment methodology should therefore support manufacturers in documenting that this has been done (in accordance with Article 13(3)), allowing market surveillance authorities to verify how risks have been identified, evaluated and mitigated.

When modelling threat scenarios, manufacturers should ensure the use of a threat modelling methodology that appropriately reflects the threats and resulting risks associated to the product’s intended purpose and reasonably foreseeable use. For instance, whereas products intended for use in critical infrastructure may be required to treat risks related to nation-state actors and advanced persistent threats, products intended for private consumer use typically have a lower risk profile and may use a different threat model. In this way, manufacturers can cover all relevant risks to a product in their risk assessment.