Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What does DREAD stand for and what is it used for?
Damage, Reproducibility, Exploitability, Affected users, Discoverability — a risk-rating scheme that scores each threat so you fix the worst first.
DREAD is a risk rating system used to prioritize which threats to fix first.
| Letter | Factor | Question |
|---|---|---|
| D | Damage | How bad if exploited? |
| R | Reproducibility | How reliably can it be exploited? |
| E | Exploitability | How hard is it to exploit? |
| A | Affected users | How many users impacted? |
| D | Discoverability | How easy to find? |
Each factor scored 1-3, total 5-15. Higher = worse = fix first.
Tip: Some experts use "DREAD-D" (ignore Discoverability) to avoid rewarding security through obscurity.