Linking Related Risks

Related risks can be linked together so a cluster of connected risks is easy to find and manage as a group. One risk acts as the primary, and the others are linked under it. This keeps the register focused on distinct risks while preserving the relationship between them.

How Linking Works

Linking is single-layer: a risk can have other risks linked under it, or be linked under a primary risk — but not both. You cannot link a risk under one that is already linked elsewhere, so a cluster is always exactly one level deep. The interface enforces this for you: candidates that are already a primary, or already linked under another risk, are shown but cannot be selected into an invalid arrangement.

Each linked risk remains a complete record. It keeps its own status, owner, score, due date, and remediation tickets, and it can be opened, edited, and closed independently.

Linking from a Risk

Open a risk and find the Related Risks section in the detail view.

• From a primary risk, use the search to add risks underneath it, or remove a linked risk to detach it. The whole cluster is listed in one table.
• From a linked risk, the section shows its primary (highlighted) and any sibling risks for context. These are read-only — a short note directs you to open the primary risk to manage the group. A breadcrumb at the top of the modal shows which primary the risk is linked under.

Linking in Bulk

When you select multiple risks in the register, the multi-edit panel includes a Linked Under field. Pick a primary risk to link the whole selection under it at once. Risks that are themselves primaries are not offered as targets, keeping the single-layer rule intact. The field shows Not linked or Linked under multiple risks to reflect the current state of your selection.

Showing Linked Risks in the Register

By default the register collapses linked risks, so it lists primaries and standalone risks without the clutter of every linked record. Toggle Show Linked Risks to reveal linked risks alongside their primaries. The setting is remembered with your other register filters.

How Linked Risks Are Counted in Reports

Reporting

Period reports — including board decks and executive scoring summaries — count each cluster once, under its primary risk. Linked risks are represented by their primary and are not tallied separately, so grouping related risks never inflates the totals, urgency breakdowns, or overdue counts in those reports.

Linked risks remain fully visible everywhere you work with individual records: open them from the register (with Show Linked Risks enabled), score and remediate them, and track their SLAs independently.

This means linking is safe to use for housekeeping — clustering duplicates or closely-related findings — without distorting the numbers leadership sees in a report.