Risk Analytics is used to identify unusual behavior and understand the potential
risk that entities pose to your enterprise. On systems that use data RBAC, only
users with global scope can access risk analytics. The Risk Analytics dashboard
consists of a Behavioral Analytics section, which lists entities according to
Google Security Operations Entities risk scores and a Watchlist section, which
lists entities according to internal enterprise risk calculations.
Risk scores are used throughout Google SecOps. The definition and
function of these scores vary depending on which feature you are using.
Risk Analytics is available with Enterprise and Enterprise Plus licenses, or as
an add-on to a Google SecOps SIEM standalone license.
Entities, risk, and findings in Risk Analytics
This section defines the concepts of entities, risk, and findings as they are
presented on the Risk Analytics
dashboard.
Entities: Contextual representation of an asset or user in your
environment. All the events associated with entities provide context about
how risky the entity is. For more information, see Logical objects: Event
and
Entity.
Risk calculation window: Lets you change the timeframe for the
dashboard, enabling you to look at data through different periods of time.
For example, you can uncover brute force login attempts by using the shorter
time window or examine long-term malicious activity by setting the longer
time window.
Normalized: Normalized scores are set between 1-1000 to distinguish the
entities without scores from the entities that do have detections within the
risk window.
Normalized trend: Change in the normalized entity risk score since the
previous window.
Base: Base scores are calculated by adding the risk scores across
findings (alerts and detections) for an entity during the risk window with
weighting applied.
Weighting defines how alert and detection risk scores
contribute to entity risk score calculations. Weighting can take a value from 0-1.
If the weighting value is 1, weighting won't have an impact. All other
values are percentages (for example, .5 equals 50%). The default weighting
value is .2 and can be changed in Settings. For more information, see Entity risk
score weighting.
Base change: Change in the base entity risk score since the previous
window.
First/last seen in window: Timestamp corresponding to when the entity
was first or last seen in a finding (alert or detection) for the time period
specified in the risk window.
Findings in Risk Analytics
The following terms are used on the Findings page (click an entity in the
entities table to open it in the Findings page).
Findings: Number of findings (alerts and detections) that include this
entity for the time period in the risk window.
Severity: Severity is set by the source when a finding is created.
Priority: Priority is set by the source when a finding is created.
Risk Score: Risk scores are set by the source when a finding is created.
If the risk scores are not set, the default risk score for alerts and
detections is used. The default risk score for alerts is 40. The default
risk score for detections is 15.
Risk score calculation
The risk score calculation for each entity is based on the risk score of
findings and is modified based on a set of parameters you can specify and a set
of parameters controlled by Google SecOps. The parameters you can control
are accessible by going to the navigation bar and clicking Settings > Entity
risk scores:
Closed alert coefficient: If the security analysts marks an alert as
closed, it is multiplied with this floating point modifier. The range is
0-1. The default value is 1.
Default detection risk score: Specify the risk score for detections in
the rules engine. The range is 0-1000. The default value is 15.
The following parameters are specified by Google SecOps:
Risk score modification with TTL: Base entity risk score is modified by
a multiplying factor for the time range.
Risk score modification without TTL: Detection risk score is modified
with a multiplying factor.
The following are the formulas used for calculating the risk score and
normalized risk score:
Risk score calculation: (Base entity risk score) = (Maximum risk score
for the finding) + (Weighting * (Sum of the remaining risk scores for the
findings))
Normalized risk score: Base entity risk scores are normalized across all
entities. The base entity risk score uses min-max normalization and ranges
from 1-1000. Entities with zero risk are not included.
Example: risk score calculation
The following describes the full sequence for how a risk detection score is
calculated for an entity:
Input: The detections are grouped by indicator.
(Optional) Closed alert coefficient: If the detection risk score is for
a closed alert, the score is multiplied by the closed alert coefficient.
(Optional) Default Risk Score modification If it isn't explicitly set in
a rule, the default detection risk score is applied. Default alerting or
non-alerting detection risk scores can be changed in the entity risk scores
settings.
Risk score calculation: The weighting factor is multiplied to the sum of
all detections (except for the maximum detection risk score) and then added
to the maximum detection risk score. This value represents the raw entity
risk score.
Modification weight: The raw entity risk score is multiplied with the
modification weight. This modification is a one-time operation, unless a TTL
is set. This value is the base entity risk score.
Watchlist weight: If an entity is part of a watchlist, the watchlist
weight is added to the detection risk score.
Normalized risk score: The base entity risk score is normalized across
all entities using min-max normalization.
Risk score settings
The Entity risk scores page lets you define how risk scores are calculated
for entities, alerts, and detections. You can apply weighting to entity risk
score calculations and set default alert and detection risk scores. Changes only
apply to new alerts and detections and can take up to 30 minutes to take effect.
Entity risk score weighting: Weighting defines how alert and detection
risk scores are factored in entity risk score calculations. Weighting is a
value from 0 to 1. The formula for the base entity risk score is defined as
follows:
Base entity risk score = (Maximum risk score for the finding) + (Weighting *
(Sum of the remaining risk scores for the findings))
Default risk scores for Alerts: Specify the default alert risk score in
the Settings page. The default is 40. You can modify individual alert
risk scores in the rules themselves. These override any defaults configured
in the Settings page.
Default risk scores for Detections: Specify the default detection risk
score in the Settings page. The default is 15. You can modify individual
detection risk scores in the rules themselves. These override any defaults
configured in the Settings page.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-29 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eRisk Analytics identifies unusual behavior and potential risks posed by entities within an enterprise, utilizing Google SecOps Entities risk scores and internal enterprise risk calculations.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eRisk scores, ranging from 1-1000 after normalization, are calculated based on findings (alerts and detections) and can be influenced by weighting, which is a configurable factor that determines how findings contribute to the overall risk score.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe Risk Analytics dashboard displays entities in a Behavioral Analytics section based on Google SecOps risk scores, and in a Watchlist section based on internal risk calculations.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUsers can customize risk score calculations through settings like closed alert coefficient, default detection risk score, and entity risk score weighting, allowing for tailored risk assessments.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe final entity risk score is calculated in a sequence of steps, which includes the score of detections, modification using TTL, and normalization across all the entities.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Overview of Risk analytics\n==========================\n\nSupported in: \nGoogle secops [SIEM](/chronicle/docs/secops/google-secops-siem-toc)\n\nRisk Analytics is used to identify unusual behavior and understand the potential\nrisk that entities pose to your enterprise. On systems that use data RBAC, only\nusers with global scope can access risk analytics. The Risk Analytics dashboard\nconsists of a Behavioral Analytics section, which lists entities according to\nGoogle Security Operations Entities risk scores and a Watchlist section, which\nlists entities according to internal enterprise risk calculations.\n\nRisk scores are used throughout Google SecOps. The definition and\nfunction of these scores vary depending on which feature you are using.\n\nRisk Analytics is available with Enterprise and Enterprise Plus licenses, or as\nan add-on to a Google SecOps SIEM standalone license.\n\nEntities, risk, and findings in Risk Analytics\n----------------------------------------------\n\nThis section defines the concepts of entities, risk, and findings as they are\npresented on the [Risk Analytics\ndashboard](/chronicle/docs/detection/risk-analytics-dashboard).\n\n- **Entities** : Contextual representation of an asset or user in your\n environment. All the events associated with entities provide context about\n how risky the entity is. For more information, see [Logical objects: Event\n and\n Entity](/chronicle/docs/event-processing/udm-overview#logical_objects_event_and_entity).\n\n- **Risk calculation window**: Lets you change the timeframe for the\n dashboard, enabling you to look at data through different periods of time.\n For example, you can uncover brute force login attempts by using the shorter\n time window or examine long-term malicious activity by setting the longer\n time window.\n\n- **Normalized**: Normalized scores are set between 1-1000 to distinguish the\n entities without scores from the entities that do have detections within the\n risk window.\n\n- **Normalized trend**: Change in the normalized entity risk score since the\n previous window.\n\n- **Base**: Base scores are calculated by adding the risk scores across\n findings (alerts and detections) for an entity during the risk window with\n weighting applied.\n\n Weighting defines how alert and detection risk scores\n contribute to entity risk score calculations. Weighting can take a value from 0-1. \n\n If the weighting value is 1, weighting won't have an impact. All other\n values are percentages (for example, .5 equals 50%). The default weighting\n value is .2 and can be changed in Settings. For more information, see [Entity risk\n score weighting](/chronicle/docs/detection/risk-analytics-dashboard#score-weighting).\n- **Base change**: Change in the base entity risk score since the previous\n window.\n\n- **First/last seen in window**: Timestamp corresponding to when the entity\n was first or last seen in a finding (alert or detection) for the time period\n specified in the risk window.\n\nFindings in Risk Analytics\n--------------------------\n\nThe following terms are used on the Findings page (click an entity in the\nentities table to open it in the Findings page).\n\n- **Findings**: Number of findings (alerts and detections) that include this\n entity for the time period in the risk window.\n\n- **Severity**: Severity is set by the source when a finding is created.\n\n- **Priority**: Priority is set by the source when a finding is created.\n\n- **Risk Score**: Risk scores are set by the source when a finding is created.\n If the risk scores are not set, the default risk score for alerts and\n detections is used. The default risk score for alerts is 40. The default\n risk score for detections is 15.\n\n| **Note:** When the risk score for alerts is 0, the Findings page displays a risk score of 0, and the normalized risk score for the related entity is 1. When the risk score for detections is 0, the entity is not displayed in the [Entities table](/chronicle/docs/detection/risk-analytics-dashboard#entity_count_risk_score_and_entities_table)\n\nRisk score calculation\n----------------------\n\nThe risk score calculation for each entity is based on the risk score of\nfindings and is modified based on a set of parameters you can specify and a set\nof parameters controlled by Google SecOps. The parameters you can control\nare accessible by going to the navigation bar and clicking **Settings \\\u003e Entity\nrisk scores**:\n\n- **Closed alert coefficient**: If the security analysts marks an alert as\n closed, it is multiplied with this floating point modifier. The range is\n 0-1. The default value is 1.\n\n- **Default detection risk score**: Specify the risk score for detections in\n the rules engine. The range is 0-1000. The default value is 15.\n\nThe following parameters are specified by Google SecOps:\n\n- **Risk score modification with TTL**: Base entity risk score is modified by\n a multiplying factor for the time range.\n\n- **Risk score modification without TTL**: Detection risk score is modified\n with a multiplying factor.\n\nThe following are the formulas used for calculating the risk score and\nnormalized risk score:\n\n- **Risk score calculation**: (Base entity risk score) = (Maximum risk score\n for the finding) + (Weighting \\* (Sum of the remaining risk scores for the\n findings))\n\n- **Normalized risk score**: Base entity risk scores are normalized across all\n entities. The base entity risk score uses min-max normalization and ranges\n from 1-1000. Entities with zero risk are not included.\n\nExample: risk score calculation\n-------------------------------\n\nThe following describes the full sequence for how a risk detection score is\ncalculated for an entity:\n\n1. **Input**: The detections are grouped by indicator.\n2. **(Optional) Closed alert coefficient**: If the detection risk score is for a closed alert, the score is multiplied by the closed alert coefficient.\n3. **(Optional) Default Risk Score modification** If it isn't explicitly set in a rule, the default detection risk score is applied. Default alerting or non-alerting detection risk scores can be changed in the entity risk scores settings.\n4. **Risk score calculation**: The weighting factor is multiplied to the sum of all detections (except for the maximum detection risk score) and then added to the maximum detection risk score. This value represents the raw entity risk score.\n5. **Modification weight**: The raw entity risk score is multiplied with the modification weight. This modification is a one-time operation, unless a TTL is set. This value is the base entity risk score.\n6. **Watchlist weight**: If an entity is part of a watchlist, the watchlist weight is added to the detection risk score.\n7. **Normalized risk score**: The base entity risk score is normalized across all entities using min-max normalization.\n\nRisk score settings\n-------------------\n\nThe **Entity risk scores** page lets you define how risk scores are calculated\nfor entities, alerts, and detections. You can apply weighting to entity risk\nscore calculations and set default alert and detection risk scores. Changes only\napply to new alerts and detections and can take up to 30 minutes to take effect.\n\n- **Entity risk score weighting**: Weighting defines how alert and detection\n risk scores are factored in entity risk score calculations. Weighting is a\n value from 0 to 1. The formula for the base entity risk score is defined as\n follows:\n\n Base entity risk score = (Maximum risk score for the finding) + (Weighting \\*\n (Sum of the remaining risk scores for the findings))\n- **Default risk scores for Alerts** : Specify the default alert risk score in\n the **Settings** page. The default is 40. You can modify individual alert\n risk scores in the rules themselves. These override any defaults configured\n in the **Settings** page.\n\n- **Default risk scores for Detections** : Specify the default detection risk\n score in the **Settings** page. The default is 15. You can modify individual\n detection risk scores in the rules themselves. These override any defaults\n configured in the **Settings** page.\n\n**Need more help?** [Get answers from Community members and Google SecOps professionals.](https://security.googlecloudcommunity.com/google-security-operations-2)"]]
