What is the first step in identifying risks by role?

The first step in identifying risks by role is to clearly define the roles. This process is fundamental because without a proper understanding of each role within an organization, it becomes challenging to assess the associated risks accurately. Each role has unique responsibilities, access levels, and potential vulnerabilities that need to be understood before any assessment can take place.

By defining roles, you establish a framework that enables you to analyze what security policies apply to those roles, how each role interacts with sensitive data, and what specific risks they may encounter. This understanding serves as the foundation for correctly identifying which roles may carry higher risks, thus facilitating a more effective risk management process as you move forward.

The other choices focus on later stages of the risk identification process or actions that depend on an understanding of roles. Analyzing security policies comes into play after roles are defined to ascertain how those policies mitigate potential risks. Conducting interviews can provide additional insights but is typically not the first step in the identification process. Therefore, the crucial first step is to clearly define the roles within the organization.