The pathway of a threat and the points where mitigations take effect

Choose one of the 52 threats. The upper track walks through the pathway, the lower one shows the five effect classes the catalogue uses for mitigations. Where the catalogue lists no mitigation for an effect class, a visible gap remains at that point.

Who it is for: For anyone working through a threat in depth for the first time

All 52 threats to choose from.

Supply Chain – Infrastructure

Supply Chain and Provenance Supply Chain 4 mitigations Full text and sources

The pathway

What it is

Attackers compromise the technical environment in which an AI system is developed and operated: cloud services, development tools, and third-party software components. This gives them access to systems, data, and models.

Where mitigations take effect

0 of 2 available effect classes are covered by at least one mitigation you marked. For 3 effect classes the catalogue lists no mitigation here: Impact-limiting, Corrective, Restorative.

All mitigations for this threat

Tick what is already in place in your organisation. The selection stays in this view and is not stored.

In place
Use trusted suppliers
Effect: PreventiveImplementation level: Supply chainControl type: Contracts & third-party managementComplementary type: Organizational & process-based

Reason for the classification
Primarily a contracts and third-party management control: Selection, verifiable commitments, and audit or enforcement rights toward third parties enable the protective effect; complemented by binding workflows.
In place
Infrastructure hardening
Effect: PreventiveImplementation level: InfrastructureControl type: Technical

Reason for the classification
Primarily technical: Safe formats, restrictive defaults, or protective layers reduce unsafe execution paths and exploitable attack surface.
In place
Supply chain security audits
Effect: Preventive, DetectiveImplementation level: Supply chainControl type: Contracts & third-party managementComplementary type: Organizational & process-based

Reason for the classification
Primarily a contracts and third-party management control: Contractual audit, information, and remediation rights enable control; binding audit workflows put those rights into practice.
In place
Continuous monitoring of hosting environments
Effect: DetectiveImplementation level: Infrastructure, Use & operationsControl type: TechnicalComplementary type: Organizational & process-based

Reason for the classification
Primarily technical: Software or analytical tools systematically produce and evaluate measurements, deviations, or attack indicators; complemented by binding workflows.

The file shows the current state including any filters and carries the note, catalogue version and source.

The effect class describes where a mitigation takes effect, not how effective it is in a specific case. A gap means the catalogue lists no mitigation of that effect class for this threat.

Versatile AI Risk Assessment is an aid for structuring AI risks and making them transparent. It does not replace legal or professional advice and makes no binding decisions.

Understanding threats

The same data, a different question

What defines a threat, when it arises and how it differs from another.

Placing your own system

System context Which threats affect my system?
Architecture change What does a rebuild trigger?

Planning mitigations

Effect matrix How and where do mitigations take effect?
Ownership Who has to act?

Checking frameworks and evidence

Framework mappings Where is this anchored professionally and legally?
Coverage gaps What does my framework not reach?
Evidence base What is this based on?

Overview of all ten analyses

Threat catalogue

All 52 threats in full: description, impact, example, mitigations and verified sources.

To the catalogue

EU AI Act quick check

Four short sections along the EU AI Act for a first, non‑binding orientation of your system.

To the quick check

Assess it yourself

The full assessment with system context, threat selection and evidence tracking, free of charge in the browser.

To the live demo