Generally speaking, risk is the possibility of a negative or undesirable outcome or
event. Testing is concerned with two main types of risks:
• Product or quality risks, which are problems that can potentially affect the
quality of the product itself, such as a defect that could cause a system to
crash during normal operation.
• Project or planning risks, which are problems that can potentially affect
overall project success, such as a staffing shortage that could delay
completion of a deliverable.
Of course, not all risks are equal and there are a number of ways to classify the
different levels of risk. The simplest is to look at two factors: