ALE (Annualized Loss Expectancy) is the risk management metric most helpful when deciding whether the licensing cost of a ransomware prevention solution is justified. ALE calculates the expected yearly financial loss from a particular threat. It is computed as:

ALE = SLE × ARO

SLE (Single Loss Expectancy) estimates the monetary impact of one ransomware incident.

ARO (Annualized Rate of Occurrence) estimates how often the incident is expected to happen each year.

By comparing ALE to the annual licensing cost of the new security solution, the organization can make a financially informed decision based on cost-benefit analysis. If ALE exceeds the solution’s cost, the purchase is justified.

RTO (C) relates to recovery time after outages, not cost justification. SLE (B) is only part of the calculation and insufficient alone. ARO (D) shows frequency but not financial impact.

Security+ SY0-701 highlights ALE as the primary metric for evaluating security investments.

Thus, ALE is the key factor in determining whether purchasing ransomware protection is financially beneficial.