Which of the following provides a quantitative look at risk and performance in a network?

Metrics are crucial for providing a quantitative look at risk and performance in a network. They allow organizations to track and measure various elements such as traffic, incidents, vulnerabilities, application performance, and compliance with security policies. By using numerical data, metrics enable organizations to assess the effectiveness of their security controls, identify trends over time, and make informed decisions regarding risk management and resource allocation.

In a security context, metrics can specifically highlight how well a network is performing in terms of security measures, help quantify the risk associated with various threats, and gauge the organization's readiness to respond to incidents. This quantitative assessment is vital for continuous improvement and aligns with overall strategic goals.

Compliance guides, while important, focus more on adhering to regulations and standards rather than measuring performance or risk quantitatively. Protocol analysis involves examining the details of network protocols but does not provide a broader view of overall network risk and performance. Audit reports summarize findings from audits but also do not focus on continuous quantitative risk assessment and performance metrics in the same active manner as established metrics do.