Which of the following is a risk management option that halts a business function?

Avoidance is a risk management strategy that involves taking steps to completely eliminate a risk or the possibility of an undesirable event occurring. By halting a business function that may be deemed too risky, an organization chooses avoidance as a way to protect itself from potential negative consequences.

For instance, if a particular business operation is identified as too risky due to factors like regulatory concerns, financial implications, or security vulnerabilities, an organization may decide to completely stop that operation rather than attempt to manage the risk through other means. This can be particularly relevant in cloud environments where specific applications or data handling practices present significant security concerns.

In contrast, other management options such as acceptance involve recognizing a risk exists but deciding to proceed with the business function anyway, transference shifts the risk to a third party (like insurance or outsourcing), and mitigation involves implementing measures to reduce the impact or likelihood of a risk but does not eliminate it entirely. Therefore, avoidance distinctly represents the approach of halting business functions in order to eliminate associated risks entirely.