IT Failures have been getting a lot of press recently:

A large health insurance company was reportedly banned by regulators from selling certain types of insurance policies in January of 2009 due to ongoing computer system problems that resulted in denial of coverage for needed medications and mistaken overcharging or cancelation of benefits. The regulatory agency was quoted as stating that the problems were posing "a serious threat to the health and safety" of beneficiaries.

For centuries, engineers from many different disciplines have had to deal with the topic of risk. No architect, for example, can design any building without taking into consideration various risks arising from a multitude of sources, ranging from the possibility of material fatigue to fire or other natural hazards.