The bow-tie analysis is a commonly used, well-recognised model for visualising risk in many industries.

The bow-tie model visualises a risk and its key components – threats, event, consequences and controls – in a single graphic.

The bow-tie differentiates between preventative controls – those located between threat and event which reduce the likelihood of a risk event occurring – and detective and corrective controls, which are located between the event and its consequence which reduce the impact of a risk event after it has occurred. Many threats may be mitigated by a single control and a single control may mitigate multiple consequences.

When presented in the visual bow-tie model, the positioning of the controls frequently leads to the distinctive bow-tie shape from which the model derives its name.