An organization is most likely to accept the risk of noncompliance with a new regulatory requirement when the cost of complying with the regulation exceeds the potential penalties. In such cases, from a cost-benefit perspective, the organization might find it more economical to absorb potential fines or penalties rather than implementing costly controls or processes to comply with the regulation.
"Risk acceptance occurs when the cost of mitigating or transferring the risk exceeds the benefit of the mitigation. This also applies to regulatory noncompliance if the penalties are less than the costs of compliance."
- CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2: Risk Management, Section: Risk Treatment Options* ISACA's practice questions highlight that risk acceptance is a legitimate treatment when costs outweigh potential penalties or impact.