200-201 Security Policies and Procedures Practice Question
Which risk treatment option involves implementing security controls to reduce the likelihood or impact of a risk?
⚠ Common exam trap
200-201 often tests the confusion between Mitigate and Transfer, since both involve taking action; candidates must remember that Mitigate reduces risk through controls, while Transfer shifts the financial or operational burden to another party.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Mitigate
Mitigate is the risk treatment option that involves implementing security controls to reduce the likelihood or impact of a risk. This can include technical controls (e.g., firewalls, encryption), administrative controls (e.g., policies, training), or physical controls (e.g., locks, guards). Mitigation aims to bring the risk down to an acceptable level rather than eliminating it entirely.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Avoid
Why it's wrong here
Avoidance eliminates the activity generating the risk entirely rather than applying controls to reduce its likelihood or impact. It is tempting because avoidance is valid when a risk is unacceptable and the underlying business process can be discontinued, but the stem describes mitigation, not termination of the activity.
- ✓
Mitigate
Why this is correct
Mitigate reduces risk through controls.
- ✗
Transfer
Why it's wrong here
Transfer shifts the financial consequence of a risk to a third party, such as an insurer, leaving the likelihood and impact unchanged. It is tempting because insurance is common, but it does not reduce risk itself. Mitigation, by applying controls, lowers likelihood or impact.
- ✗
Accept
Why it's wrong here
Accepting a risk means documenting it and proceeding without new controls, so likelihood and impact stay unchanged. It is tempting because acceptance is legitimate for low-severity risks where treatment cost exceeds potential loss, but the stem explicitly requires controls that reduce likelihood or impact.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-201 exam.