CAS-004 Governance, Risk, and Compliance Practice Question
A security team is selecting key risk indicators (KRIs) for the organization's cybersecurity program. Which of the following is an example of a KRI that provides a leading indicator of risk?
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
✓
Number of unpatched critical vulnerabilities
KRIs ideally should be leading indicators that predict future risk. Number of unpatched critical vulnerabilities is a leading indicator because it indicates potential for future exploitation. MTTD is lagging (measures past incidents). Patch compliance % is a KPI, not necessarily a risk indicator. Number of incidents is lagging.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Mean time to detect (MTTD) for security incidents
Why it's wrong here
This is a lagging indicator.
- ✗
Number of security incidents reported last month
Why it's wrong here
This is a lagging indicator.
- ✗
Percentage of systems with antivirus installed
Why it's wrong here
This is a security control metric, not a KRI.
- ✓
Number of unpatched critical vulnerabilities
Why this is correct
This is a leading indicator of potential breaches.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAS-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CAS-005 exam.