mediumMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
Vendor Risk Management Challenges
Which THREE of the following are common challenges when implementing a vendor risk management program? (Select THREE)
Quick Answer
The answer is inconsistent assessment criteria across vendors, lack of visibility into vendor security practices, and insufficient contractual security requirements. Inconsistent assessment criteria create gaps because each vendor may be evaluated using different standards, making it impossible to compare risk levels or enforce uniform security controls across the supply chain. This directly ties to the core challenge of vendor risk management common challenges on the CompTIA SecurityX CAS-004 exam, which tests your ability to identify systemic failures in third-party risk governance. A common trap is selecting “too many vendors” as a challenge—while volume matters, the exam focuses on the *process* failures, not just the count. Remember the mnemonic “VIC” for Visibility, Inconsistency, and Contractual gaps—these three form the foundation of vendor risk management pitfalls.
⚠ Common exam trap
The CAS-004 exam often tests the distinction between common operational challenges (like lack of visibility, resource constraints, and inconsistent criteria) versus hypothetical or reversed issues (like over-automation or excessive cooperation) that are not typical in vendor risk management programs.
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
✓
Lack of visibility into vendor security practices
A is correct because organizations often lack visibility into vendor security practices, meaning they cannot verify whether vendors comply with security policies or contractual obligations. This challenge arises when vendors do not provide access to their security controls, audit reports, or real-time monitoring data, leaving gaps in the risk assessment process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Lack of visibility into vendor security practices
Why this is correct
Common challenge
- ✗
Over-automation of risk scoring
Why it's wrong here
Automation is beneficial
- ✓
Resource constraints for conducting assessments
Why this is correct
Common challenge
- ✓
Inconsistent assessment criteria across vendors
Why this is correct
Common challenge
- ✗
Excessive cooperation from vendors
Why it's wrong here
Not typical
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on CAS-005
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An organization wants to ensure that its supply chain vendors are compliant with its security policies. Which of the following is the MOST effective approach?
medium- A.Conduct on-site audits of all vendors.
- B.Include security requirements in contracts and rely on legal remedies.
- C.Require vendors to complete a self-assessment questionnaire.
- ✓ D.Implement a continuous monitoring program using automated tools.
Why D: Continuous monitoring using automated tools provides real-time visibility into vendor security posture, enabling proactive detection of policy violations, configuration drift, or emerging threats. Unlike point-in-time assessments, automated monitoring can detect changes in vendor environments (e.g., new open ports, SSL/TLS certificate expiration, or exposed credentials) as they happen, aligning with the CAS-004 emphasis on ongoing risk management rather than static compliance checks.
JA
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.