A business owner asks the security team to compare the cost of two controls for a legacy application in dollar terms. The team estimates the annual chance of a breach, the potential loss per event, and the expected yearly loss after each control is applied. Which risk analysis approach is being used?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
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Qualitative risk analysis
Qualitative analysis ranks risk using labels such as low, medium, or high rather than dollar-based calculations.
Best answer
Quantitative risk analysis
Quantitative analysis uses numeric values such as probability, impact, and annualized loss to compare controls financially.
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Business impact analysis
A business impact analysis identifies critical processes and recovery needs. It does not calculate control value.
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Risk acceptance
Risk acceptance is a treatment decision. It is not the analysis method used to estimate expected losses.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A laptop is suspected of being used in a malware incident. It is still powered on and connected to Wi-Fi. What should the responder do before shutting it down?
Question 2
An employee reports a ransomware note on a file server. The server is still powered on, shares are still being accessed, and management wants service restored as quickly as possible. What should the incident response team do first?
Question 3
An employee reports a ransomware note on a finance laptop. The laptop is still powered on, connected to Wi-Fi, and the user says they were just working in a spreadsheet. Management wants the fastest safe response that also preserves evidence. What should the responder do first?
Question 4
You are handed a company laptop suspected in an insider theft case. Legal says the evidence may be needed in court. Which action best preserves admissibility?
Question 5
A developer wants to reduce the risk of SQL injection in a new customer search form. Which two changes are the best mitigations? Select two.
Question 6
A branch office uses a flat LAN, and a compromise on one user workstation could spread quickly to finance systems. Management wants finance workstations isolated from general users, but finance staff still need access to a central finance application and network printer. What is the best design change?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Quantitative risk analysis — Quantitative risk analysis is used when leadership wants to compare security options in financial terms. The team is assigning numeric values to likelihood and impact, then estimating expected loss after each control. That allows decision-makers to compare costs against reduced losses and choose the most economically sensible option. This is different from qualitative ranking, which uses categories rather than dollar values. Why others are wrong: Qualitative analysis would classify risk instead of calculating it. A business impact analysis helps determine recovery priorities, not the financial benefit of controls. Risk acceptance is a possible outcome of the analysis, but it is not the analysis itself. Because the question centers on dollar-based comparison and expected loss, quantitative analysis is the correct method.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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