- A
Risk avoidance, because the system is being shut down permanently.
Why wrong: Avoidance would remove the risky activity entirely, not keep the application running with added safeguards.
- B
Risk transfer, because the vendor is responsible for the vulnerability.
Why wrong: Transfer shifts financial or contractual exposure, but it does not describe the added technical protections here.
- C
Compensating control, because temporary safeguards reduce exposure until the patch is available.
This is the best answer because the organization is using an alternative safeguard to reduce risk while waiting for the vendor fix.
- D
Residual risk acceptance, because the vulnerability is being ignored until next quarter.
Why wrong: Acceptance would mean knowingly living with the remaining risk, not actively adding controls and tighter restrictions.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is compensating control, because the team deployed temporary safeguards—a web application firewall rule, subnet restrictions, and enhanced monitoring—to reduce risk exposure while the primary control (the vendor’s patch) remains unavailable for six weeks. A compensating control is an alternative security measure that mitigates a vulnerability when the preferred control cannot be implemented immediately, exactly as this scenario describes. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this concept tests your ability to distinguish compensating controls from preventive, detective, or corrective controls, which are permanent or reactive by nature. A common trap is confusing compensating controls with workarounds or temporary fixes that don’t actually reduce risk—here, the WAF, subnet restrictions, and monitoring actively limit attack surface and detect threats, making them legitimate compensating controls. Memory tip: think “compensate for the gap”—when a patch is delayed, you add layers to bridge the security hole until the fix arrives.
SY0-701 Security Program Management and Oversight Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security program management and oversight. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A cloud-hosted invoicing app has a critical vulnerability, but the vendor says a patch will not be available for six weeks. The team adds a web application firewall rule, restricts access to the app subnet, and increases monitoring until the patch arrives. What is this best described as?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Compensating control, because temporary safeguards reduce exposure until the patch is available.
Option C is correct because the team deployed temporary security measures—a web application firewall (WAF) rule, subnet access restrictions, and enhanced monitoring—to reduce the risk exposure while waiting for the vendor's patch. These are compensating controls, which are alternative safeguards that mitigate a vulnerability when the primary control (the patch) cannot be implemented immediately. The scenario explicitly states the patch is six weeks away, making these interim measures a textbook compensating control.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Risk avoidance, because the system is being shut down permanently.
Why it's wrong here
Avoidance would remove the risky activity entirely, not keep the application running with added safeguards.
- ✗
Risk transfer, because the vendor is responsible for the vulnerability.
Why it's wrong here
Transfer shifts financial or contractual exposure, but it does not describe the added technical protections here.
- ✓
Compensating control, because temporary safeguards reduce exposure until the patch is available.
Why this is correct
This is the best answer because the organization is using an alternative safeguard to reduce risk while waiting for the vendor fix.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Residual risk acceptance, because the vulnerability is being ignored until next quarter.
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance would mean knowingly living with the remaining risk, not actively adding controls and tighter restrictions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'compensating control' with 'risk acceptance' because both involve living with a vulnerability, but compensating controls actively reduce risk through temporary safeguards, whereas risk acceptance means no additional controls are applied.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Compensating controls are defined in NIST SP 800-53 as alternative security measures that provide equivalent or comparable protection when the intended control cannot be applied. In this case, the WAF rule inspects HTTP/HTTPS traffic for OWASP Top 10 patterns (e.g., SQL injection, XSS) using signature-based and anomaly detection, while subnet ACLs enforce least-privilege network segmentation at Layer 3/4. Real-world examples include using a virtual patch via a WAF to block exploitation of a known CVE until the vendor releases an official fix.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Program Management and Oversight — This question tests Security Program Management and Oversight — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Compensating control, because temporary safeguards reduce exposure until the patch is available. — Option C is correct because the team deployed temporary security measures—a web application firewall (WAF) rule, subnet access restrictions, and enhanced monitoring—to reduce the risk exposure while waiting for the vendor's patch. These are compensating controls, which are alternative safeguards that mitigate a vulnerability when the primary control (the patch) cannot be implemented immediately. The scenario explicitly states the patch is six weeks away, making these interim measures a textbook compensating control.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on SY0-701
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. A department wants to keep using a cloud printing service even though the vendor has not yet completed the company's security questionnaire. The business owner agrees to add extra log monitoring until the review is finished. What is the best term for the added monitoring?
easy- ✓ A.A compensating control, because it reduces risk while the normal control is unavailable.
- B.Residual risk, because all risk is eliminated once monitoring is added.
- C.Risk acceptance, because the business owner has approved continued use of the service.
- D.Due diligence, because the company is actively reviewing the vendor.
Why A: The added log monitoring is a compensating control because it provides an alternative security measure to mitigate risk while the primary control (the vendor's completed security questionnaire) is not yet in place. Compensating controls are temporary or alternative safeguards that reduce risk exposure when the preferred control cannot be implemented immediately. In this scenario, the monitoring does not eliminate the need for the questionnaire but reduces the risk of undetected malicious activity until the vendor's security posture is formally assessed.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SY0-701 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 SY0-701 exam.
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