- A
A compensating control, because it reduces risk while the normal control is unavailable.
A compensating control is an alternative safeguard used when the preferred control is missing, delayed, or not fully effective. Extra log monitoring helps reduce exposure while the vendor review is still in progress. It does not eliminate the underlying vendor risk, but it is a reasonable temporary measure to reduce likelihood of missing suspicious activity.
- B
Residual risk, because all risk is eliminated once monitoring is added.
Why wrong: Residual risk is the risk that remains after controls are applied, not the added control itself.
- C
Risk acceptance, because the business owner has approved continued use of the service.
Why wrong: Risk acceptance is the decision to live with a risk, not the specific control used to reduce it.
- D
Due diligence, because the company is actively reviewing the vendor.
Why wrong: Due diligence is the process of investigating the vendor, not the temporary safeguard added during review.
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 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?
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
A compensating control, because it reduces risk while the normal control is unavailable.
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.
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.
- ✓
A compensating control, because it reduces risk while the normal control is unavailable.
Why this is correct
A compensating control is an alternative safeguard used when the preferred control is missing, delayed, or not fully effective. Extra log monitoring helps reduce exposure while the vendor review is still in progress. It does not eliminate the underlying vendor risk, but it is a reasonable temporary measure to reduce likelihood of missing suspicious activity.
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, because all risk is eliminated once monitoring is added.
Why it's wrong here
Residual risk is the risk that remains after controls are applied, not the added control itself.
- ✗
Risk acceptance, because the business owner has approved continued use of the service.
Why it's wrong here
Risk acceptance is the decision to live with a risk, not the specific control used to reduce it.
- ✗
Due diligence, because the company is actively reviewing the vendor.
Why it's wrong here
Due diligence is the process of investigating the vendor, not the temporary safeguard added during review.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse risk acceptance (which involves no new controls) with risk mitigation (which involves implementing a compensating control), leading them to pick Option C despite the clear action of adding monitoring.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Compensating controls are often used in compliance frameworks like PCI DSS (e.g., compensating for lack of network segmentation with enhanced logging and monitoring). Under the hood, the added log monitoring might involve enabling verbose logging on the cloud print service's API calls, forwarding logs to a SIEM (e.g., Splunk or ELK stack), and configuring alerts for anomalous patterns such as repeated failed authentication attempts or unusual data exfiltration volumes. This approach relies on real-time correlation rules and retention policies to ensure that any security incident is detected and investigated before the vendor's questionnaire is completed.
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 analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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: A compensating control, because it reduces risk while the normal control is unavailable. — 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.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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