SY0-701 Security Program Management and Oversight Practice Question
A legacy payroll server contains a critical vulnerability. The vendor says a patch is 45 days away, and the system must remain available for payroll processing. Which risk treatment is the best short-term choice?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'accepting the risk' (Option A) as a valid short-term strategy, but CompTIA expects you to recognize that acceptance without active monitoring or controls is not appropriate when the vulnerability is critical and the system handles sensitive data.
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
✓
Mitigate the risk with compensating controls such as segmentation, restricted access, and monitoring.
Compensating controls like network segmentation, strict access controls, and enhanced monitoring can reduce the risk of exploitation while keeping the legacy payroll server operational. This approach directly addresses the need for availability during the 45-day patch window, aligning with the principle of defense-in-depth for unpatched systems.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Accept the risk until the patch arrives because the server is needed for payroll processing.
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance may be appropriate only when leadership explicitly chooses to live with the risk after understanding the exposure. In this case, the vulnerability is critical and the server must stay online, so doing nothing leaves the business unnecessarily exposed. A temporary control is needed to reduce the chance of exploitation while the patch is unavailable.
- ✓
Mitigate the risk with compensating controls such as segmentation, restricted access, and monitoring.
Why this is correct
Mitigation is the best short-term treatment because the server must remain available and the vendor cannot patch it yet. Compensating controls can reduce exposure by limiting who can reach the system, narrowing network paths, and improving detection. This lowers likelihood without shutting down payroll operations. It is the most practical choice when full remediation is delayed.
- ✗
Avoid the risk by permanently decommissioning the server this week.
Why it's wrong here
Avoidance means removing the risky activity entirely, but that would stop payroll processing and create an immediate business problem. Since the system must remain available, permanent decommissioning is not realistic as a short-term treatment. This option ignores operational requirements and would trade one major risk for another major disruption.
- ✗
Transfer the risk by purchasing support coverage and waiting for the patch.
Why it's wrong here
Transferring the risk does not meaningfully reduce the technical exposure of a vulnerable server. A support contract may help with vendor coordination, but it does not stop exploitation in the meantime. The business still needs a control that lowers the chance of compromise right away, which is why mitigation is better.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Risk Management Concepts
Key term
Exploitation
Exploitation is the act of using a vulnerability or weakness in a system, network, or application to gain unauthorized access, cause damage, or extract data.
Key term
Vulnerability
A vulnerability is a weakness in a system, network, or software that could be exploited by a threat to cause harm or unauthorized access.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.