- A
Accept the risk without making any changes because the patch is not available yet.
Why wrong: Accepting risk without added safeguards may be unreasonable when a known critical exposure is still reachable.
- B
Avoid the risk by permanently shutting down the application.
Why wrong: Avoidance is usually too disruptive here because the business requires the service to remain available.
- C
Transfer the risk to an insurance policy and wait for the patch.
Why wrong: Insurance may help financially, but it does not reduce the immediate technical exposure of the system.
- D
Implement compensating controls, such as tighter filtering and temporary restrictions, until the patch is released.
This is the best option because the business must keep the application online, but the known vulnerability still needs risk reduction. Compensating controls are temporary safeguards that lower exposure when a permanent fix is unavailable. Examples include stricter access filtering, disabling unnecessary features, or adding monitoring until the vendor patch can be applied safely.
SY0-701 Security Program Management and Oversight Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security program management and oversight. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 vendor says a patch for a critical flaw in a public-facing application will not be available for 30 days, but the service must stay online. What is the best short-term risk treatment?
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
Implement compensating controls, such as tighter filtering and temporary restrictions, until the patch is released.
Option D is correct because when a critical patch is unavailable, the best short-term risk treatment is to implement compensating controls that reduce the likelihood or impact of exploitation. For a public-facing application, this could include deploying a web application firewall (WAF) with tighter rule sets, rate limiting, IP allowlisting, or temporarily disabling non-essential functionality. These controls provide a defense-in-depth layer until the vendor releases the patch, keeping the service online while reducing risk.
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.
- ✗
Accept the risk without making any changes because the patch is not available yet.
Why it's wrong here
Accepting risk without added safeguards may be unreasonable when a known critical exposure is still reachable.
- ✗
Avoid the risk by permanently shutting down the application.
Why it's wrong here
Avoidance is usually too disruptive here because the business requires the service to remain available.
- ✗
Transfer the risk to an insurance policy and wait for the patch.
Why it's wrong here
Insurance may help financially, but it does not reduce the immediate technical exposure of the system.
- ✓
Implement compensating controls, such as tighter filtering and temporary restrictions, until the patch is released.
Why this is correct
This is the best option because the business must keep the application online, but the known vulnerability still needs risk reduction. Compensating controls are temporary safeguards that lower exposure when a permanent fix is unavailable. Examples include stricter access filtering, disabling unnecessary features, or adding monitoring until the vendor patch can be applied safely.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the misconception that risk acceptance is a valid short-term treatment when a patch is delayed, but the key is that acceptance is only appropriate after evaluating and documenting the risk, not as a default action without controls.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Compensating controls for a public-facing application often involve deploying a WAF with custom rules to block known attack patterns (e.g., SQL injection, path traversal) that the vulnerability might enable. Additionally, network-level controls like ingress filtering at the firewall or reverse proxy can restrict source IP ranges or enforce TLS 1.2+ to mitigate man-in-the-middle risks. In real-world scenarios, organizations might also implement virtual patching via intrusion prevention systems (IPS) that inspect traffic for exploit signatures without modifying the application code.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Security Program Management and Oversight — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Security Program Management and Oversight practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SY0-701 questions
1,152 questions across all exam domains
- →
Security+ SY0-701 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SY0-701 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SY0-701 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
General Security Concepts practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to General Security Concepts.
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations.
Security Architecture practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Architecture.
Security Operations practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Operations.
Security Program Management and Oversight practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Program Management and Oversight.
Security+ social engineering questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ social engineering questions.
Security+ cryptography practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ cryptography.
Security+ IAM questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ IAM questions.
Security+ risk management questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ risk management questions.
Security+ incident response questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ incident response questions.
Security+ malware questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ malware questions.
Security+ vulnerability management questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ vulnerability management questions.
Practice this exam
Start a free SY0-701 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Implement compensating controls, such as tighter filtering and temporary restrictions, until the patch is released. — Option D is correct because when a critical patch is unavailable, the best short-term risk treatment is to implement compensating controls that reduce the likelihood or impact of exploitation. For a public-facing application, this could include deploying a web application firewall (WAF) with tighter rule sets, rate limiting, IP allowlisting, or temporarily disabling non-essential functionality. These controls provide a defense-in-depth layer until the vendor releases the patch, keeping the service online while reducing risk.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.