SY0-701 Security Program Management and Oversight Practice Question
Exhibit
Risk register excerpt: - Third-party service: CampaignInsight SaaS - Data stored: Campaign names, business contact emails, and campaign performance metrics - Known gaps: No customer-managed encryption keys, SOC report is current but lists two low-severity findings, and the vendor cannot support custom log export this quarter - Compensating controls: SSO, SCIM deprovisioning, monthly access review, and export restrictions - Business impact if delayed: Launch slips by 45 days and a contract penalty may apply - Residual risk rating after controls: Medium
Based on the exhibit, what is the best next step before the marketing SaaS platform goes live?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume a vendor SOC report fully transfers risk to the vendor, but CompTIA emphasizes that residual risk always remains and must be formally accepted by the business owner, not just the security team.
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
✓
Proceed only after the business owner formally accepts the remaining risk in writing.
The exhibit shows a residual risk rating of 'Medium' after the vendor's SOC report was reviewed. In the SY0-701 risk management framework, the business owner is the risk owner who must formally accept any residual risk before a system goes live, as they are accountable for the business impact. Proceeding without documented acceptance violates the principle of risk acceptance and could lead to unapproved exposure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Proceed only after the business owner formally accepts the remaining risk in writing.
Why this is correct
The exhibit already shows compensating controls and a measured residual risk rating. When the remaining risk is understood and the business impact of delay is significant, the proper next step is a formal acceptance by the appropriate risk owner. That creates accountability and preserves an auditable record of the decision.
- ✗
Ignore the residual risk because the vendor has a current SOC report.
Why it's wrong here
A current SOC report, even a SOC 2 Type II, is only a point-in-time independent assessment of a service organization's controls related to certain trust service criteria. It does not guarantee coverage of the specific gaps identified here, such as the missing custom log export, and it does not eliminate residual risk. The vendor's report provides assurance but cannot substitute for the business owner's formal risk acceptance because the residual risk remains outside the report's scope.
- ✗
Require the security team to approve the launch verbally so the project does not slow down.
Why it's wrong here
Verbal approval from the security team is not binding and fails the fundamental requirement of risk acceptance, which is to create an auditable, accountable decision by the risk owner. Security staff are not the business owner and cannot formally accept residual risk on their behalf. Without a written record, there is no evidence that the business understood the tradeoff, executed compensating controls, or assumed ongoing ownership, which could lead to unfounded decisions in an audit or incident review.
- ✗
Cancel the contract immediately because any medium risk rating is unacceptable.
Why it's wrong here
Canceling the contract solely due to a medium residual risk rating ignores the organization's risk appetite and the formal risk decision framework. Medium risk is not inherently unacceptable; it is a trigger to evaluate whether the expected business benefit justifies the residual risk and whether compensating controls reduce exposure to an acceptable level. Immediate termination bypasses the risk acceptance workflow, potentially discarding valuable business functionality over a level of risk that could be formally accepted and documented.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Risk Management Concepts
Key term
Risk
Risk is the possibility that an event or action will negatively affect an organization's ability to achieve its goals, often measured in terms of likelihood and impact.
Key term
Risk acceptance
Risk acceptance is a risk management strategy where an organization acknowledges a potential risk but decides to tolerate it without taking active measures to reduce or eliminate it.
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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.