Question 724 of 1,013
SY0-701 Security Program Management and Oversight Practice Question
Exhibit
Risk register excerpt: - Risk ID: R-22 - Asset: Internet-facing file transfer appliance - Finding: Unsupported firmware; vendor end-of-support was announced 9 months ago - Likelihood: High - Impact: High - Current control: Basic password policy only - Estimated cost to replace: $9,500 one-time - Estimated cost to add WAF rules: $2,000 - Business note: The system processes customer tax documents and cannot be left exposed for a full quarter.
Based on the exhibit, which risk treatment should the security manager recommend first?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'transfer the risk' (Option D) with a proactive security measure, when in fact cyber insurance is a financial risk transfer that does not address the technical vulnerability, whereas mitigation (Option C) directly reduces the likelihood of exploitation.
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 by replacing or isolating the appliance and removing direct internet exposure.
The exhibit shows a legacy file transfer appliance with direct internet exposure and known unpatched vulnerabilities. The most immediate and effective risk treatment is to mitigate the risk by replacing or isolating the appliance and removing its direct internet exposure. This directly reduces the likelihood of exploitation by eliminating the attack surface, which aligns with the principle of defense-in-depth and is the first step before considering acceptance, avoidance, or transfer.
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 and document it for the next quarterly review.
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance is only appropriate when the cost of mitigation exceeds the expected loss, or when the risk falls within the organization's risk appetite. Here, the appliance is unsupported, internet-facing, and processes sensitive tax data, making the likelihood and impact high. Documenting the risk for quarterly review does nothing to reduce the exposure, and the residual risk is likely above the risk appetite, so this is not a defensible decision.
- ✗
Avoid the risk by permanently shutting down the file transfer service.
Why it's wrong here
Shutting down the file transfer service removes the vulnerability entirely, but it also disrupts a legitimate business process. The service has an operational need, so avoidance would cause business impact that may be as significant as the security risk itself. Risk avoidance should be reserved for risks that cannot be cost-effectively reduced or transferred, and here mitigation is feasible.
- ✓
Mitigate the risk by replacing or isolating the appliance and removing direct internet exposure.
Why this is correct
Mitigation is best because the asset is unsupported, internet-facing, and processes sensitive tax data. The cost to replace is manageable compared with the exposure. A WAF alone does not adequately protect an unsupported service, so the manager should reduce the vulnerability and exposure directly.
- ✗
Transfer the risk by purchasing cyber insurance and keeping the current configuration.
Why it's wrong here
Cyber insurance transfers financial risk, not the technical vulnerability. The unsupported appliance remains directly exposed to the internet, so attackers can still compromise it, exfiltrate tax data, and pivot into the network. Insurance may cover downstream costs, but it does not prevent a breach, and insurers often require implementing security controls before paying out.
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 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.
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.