- A
Accept the risk because the tool is old and still functions
Why wrong: Acceptance may be reasonable when no better option exists, but here a safer replacement is available with low business impact. Accepting avoidable risk would not be the strongest business decision.
- B
Transfer the risk to the cloud provider without making changes
Why wrong: A provider may absorb some operational responsibility, but it does not remove the organization’s responsibility to choose a safer architecture. Transfer alone does not address the unsupported platform problem.
- C
Avoid the risk by retiring the unsupported system and replacing it with the supported service
Avoiding the risk is the best treatment because the organization has a practical replacement that does not significantly disrupt the workflow. Retiring the unsupported system removes the vulnerability source instead of merely reducing exposure. When a lower-risk alternative is available and business impact is manageable, elimination of the risk is often better than accepting or compensating for it.
- D
Compensate for the risk by adding more user passwords
Why wrong: Additional passwords do not address the core issue of an unsupported operating system. Compensating controls should meaningfully reduce the specific risk, and this option does not do that.
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.
An engineering tool runs on an unsupported operating system, but the tool is used only occasionally and can be replaced by a supported cloud service with little workflow impact. Which risk treatment is best?
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
Avoid the risk by retiring the unsupported system and replacing it with the supported service
Option C is correct because the best risk treatment for an unsupported operating system that is only used occasionally and can be replaced with minimal workflow impact is to avoid the risk entirely. By retiring the unsupported system and migrating to the supported cloud service, the organization eliminates the security vulnerabilities and compliance issues associated with the outdated OS. This aligns with the risk avoidance strategy, which is preferred when the cost of mitigation is low and the risk is high.
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 because the tool is old and still functions
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance may be reasonable when no better option exists, but here a safer replacement is available with low business impact. Accepting avoidable risk would not be the strongest business decision.
- ✗
Transfer the risk to the cloud provider without making changes
Why it's wrong here
A provider may absorb some operational responsibility, but it does not remove the organization’s responsibility to choose a safer architecture. Transfer alone does not address the unsupported platform problem.
- ✓
Avoid the risk by retiring the unsupported system and replacing it with the supported service
Why this is correct
Avoiding the risk is the best treatment because the organization has a practical replacement that does not significantly disrupt the workflow. Retiring the unsupported system removes the vulnerability source instead of merely reducing exposure. When a lower-risk alternative is available and business impact is manageable, elimination of the risk is often better than accepting or compensating for it.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Compensate for the risk by adding more user passwords
Why it's wrong here
Additional passwords do not address the core issue of an unsupported operating system. Compensating controls should meaningfully reduce the specific risk, and this option does not do that.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse risk acceptance with a viable option when the tool 'still functions,' failing to recognize that unsupported systems pose an active security threat that cannot be safely accepted without compensating controls.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
An unsupported operating system, such as Windows 7 or an outdated Linux distribution, no longer receives security patches from the vendor, meaning any newly discovered vulnerabilities (e.g., CVE-2023-XXXX) remain unmitigated. Risk avoidance in this context involves decommissioning the legacy system and migrating to a cloud service that is maintained with regular updates, such as AWS or Azure, which follow a shared responsibility model. This approach eliminates the attack surface entirely rather than attempting to secure an end-of-life platform.
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
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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: Avoid the risk by retiring the unsupported system and replacing it with the supported service — Option C is correct because the best risk treatment for an unsupported operating system that is only used occasionally and can be replaced with minimal workflow impact is to avoid the risk entirely. By retiring the unsupported system and migrating to the supported cloud service, the organization eliminates the security vulnerabilities and compliance issues associated with the outdated OS. This aligns with the risk avoidance strategy, which is preferred when the cost of mitigation is low and the risk is high.
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.
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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