- A
Exposure to security vulnerabilities without patches.
End-of-life software no longer receives security updates.
- B
Inability to recover data from backups.
Why wrong: Backup recovery is not directly affected by software support.
- C
Increased licensing costs due to non-compliance.
Why wrong: Licensing compliance is separate from support status.
- D
Difficulty in migrating to new versions.
Why wrong: Migration difficulty is a secondary concern.
Question 516 of 1,000
CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems operations and business resilience. 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.
During a software asset management (SAM) audit, the IS auditor discovers that the organization is using software versions that are no longer supported by the vendor. What is the primary risk?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
✓
Exposure to security vulnerabilities without patches.
The primary risk of using unsupported software versions is the absence of vendor-provided security patches. Without these patches, known vulnerabilities remain unaddressed, exposing the organization to exploitation, data breaches, and system compromise. This directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets.
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.
- ✓
Exposure to security vulnerabilities without patches.
Why this is correct
End-of-life software no longer receives security updates.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Inability to recover data from backups.
Why it's wrong here
Backup recovery is not directly affected by software support.
- ✗
Increased licensing costs due to non-compliance.
Why it's wrong here
Licensing compliance is separate from support status.
- ✗
Difficulty in migrating to new versions.
Why it's wrong here
Migration difficulty is a secondary concern.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may focus on operational inconveniences like migration difficulty or licensing costs, overlooking the fact that the most critical and immediate risk from unsupported software is the lack of security patches, which directly enables exploitation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a vendor ends support (End-of-Life or End-of-Support), they stop releasing security patches for discovered Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). Attackers actively reverse-engineer patches for supported versions to identify the underlying vulnerability and then target unsupported systems that remain unpatched. For example, the WannaCry ransomware exploited MS17-010, a vulnerability in unsupported Windows XP and Server 2003, causing widespread damage because no patch was available for those systems.
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 practitioner preparing for the CISA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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.
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Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISA question test?
Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience — This question tests Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Exposure to security vulnerabilities without patches. — The primary risk of using unsupported software versions is the absence of vendor-provided security patches. Without these patches, known vulnerabilities remain unaddressed, exposing the organization to exploitation, data breaches, and system compromise. This directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets.
What should I do if I get this CISA 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: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This CISA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA 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 CISA exam.
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