CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
During an audit of IT asset management, the IS auditor finds that several servers are running an operating system that has reached end-of-life (EOL). The organization has not deployed any compensating controls. Which of the following is the GREATEST risk?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'lack of vendor support' (Option C) as the greatest risk, but the actual risk is the resulting unpatched security vulnerabilities that directly threaten the organization's security posture.
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
✓
Unpatched security vulnerabilities
An operating system that has reached end-of-life (EOL) no longer receives security patches from the vendor. Without compensating controls, any newly discovered vulnerabilities remain unpatched, exposing the organization to exploitation, data breaches, and system compromise. This directly undermines the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the IT assets, making unpatched security vulnerabilities the greatest risk.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Incompatibility with new applications
Why it's wrong here
Unpatched EOL systems lack vendor security fixes, so exploitation of known vulnerabilities is the greatest risk; application incompatibility is a functionality concern, not a security exposure. Compatibility testing would be the focus only when planning migrations to supported releases, not the primary audit risk here.
- ✗
Increased licensing costs
Why it's wrong here
Licensing cost is a financial concern, not the security exposure created by unpatched EOL systems. It would be the relevant risk if the audit objective covered budget or contract compliance, but the absence of compensating controls points to exploitation of unpatchable vulnerabilities.
- ✗
Lack of vendor support
Why it's wrong here
Vendor support ending is the underlying cause, not the resulting business impact; the risk materialises as exploitation of unpatched vulnerabilities. Loss of support would be the primary finding if the question asked why patches are unavailable, rather than the greatest risk arising from the exposure.
- ✓
Unpatched security vulnerabilities
Why this is correct
End-of-life operating systems receive no vendor security updates, so known vulnerabilities remain permanently unpatched. With no compensating controls deployed, as the stem confirms, these flaws stay exploitable, making unpatched vulnerabilities the greatest risk. Other concerns, such as compliance or support cost, follow from this exposure rather than exceeding it.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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