- A
Escalate the vulnerability to senior management for acceptance.
Why wrong: Risk acceptance occurs after risk evaluation and treatment planning.
- B
Update the risk register with the new vulnerability.
Why wrong: Updating the risk register is part of risk identification and documentation, but the next step is risk analysis.
- C
Analyze the likelihood and impact of the vulnerability being exploited.
After risk identification, the next step is risk analysis to determine the level of risk.
- D
Select and implement controls to mitigate the vulnerability.
Why wrong: Controls are selected in the risk treatment phase, which comes after risk analysis and evaluation.
Question 231 of 905
CISM Information Security Risk Management Practice Question
This CISM practice question tests your understanding of information security risk management. 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 organization has implemented a risk management framework based on ISO 27005. During the risk identification phase, a new vulnerability is discovered in a critical business application that could lead to a data breach. According to ISO 27005, which of the following is the NEXT step the organization should take?
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
✓
Analyze the likelihood and impact of the vulnerability being exploited.
According to ISO 27005, after risk identification (including discovering a new vulnerability), the next step is risk analysis, which involves assessing the likelihood and impact of the vulnerability being exploited. This analysis is required before any decision on risk treatment (e.g., mitigation, acceptance) can be made. Option C correctly identifies this sequential step in the ISO 27005 risk management process.
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.
- ✗
Escalate the vulnerability to senior management for acceptance.
Why it's wrong here
Risk acceptance occurs after risk evaluation and treatment planning.
- ✗
Update the risk register with the new vulnerability.
Why it's wrong here
Updating the risk register is part of risk identification and documentation, but the next step is risk analysis.
- ✓
Analyze the likelihood and impact of the vulnerability being exploited.
Why this is correct
After risk identification, the next step is risk analysis to determine the level of risk.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Select and implement controls to mitigate the vulnerability.
Why it's wrong here
Controls are selected in the risk treatment phase, which comes after risk analysis and evaluation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the order of the ISO 27005 phases, often jumping to risk treatment (selecting controls) or documentation (updating the register) before completing the mandatory risk analysis step.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ISO 27005 defines a sequential risk management process: context establishment → risk identification → risk analysis → risk evaluation → risk treatment. Risk analysis (Step C) involves assigning qualitative or quantitative values to likelihood and impact, often using scales (e.g., 1-5) to compute a risk level. In practice, skipping this step could lead to misprioritization, where a low-likelihood vulnerability might be over-mitigated or a high-impact vulnerability ignored, directly contradicting the standard's intent.
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 CISM 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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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISM question test?
Information Security Risk Management — This question tests Information Security Risk Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Analyze the likelihood and impact of the vulnerability being exploited. — According to ISO 27005, after risk identification (including discovering a new vulnerability), the next step is risk analysis, which involves assessing the likelihood and impact of the vulnerability being exploited. This analysis is required before any decision on risk treatment (e.g., mitigation, acceptance) can be made. Option C correctly identifies this sequential step in the ISO 27005 risk management process.
What should I do if I get this CISM 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: Jul 4, 2026
This CISM 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 CISM exam.
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