CISM Information Security Program Practice Question
An organization has just completed a risk assessment and identified several high-risk vulnerabilities. The security program manager needs to prioritize remediation efforts. Which of the following should be the primary factor in determining priority?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently choose 'Likelihood of exploitation' (Option B) because they confuse frequency with overall risk, ignoring that a high-likelihood but low-impact vulnerability (e.g., a minor misconfiguration) may be less critical than a low-likelihood but catastrophic one (e.g., a zero-day in a core database).
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
✓
Risk level (likelihood × impact)
Risk level, calculated as likelihood multiplied by impact, is the primary factor for prioritizing remediation because it quantifies the overall exposure to the organization. While regulatory requirements, likelihood alone, or ease of remediation are important considerations, they do not capture the combined effect of both probability and consequence, which is essential for effective risk management in an information security program.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Regulatory requirements only
Why it's wrong here
Regulatory compliance is one component, not the sole factor.
- ✗
Likelihood of exploitation
Why it's wrong here
Likelihood alone ignores impact.
- ✓
Risk level (likelihood × impact)
Why this is correct
Risk level gives a holistic prioritization.
- ✗
Ease of remediation
Why it's wrong here
Easy fixes may not address the highest risks.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.