CISM Information Security Risk Management Practice Question
This CISM practice question tests your understanding of information security risk management. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
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Risk Assessment Log
Date: 2025-03-01
Asset: Database Server DB-01
Threat: Unauthorized access
Vulnerability: Weak password policy
Current Controls: Password complexity enabled, account lockout after 5 failed attempts
Likelihood: 3 (Moderate)
Impact: 4 (Major)
Risk Level: 12 (High)
Risk Appetite Threshold: 10
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Based on the exhibit, what is the MOST appropriate next step for the information security manager?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Recommend implementing multifactor authentication to reduce the risk
Multifactor authentication (MFA) directly mitigates the most likely attack vector for the identified risk—credential theft or brute-force attacks—by requiring a second factor (e.g., a one-time password from a hardware token or biometric) in addition to the password. Since the exhibit (not shown) indicates a moderate likelihood but high impact, implementing MFA reduces the likelihood to a more acceptable level without requiring a change in risk appetite or transferring the risk. This aligns with the CISM principle of applying cost-effective controls to reduce residual risk to within the organization's risk tolerance.
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.
✓
Recommend implementing multifactor authentication to reduce the risk
Why this is correct
Additional controls can lower the likelihood or impact, bringing the risk within appetite.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Accept the risk because the likelihood is only moderate
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance is not appropriate when the risk exceeds appetite and remediation is possible.
✗
Reassess the risk with a higher risk appetite threshold
Why it's wrong here
Changing the threshold to match the risk is not a valid risk management practice.
✗
Transfer the risk by purchasing cyber insurance
Why it's wrong here
Insurance transfers financial impact but does not reduce the inherent risk level.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISACA often tests the misconception that risk acceptance is a valid default response when likelihood is moderate, but the trap here is that acceptance requires the risk to be within the risk appetite after all cost-effective controls have been considered—not before.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
MFA typically operates by combining something you know (password), something you have (e.g., a TOTP token per RFC 6238 or a hardware security key using FIDO2/WebAuthn), and/or something you are (biometric). In a real-world scenario, an attacker who compromises a single password via phishing or credential stuffing is blocked by the second factor, which is time-limited and device-bound. The exhibit likely shows a risk assessment where the vulnerability is weak authentication (e.g., password-only access to a critical system), and MFA directly addresses the root cause by enforcing a multi-step authentication process, reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access from 'moderate' to 'low' or 'very low'.
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.
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: Recommend implementing multifactor authentication to reduce the risk — Multifactor authentication (MFA) directly mitigates the most likely attack vector for the identified risk—credential theft or brute-force attacks—by requiring a second factor (e.g., a one-time password from a hardware token or biometric) in addition to the password. Since the exhibit (not shown) indicates a moderate likelihood but high impact, implementing MFA reduces the likelihood to a more acceptable level without requiring a change in risk appetite or transferring the risk. This aligns with the CISM principle of applying cost-effective controls to reduce residual risk to within the organization's risk tolerance.
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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Question Discussion
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