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.
During a risk assessment, a CISM identifies that the organization's data backup process has a single point of failure. The backup server is located in the same data center as the primary server. Which risk response is most appropriate?
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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Mitigate by moving the backup server to a geographically separate location.
Moving the backup server to a geographically separate location directly eliminates the single point of failure by ensuring that a localized disaster (e.g., fire, flood, power outage) at the primary data center does not simultaneously destroy both the primary and backup data. This is a classic risk mitigation strategy that reduces the likelihood and impact of data loss, aligning with the principle of geographic redundancy for disaster recovery.
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.
✓
Mitigate by moving the backup server to a geographically separate location.
Why this is correct
This reduces the likelihood of both servers being lost simultaneously.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Transfer the risk by purchasing business interruption insurance.
Why it's wrong here
Insurance does not prevent data loss; it only provides financial compensation.
✗
Avoid the risk by discontinuing the backup process.
Why it's wrong here
Discontinuing backups would create even greater risk.
✗
Accept the risk because the cost of mitigation is high.
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance is only appropriate if risk is within appetite, but single point of failure is significant.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse risk transfer (insurance) with risk mitigation (redundancy), or incorrectly assume that accepting the risk is acceptable when a clear, cost-effective mitigation exists, especially in a CISM scenario where the organization's risk appetite is not explicitly stated as high.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In practice, geographic separation should follow the '3-2-1' backup rule: at least three copies of data, on two different media, with one copy offsite. The offsite location should be at a distance that ensures independence from correlated threats (e.g., >50 miles for regional disasters). Technologies like asynchronous replication over WAN (e.g., using rsync or block-level replication) can maintain data consistency while minimizing bandwidth usage, but RPO and RTO must be carefully calculated to balance cost and recovery objectives.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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: Mitigate by moving the backup server to a geographically separate location. — Moving the backup server to a geographically separate location directly eliminates the single point of failure by ensuring that a localized disaster (e.g., fire, flood, power outage) at the primary data center does not simultaneously destroy both the primary and backup data. This is a classic risk mitigation strategy that reduces the likelihood and impact of data loss, aligning with the principle of geographic redundancy for disaster recovery.
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.
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.
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Question Discussion
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