hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CISM Practice Question: During a security incident, the incident response…
During a security incident, the incident response team discovers that an attacker used a previously unknown vulnerability (zero-day) in a widely used software. Which action should the team take to address this vulnerability in the short term?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'short-term' with 'permanent' solutions, mistakenly choosing D (vendor patch) as the immediate action, when in fact the correct short-term response is to implement a compensating control like a virtual patch to reduce risk while awaiting the vendor's official fix.
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
✓
Implement a virtual patch through an intrusion prevention system (IPS)
A virtual patch via an IPS provides immediate, temporary protection against a zero-day vulnerability by inspecting traffic for exploit patterns or anomalous behavior and blocking malicious payloads before they reach the vulnerable software. This buys time for the organization to assess the risk and plan a permanent fix without disrupting operations, as the IPS can be updated with signatures or rules specific to the newly discovered vulnerability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Implement a virtual patch through an intrusion prevention system (IPS)
Why this is correct
Virtual patching blocks exploit attempts while waiting for a permanent fix.
- ✗
Recompile the software with additional security controls
Why it's wrong here
Recompiling is impractical and may not be possible without source code.
- ✗
Immediately disable the software across the organization
Why it's wrong here
Disabling may severely impact business operations.
- ✗
Deploy a vendor patch as soon as it becomes available
Why it's wrong here
Vendor patch may take time; this is a long-term solution.
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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.