The correct answer is to implement account lockout after 3 failed attempts. This is the most appropriate risk response because it directly reduces the likelihood of a successful brute force SSH attack by cutting off the attacker’s ability to continuously guess credentials from the same IP address, effectively transforming a high-probability threat into a low-probability one. On the CISM exam, this scenario tests your understanding of risk reduction as a core risk response strategy—distinguishing it from avoidance (disabling SSH entirely), transfer (outsourcing authentication), or acceptance (doing nothing). A common trap is choosing “block the IP address,” which is a tactical control rather than a policy-based risk response; the exam wants you to recognize that account lockout is a preventive, scalable measure that addresses the root cause without breaking business operations. Memory tip: think “three strikes, you’re out” to lock down brute force attempts.
CISM Information Security Risk Management Practice Question
This CISM practice question tests your understanding of information security risk management. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Exhibit:
```
Log Entry:
Jan 15 09:23:45 server1 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Jan 15 09:23:47 server1 sshd[1235]: Failed password for admin from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Jan 15 09:23:50 server1 sshd[1236]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Jan 15 09:23:52 server1 sshd[1237]: Failed password for admin from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
```
Refer to the exhibit. A system administrator reviews the log and notices repeated failed SSH attempts from the same IP address. What is the most appropriate risk response?
Refer to the exhibit.
Exhibit:
```
Log Entry:
Jan 15 09:23:45 server1 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Jan 15 09:23:47 server1 sshd[1235]: Failed password for admin from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Jan 15 09:23:50 server1 sshd[1236]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Jan 15 09:23:52 server1 sshd[1237]: Failed password for admin from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
```
A
Change the password policy to require 12-character passwords.
Why wrong: Strong passwords help but do not prevent repeated attempts.
B
Increase logging verbosity to capture more details.
Why wrong: More logging does not mitigate the attack.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Implement account lockout after 3 failed attempts.
Option D is correct because implementing an account lockout policy after 3 failed attempts directly mitigates brute-force SSH attacks by preventing further authentication attempts from the same IP address. This is a standard risk response (risk reduction) that limits the attacker's ability to guess credentials without requiring changes to the SSH protocol or disabling remote access entirely.
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.
✗
Change the password policy to require 12-character passwords.
Why it's wrong here
Strong passwords help but do not prevent repeated attempts.
✗
Increase logging verbosity to capture more details.
Why it's wrong here
More logging does not mitigate the attack.
✗
Disable SSH access and use console only.
Why it's wrong here
Overly restrictive, impacting productivity.
✓
Implement account lockout after 3 failed attempts.
Why this is correct
This control directly mitigates brute-force attacks by locking accounts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse preventive controls (password policy) with detective controls (logging) or overcorrect with risk avoidance (disabling SSH), instead of recognizing that a targeted brute-force attack is best addressed with a specific technical control like account lockout that directly blocks the attack pattern.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Account lockout mechanisms typically rely on a threshold (e.g., 3 failed attempts within a sliding window) and can be implemented via PAM (pam_tally2 or pam_faillock) on Linux systems. Under the hood, the lockout can be applied per user or per source IP, and a lockout duration (e.g., 15 minutes) prevents further authentication, forcing the attacker to wait or move to a different target. In real-world scenarios, this is often combined with fail2ban, which uses iptables to drop packets from the offending IP after a threshold of failed SSH attempts.
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: Implement account lockout after 3 failed attempts. — Option D is correct because implementing an account lockout policy after 3 failed attempts directly mitigates brute-force SSH attacks by preventing further authentication attempts from the same IP address. This is a standard risk response (risk reduction) that limits the attacker's ability to guess credentials without requiring changes to the SSH protocol or disabling remote access entirely.
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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