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CRISC Practice Question: Conducting a Risk Identification for a new…
A company is conducting a Risk Identification for a new payment processing system. The team discovers that the system does not have encryption at rest. This is an example of:
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse a vulnerability (the missing encryption) with the risk (the potential for data exposure) or the threat (the attacker who might exploit it), leading candidates to pick 'Risk' or 'Threat' instead of the correct 'Vulnerability'.
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
✓
Vulnerability
The absence of encryption at rest in a payment processing system is a weakness or flaw that can be exploited, making it a vulnerability. In risk identification, a vulnerability is a condition or weakness in an asset (e.g., database, storage volume) that, if exploited by a threat, could lead to a risk event. Here, the missing encryption at rest (e.g., AES-256 for stored cardholder data) is a specific security gap, not the threat itself or the resulting risk.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Control
Why it's wrong here
Encryption would be a control; its absence is a vulnerability.
- ✗
Threat
Why it's wrong here
A threat is a potential cause; the absence of encryption is a weakness.
- ✓
Vulnerability
Why this is correct
Lack of encryption at rest is a weakness or gap in controls.
- ✗
Risk
Why it's wrong here
Risk is the combination of vulnerability, threat, and impact.
Quick reference
Symmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Size | Block Size | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AES-128 | 128-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | NIST approved; WPA3, TLS |
| AES-256 | 256-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | Preferred for sensitive / govt data |
| 3DES | 112-bit effective | 64-bit | Deprecated (2023) | Replaced by AES |
| DES | 56-bit | 64-bit | Broken | Cracked in < 24 h; never deploy |
| ChaCha20 | 256-bit | Stream cipher | Current | TLS 1.3, WireGuard |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CRISC 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 CRISC exam.