- A
Preventive
Preventive controls, such as access controls and encryption, stop risk events.
- B
Detective
Why wrong: Detective controls identify events after they occur.
- C
Corrective
Why wrong: Corrective controls restore operations after an event.
- D
Compensating
Why wrong: Compensating controls provide alternative protection when primary controls are not feasible.
Question 812 of 1,000
CRISC IT Risk Assessment Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of it risk assessment. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
A company is evaluating controls for a high-risk process. Which control type is designed to stop a risk event from occurring?
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
✓
Preventive
A preventive control is designed to stop a risk event from occurring by implementing barriers or safeguards before the event can happen. For a high-risk process, this might include access control lists (ACLs) on a firewall that block unauthorized traffic, or input validation routines in an application that reject malformed data before it can trigger a buffer overflow. By proactively eliminating the threat vector, preventive controls reduce the likelihood of the risk event to zero for the protected path.
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.
- ✓
Preventive
Why this is correct
Preventive controls, such as access controls and encryption, stop risk events.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Detective
Why it's wrong here
Detective controls identify events after they occur.
- ✗
Corrective
Why it's wrong here
Corrective controls restore operations after an event.
- ✗
Compensating
Why it's wrong here
Compensating controls provide alternative protection when primary controls are not feasible.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between preventive and detective controls by presenting a scenario where a control identifies a threat (e.g., an IDS alert) and candidates mistakenly classify it as preventive, when in fact it only detects the event after it has begun.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Preventive controls operate at the earliest stage of the risk lifecycle, often enforcing policy at the network or application layer before any transaction completes. For example, a properly configured firewall rule that drops packets with a SYN flag from an untrusted subnet prevents the TCP three-way handshake from establishing, thereby stopping a potential denial-of-service (DoS) attack before it consumes resources. In a database context, parameterized queries act as a preventive control against SQL injection by separating SQL logic from user input, ensuring that malicious input cannot alter the query structure.
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 security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
Visual reference
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.
- →
IT Risk Assessment — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
IT Risk Assessment practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All CRISC questions
1,000 questions across all exam domains
- →
Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control CRISC study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
CRISC practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related CRISC practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
IT Risk Identification practice questions
Practise CRISC questions linked to IT Risk Identification.
IT Risk Assessment practice questions
Practise CRISC questions linked to IT Risk Assessment.
Risk Response and Reporting practice questions
Practise CRISC questions linked to Risk Response and Reporting.
Information Technology and Security practice questions
Practise CRISC questions linked to Information Technology and Security.
Risk Response and Mitigation practice questions
Practise CRISC questions linked to Risk Response and Mitigation.
Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting practice questions
Practise CRISC questions linked to Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting.
CRISC fundamentals practice questions
Practise CRISC questions linked to CRISC fundamentals.
CRISC scenario practice questions
Practise CRISC questions linked to CRISC scenario.
CRISC troubleshooting practice questions
Practise CRISC questions linked to CRISC troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free CRISC practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CRISC question test?
IT Risk Assessment — This question tests IT Risk Assessment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Preventive — A preventive control is designed to stop a risk event from occurring by implementing barriers or safeguards before the event can happen. For a high-risk process, this might include access control lists (ACLs) on a firewall that block unauthorized traffic, or input validation routines in an application that reject malformed data before it can trigger a buffer overflow. By proactively eliminating the threat vector, preventive controls reduce the likelihood of the risk event to zero for the protected path.
What should I do if I get this CRISC 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.