This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of risk response and mitigation. 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 implementing a new cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) system. The risk manager has identified that the vendor's security controls may not meet the company's requirements. Which of the following is the BEST way to address this risk?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Deny the existence of the risk
Why wrong: Denial is not a proper risk response.
Purchase cyber insurance to cover potential losses
Why wrong: Insurance transfers financial risk but does not mitigate the security gap.
Avoid using the cloud CRM system
Why wrong: Avoidance may not be feasible.
Include security requirements in the contract and perform regular vendor audits
This mitigates risk by enforcing controls.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Include security requirements in the contract and perform regular vendor audits
Option A is correct because contractually requiring the vendor to adhere to security standards and performing audits is a common risk mitigation approach. Option B is wrong as transferring via insurance doesn't reduce the actual risk. Option C is wrong as avoidance by not using the system may be too drastic. Option D is wrong as denial is not a risk response.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Deny the existence of the risk
Why it's wrong here
Denial is not a proper risk response.
Purchase cyber insurance to cover potential losses
Why it's wrong here
Insurance transfers financial risk but does not mitigate the security gap.
Avoid using the cloud CRM system
Why it's wrong here
Avoidance may not be feasible.
Include security requirements in the contract and perform regular vendor audits
Why this is correct
This mitigates risk by enforcing controls.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Common exam traps
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related CRISC ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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FAQ
Risk Response and Mitigation — This question tests Risk Response and Mitigation — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
The correct answer is: Include security requirements in the contract and perform regular vendor audits — Option A is correct because contractually requiring the vendor to adhere to security standards and performing audits is a common risk mitigation approach. Option B is wrong as transferring via insurance doesn't reduce the actual risk. Option C is wrong as avoidance by not using the system may be too drastic. Option D is wrong as denial is not a risk response.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related CRISC ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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