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CRISC Practice Question: A company relies on a third-party cloud provider…
A company relies on a third-party cloud provider for critical data processing. As part of its vendor risk management program, the company wants to implement continuous monitoring of the provider's controls. Which of the following is the BEST approach?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse operational monitoring (e.g., SLA uptime) with control monitoring, or they assume periodic testing (e.g., quarterly pen tests) is sufficient for continuous assurance, but the CRISC exam emphasizes independent, ongoing evidence of control effectiveness, which a SOC 2 Type II report uniquely provides.
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
✓
Obtain and review the provider's SOC 2 Type II report on an ongoing basis
A SOC 2 Type II report provides independent assurance over a service provider's controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Obtaining and reviewing this report on an ongoing basis (e.g., annually or upon issuance) is the most effective continuous monitoring approach because it offers a comprehensive, third-party assessment of control effectiveness over a period of time, directly addressing the need for ongoing vendor risk monitoring.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Monitor the provider's service level agreements (SLAs) for uptime
Why it's wrong here
SLAs measure availability, not security controls.
- ✗
Conduct monthly manual attestation surveys with the provider
Why it's wrong here
Manual attestations are less reliable and not continuous.
- ✗
Require the provider to perform quarterly penetration tests
Why it's wrong here
Penetration tests are point-in-time and do not cover all controls.
- ✓
Obtain and review the provider's SOC 2 Type II report on an ongoing basis
Why this is correct
SOC 2 reports provide continuous assurance over relevant controls.
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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.