CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
A key control indicator (KCI) for a critical access control shows a deficiency rate of 12% for the quarter, exceeding the target of 5%. Which of the following should be the risk practitioner's PRIMARY action?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to choose 'implement compensating controls' or 'increase testing frequency' because they focus on immediate risk reduction, but the CRISC exam emphasizes that understanding the root cause is the foundational step before any remediation action.
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
✓
Investigate root causes of the high deficiency rate
The primary action is to investigate root causes because a KCI deficiency rate of 12% against a 5% target indicates a systemic control failure. Without understanding why the access control is failing (e.g., misconfigured role-based access control (RBAC) rules, stale user entitlements, or bypassed multi-factor authentication), any subsequent remediation may be ineffective. Root cause analysis ensures the risk practitioner addresses the underlying issue rather than applying a superficial fix.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Investigate root causes of the high deficiency rate
Why this is correct
Understanding why the control is failing is the primary step before any remediation or reporting.
- ✗
Escalate the deficiency to the board immediately
Why it's wrong here
Escalation may be needed, but first investigate root causes to provide context.
- ✗
Implement compensating controls to reduce risk
Why it's wrong here
Compensating controls may be needed, but root cause investigation should come first to ensure effective resolution.
- ✗
Increase the frequency of control testing
Why it's wrong here
Testing frequency is not the primary issue; the high deficiency rate indicates a problem that needs investigation.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CRISC question is part of Courseiva's 983-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.