- A
The security team applied a new log suppression rule that filters out low-severity events.
Why wrong: Suppression would reduce alert volume but not stop log generation entirely.
- B
The region experienced a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that overwhelmed the log collection infrastructure.
Why wrong: A DDoS attack would likely cause an increase in alerts, not a drop.
- C
A configuration change was made to the log forwarder agent on the affected devices, causing it to stop sending logs.
Misconfigured log forwarders are a common cause of log loss.
- D
The network team recently implemented a segmentation change that blocked log traffic from those devices.
Why wrong: Network changes are usually documented and would affect more than just log transmission.
CRISC Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of risk and control monitoring and reporting. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 multinational corporation has deployed a centralized log management system that collects security events from all subsidiaries. The CRO notices that the number of critical alerts from the Asia-Pacific region has dropped significantly over the past week. Upon investigation, the log source status shows that 30% of the devices in that region have not sent any logs in 48 hours. What is the MOST likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
A configuration change was made to the log forwarder agent on the affected devices, causing it to stop sending logs.
Option C is correct because a configuration change to the log forwarder agent (e.g., syslog-ng, rsyslog, or a proprietary agent) is the most plausible cause for a sudden, sustained drop in log volume from a subset of devices. Unlike network segmentation (Option D), which would affect all traffic, or a DDoS (Option B), which would cause intermittent or total loss, an agent misconfiguration selectively stops log generation while the device remains online. The 48-hour window and 30% device impact align with a staged or partial rollout of a faulty agent configuration.
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.
- ✗
The security team applied a new log suppression rule that filters out low-severity events.
Why it's wrong here
Suppression would reduce alert volume but not stop log generation entirely.
- ✗
The region experienced a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that overwhelmed the log collection infrastructure.
Why it's wrong here
A DDoS attack would likely cause an increase in alerts, not a drop.
- ✓
A configuration change was made to the log forwarder agent on the affected devices, causing it to stop sending logs.
Why this is correct
Misconfigured log forwarders are a common cause of log loss.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The network team recently implemented a segmentation change that blocked log traffic from those devices.
Why it's wrong here
Network changes are usually documented and would affect more than just log transmission.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse a reduction in alerts (Option A) with a loss of raw logs, or assume a network change (Option D) is the root cause without considering that a configuration change to the log forwarder agent is a more targeted and common failure mode in centralized logging architectures.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Log forwarder agents (e.g., syslog-ng, rsyslog, or Windows Event Forwarding) rely on configuration files (e.g., /etc/rsyslog.conf) that define output destinations, filters, and protocols. A common misconfiguration is an incorrect TLS certificate path or a typo in the destination IP, causing the agent to fail silently without crashing the host. In real-world scenarios, such changes are often deployed via group policy or configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, SCCM) and may only affect a subset of devices due to phased rollouts or differing agent versions.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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.
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Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CRISC question test?
Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting — This question tests Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A configuration change was made to the log forwarder agent on the affected devices, causing it to stop sending logs. — Option C is correct because a configuration change to the log forwarder agent (e.g., syslog-ng, rsyslog, or a proprietary agent) is the most plausible cause for a sudden, sustained drop in log volume from a subset of devices. Unlike network segmentation (Option D), which would affect all traffic, or a DDoS (Option B), which would cause intermittent or total loss, an agent misconfiguration selectively stops log generation while the device remains online. The 48-hour window and 30% device impact align with a staged or partial rollout of a faulty agent configuration.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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.
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