- A
Reducing the vulnerability severity
Why wrong: Reducing vulnerability would decrease LEF, not increase.
- B
Decreasing the threat event frequency
Why wrong: Decreasing TEF would reduce LEF.
- C
Increasing the vulnerability severity
Correct. Higher vulnerability severity increases LEF.
- D
Increasing the threat actor's motivation
Why wrong: Motivation affects TEF, but vulnerability directly multiplies with TEF.
Question 612 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 risk assessment identifies a vulnerability in a critical application. The threat actor is a script kiddie with low capability. Using the FAIR framework, which factor would most directly increase the Loss Event Frequency (LEF)?
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
✓
Increasing the vulnerability severity
Loss Event Frequency (LEF) in FAIR is directly influenced by the probability that a threat agent will act against a vulnerability. Increasing the vulnerability severity makes the application more susceptible to exploitation, thereby raising the likelihood of a loss event occurring, even if the threat actor has low capability.
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.
- ✗
Reducing the vulnerability severity
Why it's wrong here
Reducing vulnerability would decrease LEF, not increase.
- ✗
Decreasing the threat event frequency
Why it's wrong here
Decreasing TEF would reduce LEF.
- ✓
Increasing the vulnerability severity
Why this is correct
Correct. Higher vulnerability severity increases LEF.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increasing the threat actor's motivation
Why it's wrong here
Motivation affects TEF, but vulnerability directly multiplies with TEF.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'threat actor motivation' with 'vulnerability severity' as the primary driver of LEF, but FAIR separates motivation into TEF, while vulnerability severity directly impacts the probability of a successful loss event.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In the FAIR model, LEF is calculated as the product of Threat Event Frequency (TEF) and Vulnerability (the probability that an asset can be compromised by a given threat). Vulnerability severity is often quantified as the ease of exploitation or the lack of controls; for a script kiddie with low capability, a high-severity vulnerability (e.g., an unauthenticated remote code execution flaw) dramatically increases the chance of successful exploitation, thus raising LEF. Real-world examples include default credentials or missing patches in web applications that allow even low-skilled attackers to gain access.
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 practitioner preparing for the CRISC exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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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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: Increasing the vulnerability severity — Loss Event Frequency (LEF) in FAIR is directly influenced by the probability that a threat agent will act against a vulnerability. Increasing the vulnerability severity makes the application more susceptible to exploitation, thereby raising the likelihood of a loss event occurring, even if the threat actor has low capability.
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.
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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.
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