CRISC IT Risk Assessment Practice Question
A risk assessment of a critical financial application identifies a high inherent risk due to outdated software. The risk manager is considering mitigation options. Which TWO of the following would be considered preventive controls?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse detective controls (like IDS or audits) or recovery controls (like backups) with preventive controls, especially when the question emphasizes 'mitigation options' for outdated software—candidates often overlook that patching is a direct preventive measure against known vulnerabilities.
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
✓
Configuring access controls
Configuring access controls is a preventive control because it proactively restricts unauthorized users from accessing the financial application, reducing the likelihood of a security incident. By enforcing least privilege and authentication mechanisms, it directly mitigates the risk of exploitation of the outdated software by limiting who can interact with it.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Configuring access controls
Why this is correct
Access controls prevent unauthorized access.
- ✗
Deploying an intrusion detection system
Why it's wrong here
IDS is a detective control.
- ✓
Implementing a patch management process
Why this is correct
Patching prevents exploitation of vulnerabilities.
- ✗
Establishing a backup and recovery plan
Why it's wrong here
Backup and recovery is a corrective control.
- ✗
Conducting regular security audits
Why it's wrong here
Audits are detective controls.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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