CRISC Risk Response and Mitigation Practice Question
A security team identifies a critical vulnerability in a web application that cannot be patched immediately. They deploy a web application firewall (WAF) to block exploitation attempts. This is an example of:
⚠ Common exam trap
The CRISC exam often tests the distinction between risk mitigation (implementing a control to reduce risk) and risk avoidance (eliminating the activity entirely), so candidates mistakenly choose avoidance when they see a vulnerability that cannot be patched, but the key is that the application remains in use with a compensating control.
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
✓
Risk Mitigation
Deploying a WAF to block exploitation attempts directly reduces the likelihood and/or impact of the vulnerability being exploited, which is the definition of risk mitigation. The WAF acts as a compensating control, filtering malicious traffic (e.g., SQL injection, XSS payloads) at the application layer (HTTP/HTTPS) without patching the underlying code. This aligns with the CRISC domain of Risk Response and Mitigation, where controls are implemented to bring residual risk within acceptable tolerance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Risk Transfer
Why it's wrong here
Transfer involves shifting risk to another party, e.g., via insurance or outsourcing.
- ✓
Risk Mitigation
Why this is correct
Deploying a WAF reduces risk, so it is mitigation.
- ✗
Risk Avoidance
Why it's wrong here
Avoidance would mean not using the application or eliminating the vulnerability, not just blocking exploitation.
- ✗
Risk Acceptance
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance means acknowledging the risk without taking action, which is not the case here.
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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.