easyMultiple Choice
CRISC Practice Question: A smart manufacturing company has deployed…
A smart manufacturing company has deployed hundreds of IoT sensors and actuators across its production line. These devices are connected directly to the corporate network without any segmentation and communicate using unencrypted protocols. A third-party vendor manages all IoT devices and has administrative access from their own network. Recently, the IT team detected unusual outbound traffic from the IoT segment to unknown IP addresses on the internet. The risk manager is leading a risk identification workshop. Based on this scenario, what is the most critical risk to the organization that should be identified and documented?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISACA often tests the concept that the most critical risk is the one that is actively occurring and has the highest potential for immediate impact, not the one that is merely possible or a downstream consequence; candidates often pick a compliance or data integrity answer because they focus on data protection rather than network access 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
✓
Unauthorized remote access to the corporate network via the IoT devices
The most critical risk is unauthorized remote access to the corporate network via the IoT devices. The IoT devices are directly connected to the corporate network without segmentation and communicate using unencrypted protocols, while a third-party vendor has administrative access from their own network. The unusual outbound traffic to unknown IP addresses strongly suggests that an attacker has compromised the vendor's network or the devices themselves, using the unencrypted protocols (e.g., MQTT without TLS, Modbus/TCP) to pivot into the corporate network, bypassing perimeter defenses.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Unauthorized remote access to the corporate network via the IoT devices
Why this is correct
Unsegmented IoT devices with vendor administrative access and unencrypted protocols create a direct path into the corporate network, so the most critical risk is unauthorised remote access. This satisfies the stem's constraint by addressing the exposure that enables the detected anomalous outbound traffic.
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Compliance violation with industry regulations
Why it's wrong here
Regulatory non-compliance is a downstream consequence of the unsegmented, unencrypted architecture, not the active threat the outbound traffic reveals. It is tempting because unencrypted industrial protocols do breach standards, but compliance exposure would be the primary risk only where a specific regulation directly governs those devices.
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Loss of data integrity due to tampering with sensor measurements
Why it's wrong here
Tampering with sensor readings is a plausible consequence, but the observed outbound traffic to unknown IP addresses evidences an established external channel, making network compromise and data exfiltration the immediate critical risk. Integrity tampering would be the priority where manipulated measurements were actually detected.
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Physical damage to equipment due to unsafe actuator commands
Why it's wrong here
Unsafe actuator commands require an attacker already controlling the devices; the detected outbound traffic to unknown IPs indicates command-and-control or exfiltration, which is the active, evidenced risk. Physical damage is tempting because actuators can cause harm, but that scenario fits only where tampering is confirmed.
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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.