CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
An organization is conducting a post-implementation review of a new data loss prevention (DLP) control. Which TWO metrics are Key Control Indicators (KCIs) that would best measure the control's effectiveness?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often mistake operational metrics such as the number of alerts or response times for effectiveness metrics. However, KCIs must directly reflect whether the control is achieving its risk mitigation objective. The percentage of violations not blocked indicates failures, and the number of authorized exceptions shows deliberate bypasses, both measuring effectiveness.
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
✓
Percentage of DLP policy violations that were not blocked
The percentage of DLP policy violations that were not blocked directly measures the control's failure rate—its inability to prevent unauthorized data exfiltration. A high percentage indicates ineffective policy configuration or insufficient detection coverage, making it a key control indicator (KCI) for effectiveness. Option E is correct because the number of authorized exceptions to DLP policies reflects how often the control is deliberately bypassed, which can indicate gaps in policy design or excessive risk acceptance, both of which undermine the control's intended effectiveness.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cost of the DLP solution per year
Why it's wrong here
Cost is a financial metric, not a KCI for effectiveness.
- ✓
Percentage of DLP policy violations that were not blocked
Why this is correct
This deficiency rate measures control failures.
- ✗
Average time to respond to DLP incidents
Why it's wrong here
Response time is a process metric, not a control effectiveness KCI.
- ✗
Number of DLP alerts generated per day
Why it's wrong here
Alert volume is an operational metric, not a control effectiveness indicator.
- ✓
Number of authorized exceptions to DLP policies
Why this is correct
Exception rate indicates how often the control is overridden, reflecting its reliability.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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