CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
An organization is implementing a control to prevent unauthorized access to its critical database. The control must be designed to block access attempts in real time. Which type of control should be selected?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse detective controls (like monitoring or logging) with preventive controls, mistakenly thinking that detecting an attempt in real time is the same as blocking it, but detection does not stop the action from occurring.
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
✓
Preventive control
A preventive control is designed to block unauthorized access attempts in real time before they reach the critical database. Technologies such as a database firewall or network access control list (ACL) evaluate each request against a policy and drop the packet or terminate the session immediately, preventing the access from occurring. This aligns with the requirement for real-time blocking, which is the defining characteristic of a preventive control.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Corrective control
Why it's wrong here
Corrective controls act after an incident to restore systems and limit damage, so they do not block access attempts as they occur. They are tempting because they reduce the impact of a breach, and would be correct where the requirement was recovery or remediation following unauthorised access.
- ✗
Detective control
Why it's wrong here
Detective controls identify and log events after they occur, so they cannot block an access attempt in real time; prevention requires a preventive control such as access restrictions or authentication enforcement. Detective monitoring is the right choice when the objective is to discover and investigate incidents rather than stop them as they happen.
- ✓
Preventive control
Why this is correct
Preventive controls block unauthorised access attempts before they succeed, operating in real time at the point of entry. Detective controls only identify breaches after the fact, and corrective controls respond post-incident, so prevention uniquely satisfies the requirement to stop database access attempts as they occur.
- ✗
Compensating control
Why it's wrong here
Compensating controls substitute for a primary control that cannot be implemented, so they are not designed to intercept and block access attempts in real time. They are tempting because they address the same risk through alternative means, and would be correct where a required preventive control is technically infeasible.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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