This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of it risk identification. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Exhibit:
```
[2025-03-15 14:23:11] ERROR: Deadlock detected in database 'HR_DB'.
Transaction (ID 4567) was chosen as the victim. Rollback initiated.
Query: UPDATE employees SET salary = ? WHERE dept_id = ?;
```
Based on the exhibit, what risk does this database error MOST directly indicate?
Refer to the exhibit.
Exhibit:
```
[2025-03-15 14:23:11] ERROR: Deadlock detected in database 'HR_DB'.
Transaction (ID 4567) was chosen as the victim. Rollback initiated.
Query: UPDATE employees SET salary = ? WHERE dept_id = ?;
```
A
Risk of data inconsistency due to concurrency issues
Deadlocks can cause partial updates and data inconsistency.
B
SQL injection vulnerability
Why wrong: Deadlock is not SQL injection.
C
Unauthorized access to employee records
Why wrong: No evidence of unauthorized access.
D
Insufficient disk space for transactions
Why wrong: Deadlock is concurrency issue, not storage.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Risk of data inconsistency due to concurrency issues
The database error indicates a concurrency control failure, such as a deadlock or serialization anomaly, which directly leads to data inconsistency when multiple transactions execute simultaneously without proper isolation. This is a classic risk in multi-user database environments where ACID properties are violated, resulting in lost updates or dirty reads.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 of data inconsistency due to concurrency issues
Why this is correct
Deadlocks can cause partial updates and data inconsistency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
SQL injection vulnerability
Why it's wrong here
Deadlock is not SQL injection.
✗
Unauthorized access to employee records
Why it's wrong here
No evidence of unauthorized access.
✗
Insufficient disk space for transactions
Why it's wrong here
Deadlock is concurrency issue, not storage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse a database concurrency error with security vulnerabilities like SQL injection, but the error message and context point to transaction management failures rather than input validation or access control issues.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, this error likely stems from a failure to implement proper locking mechanisms (e.g., two-phase locking) or an isolation level lower than SERIALIZABLE, allowing phantom reads or non-repeatable reads. In real-world scenarios, this risk is critical in high-frequency trading systems or airline reservation systems where concurrent updates to the same record can cause double-booking or financial discrepancies.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the CRISC exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
IT Risk Identification — This question tests IT Risk Identification — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Risk of data inconsistency due to concurrency issues — The database error indicates a concurrency control failure, such as a deadlock or serialization anomaly, which directly leads to data inconsistency when multiple transactions execute simultaneously without proper isolation. This is a classic risk in multi-user database environments where ACID properties are violated, resulting in lost updates or dirty reads.
What should I do if I get this CRISC question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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