- A
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
Why wrong: KPIs measure performance, not risk.
- B
Service Level Agreement (SLA) metric
Why wrong: SLA metrics measure service delivery, not risk.
- C
Key Risk Indicator (KRI)
KRIs are leading indicators that indicate potential changes in risk exposure.
- D
Key Control Indicator (KCI)
Why wrong: KCIs measure control effectiveness, not risk level changes.
Question 645 of 1,000
CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of risk response and reporting. 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.
During a quarterly risk review, the CISO notes that the number of failed authentication attempts has increased by 300% over the last month. The IT team confirms no changes to authentication systems. This metric is BEST categorized as which of the following?
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
✓
Key Risk Indicator (KRI)
A Key Risk Indicator (KRI) is a metric used to signal a change in risk exposure. A 300% increase in failed authentication attempts, with no changes to the authentication system, strongly indicates a potential ongoing brute-force attack or credential stuffing campaign, directly elevating the risk of unauthorized access. This metric is not measuring performance (KPI), contractual service levels (SLA), or the effectiveness of a specific control (KCI), but rather a change in the risk landscape.
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.
- ✗
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
Why it's wrong here
KPIs measure performance, not risk.
- ✗
Service Level Agreement (SLA) metric
Why it's wrong here
SLA metrics measure service delivery, not risk.
- ✓
Key Risk Indicator (KRI)
Why this is correct
KRIs are leading indicators that indicate potential changes in risk exposure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Key Control Indicator (KCI)
Why it's wrong here
KCIs measure control effectiveness, not risk level changes.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing a KRI with a KPI or KCI because all three are metrics, but a KRI specifically measures changes in risk exposure (like a sudden spike in failed logins), not operational performance or control effectiveness.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In practice, a KRI like this would be tied to a specific risk threshold (e.g., >100 failed attempts per minute from a single IP). This metric often feeds into a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system, which correlates events like HTTP 401 or LDAP bind failures against known threat intelligence feeds. A 300% increase without system changes suggests an external attack vector, such as a distributed brute-force using a botnet, which would be flagged for incident response rather than performance review.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CRISC question test?
Risk Response and Reporting — This question tests Risk Response and Reporting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Key Risk Indicator (KRI) — A Key Risk Indicator (KRI) is a metric used to signal a change in risk exposure. A 300% increase in failed authentication attempts, with no changes to the authentication system, strongly indicates a potential ongoing brute-force attack or credential stuffing campaign, directly elevating the risk of unauthorized access. This metric is not measuring performance (KPI), contractual service levels (SLA), or the effectiveness of a specific control (KCI), but rather a change in the risk landscape.
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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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