- A
Strategic risk
Why wrong: Strategic risk relates to high-level business decisions.
- B
Financial risk
Why wrong: Financial risk pertains to monetary losses.
- C
Compliance risk
Why wrong: Compliance risk is a subset of operational risk but not the broad category.
- D
Operational risk
Correct. IT risk is part of operational risk.
Question 637 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.
In the context of ERM integration, IT risk is typically considered a subset of which broader risk category?
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
✓
Operational risk
In Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) integration, IT risk is typically categorized as a subset of operational risk because it directly impacts the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of information systems and data, which are core operational assets. Operational risk encompasses failures in internal processes, people, and systems, and IT risk—such as system outages, data breaches, or software defects—falls squarely within this domain. This alignment is reinforced by frameworks like COSO and ISO 31000, which treat technology-related failures as operational risk events.
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.
- ✗
Strategic risk
Why it's wrong here
Strategic risk relates to high-level business decisions.
- ✗
Financial risk
Why it's wrong here
Financial risk pertains to monetary losses.
- ✗
Compliance risk
Why it's wrong here
Compliance risk is a subset of operational risk but not the broad category.
- ✓
Operational risk
Why this is correct
Correct. IT risk is part of operational risk.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse IT risk with compliance risk (Option C) because many IT failures have regulatory implications (e.g., GDPR breaches), but IT risk is fundamentally about operational continuity, not just legal adherence.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, operational risk is defined by Basel II as the risk of loss from inadequate or failed internal processes, people, and systems, or from external events—IT risk maps directly to the 'systems' component. In practice, a real-world scenario like a ransomware attack that encrypts critical databases is classified as an operational risk event because it disrupts core business operations, not because it violates a specific regulation (compliance) or affects stock prices (financial). This distinction is critical for risk aggregation and capital allocation under frameworks like Basel III.
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.
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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: Operational risk — In Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) integration, IT risk is typically categorized as a subset of operational risk because it directly impacts the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of information systems and data, which are core operational assets. Operational risk encompasses failures in internal processes, people, and systems, and IT risk—such as system outages, data breaches, or software defects—falls squarely within this domain. This alignment is reinforced by frameworks like COSO and ISO 31000, which treat technology-related failures as operational risk events.
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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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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