The answer is to remediate the SSL/TLS certificate vulnerability first, as it affects a critical service and carries a higher severity rating. This is correct because effective vulnerability prioritization with limited resources demands that risk owners focus on the vulnerability posing the greatest threat to a critical business function, not the easiest fix. The higher severity on a critical server means a greater potential impact, so allocating the single remediation slot there maximizes risk reduction. On the Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control CRISC exam, this scenario tests your grasp of risk assessment decision-making under resource constraints—a common trap is choosing a lower-severity issue because it is simpler to patch. Remember the memory tip: “Severity over simplicity; criticality over convenience.”
CRISC IT Risk Assessment Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of it risk assessment. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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.
Vulnerability Scan Report (excerpt):
Host: 10.10.50.100
Port: 443 (HTTPS)
Finding: SSL/TLS certificate uses SHA-1 signature algorithm (CVE-2015-7575)
Severity: Medium
Remediation: Replace certificate with SHA-256 or higher.
Host: 10.10.50.100
Port: 22 (SSH)
Finding: OpenSSH version 7.2 is vulnerable to CVE-2016-6515 (DoS)
Severity: Low
Remediation: Upgrade to OpenSSH 7.3 or later.
Refer to the exhibit. An organization has identified vulnerabilities on a critical server. The risk owner has limited resources and can remediate only one finding this quarter. Based on the information provided, which approach is the most appropriate risk assessment decision?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Remediate the SSL/TLS certificate vulnerability first, as it affects a critical service and has a higher severity.
Option B is correct because the SSL/TLS certificate vulnerability affects a critical service (likely HTTPS) and has a higher severity rating, making it the most urgent risk to address given limited resources. Risk assessment prioritizes remediating vulnerabilities that pose the greatest threat to critical business functions, even if another finding is easier to fix. The risk owner should allocate the single remediation slot to the highest-severity vulnerability on a critical server to maximize risk reduction.
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.
✗
Remediate both findings by reallocating budget from another project.
Why it's wrong here
Reallocating budget may not be feasible, and the scenario states limited resources.
✓
Remediate the SSL/TLS certificate vulnerability first, as it affects a critical service and has a higher severity.
Why this is correct
This prioritizes the higher-risk finding on a critical server, making the best use of limited resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Remediate the SSH vulnerability first because it is easier to fix (upgrade OpenSSH).
Why it's wrong here
Ease of fix does not outweigh the higher risk posed by the certificate vulnerability on a critical server.
✗
Accept both risks because they are low and medium severity, and resources are limited.
Why it's wrong here
Accepting both risks without further analysis may leave the organization exposed to exploitable vulnerabilities on a critical server.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose the easiest fix (Option C) or assume budget reallocation is always possible (Option A), failing to recognize that risk assessment prioritization must be based on severity and business impact, not remediation effort or resource flexibility.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Reallocating budget may not be feasible, and the scenario states limited resources.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SSL/TLS certificate vulnerabilities (e.g., weak cipher suites, expired certificates, or protocol downgrade attacks like POODLE) can lead to man-in-the-middle attacks, data interception, and loss of confidentiality for all traffic to the critical server. In contrast, SSH vulnerabilities (e.g., outdated OpenSSH versions with known CVEs) typically allow remote code execution or privilege escalation but often require authenticated access or network proximity. The risk assessment should consider the CVSS score, exploitability, and the criticality of the service—HTTPS is usually internet-facing and handles sensitive data, making its compromise more impactful than an SSH flaw that may only be exploitable from within the internal network.
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 Assessment — This question tests IT Risk Assessment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Remediate the SSL/TLS certificate vulnerability first, as it affects a critical service and has a higher severity. — Option B is correct because the SSL/TLS certificate vulnerability affects a critical service (likely HTTPS) and has a higher severity rating, making it the most urgent risk to address given limited resources. Risk assessment prioritizes remediating vulnerabilities that pose the greatest threat to critical business functions, even if another finding is easier to fix. The risk owner should allocate the single remediation slot to the highest-severity vulnerability on a critical server to maximize risk reduction.
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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