CRISC Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of risk and control monitoring 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```
Control Test Result: Access Control Review
Control ID: AC-01
Test Date: 2024-03-20
Expected Result: No unauthorized access attempts
Actual Result: 3 unauthorized access attempts detected
Status: Failed
Remediation: Implement additional logging
```
Refer to the exhibit. The control test failed because unauthorized access attempts were detected. The remediation plan suggests additional logging. Is this remediation appropriate?
Refer to the exhibit.
```
Control Test Result: Access Control Review
Control ID: AC-01
Test Date: 2024-03-20
Expected Result: No unauthorized access attempts
Actual Result: 3 unauthorized access attempts detected
Status: Failed
Remediation: Implement additional logging
```
A
No, the control test methodology is flawed.
Why wrong: Test methodology is not the issue.
B
Yes, because the control is detective in nature.
Why wrong: The control is preventive, not detective.
C
Yes, additional logging will help detect future attempts.
Why wrong: Detective control does not prevent failures.
D
No, the remediation should focus on strengthening access controls.
Root cause is unauthorized access; need stronger preventive controls.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
No, the remediation should focus on strengthening access controls.
Option D is correct because the control test failure was due to unauthorized access attempts, which indicates a weakness in preventive controls. Adding logging (a detective control) does not address the root cause; the remediation should focus on strengthening access controls (e.g., tightening authentication, authorization, or firewall rules) to prevent unauthorized access in the first place. Logging alone would only record future incidents without reducing their likelihood.
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.
✗
No, the control test methodology is flawed.
Why it's wrong here
Test methodology is not the issue.
✗
Yes, because the control is detective in nature.
Why it's wrong here
The control is preventive, not detective.
✗
Yes, additional logging will help detect future attempts.
Why it's wrong here
Detective control does not prevent failures.
✓
No, the remediation should focus on strengthening access controls.
Why this is correct
Root cause is unauthorized access; need stronger preventive controls.
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 'detecting' with 'preventing' and assume that adding logging is always a valid remediation, but CRISC emphasizes that remediation must address the root cause of the control failure, not just add monitoring.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In access control models, preventive controls (e.g., authentication mechanisms like Kerberos or OAuth, or network ACLs) block unauthorized actions, while detective controls (e.g., audit logs via syslog or Windows Event Logging) record events after they occur. A failed control test due to unauthorized access implies a bypass of preventive layers; adding logging without hardening the preventive layer (e.g., implementing multi-factor authentication or tightening RBAC) leaves the system exposed. Real-world scenarios, such as a brute-force attack on SSH, show that logging alone does not stop the attack—rate-limiting or fail2ban is needed.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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.
Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting — This question tests Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: No, the remediation should focus on strengthening access controls. — Option D is correct because the control test failure was due to unauthorized access attempts, which indicates a weakness in preventive controls. Adding logging (a detective control) does not address the root cause; the remediation should focus on strengthening access controls (e.g., tightening authentication, authorization, or firewall rules) to prevent unauthorized access in the first place. Logging alone would only record future incidents without reducing their likelihood.
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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