Quick Answer
The answer is mitigate. Mitigate is the correct risk response selection because the scenario presents a high likelihood of a cyber-attack paired with controls that are already deemed effective at reducing impact; mitigation here means enhancing or adding controls to further lower that high likelihood, not accepting or transferring the residual risk. On the CRISC exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between risk response options when controls are partially effective—a common trap is choosing “accept” because the impact is already reduced, but the high likelihood still demands active treatment. Remember the memory tip: “High likelihood, effective controls? Mitigate to lower the odds.”
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.
During a risk assessment, the risk manager identifies that the likelihood of a cyber-attack is high due to recent industry trends. However, the existing controls are deemed effective in reducing impact. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate risk response?
Mitigate
Mitigating by maintaining or enhancing controls is appropriate given high likelihood.
Avoid
Why wrong: Avoiding would discontinue the activity, which is likely too drastic.
Accept
Why wrong: Acceptance is not appropriate when likelihood is high and controls can be enhanced.
Transfer
Why wrong: Transferring (e.g., insurance) may be considered but does not address the root cause.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Mitigate
Mitigate is the most appropriate risk response because the likelihood of a cyber-attack is high, but existing controls are effective in reducing the impact. Mitigation involves implementing additional controls or enhancing existing ones to reduce the likelihood or impact further, which aligns with the scenario where controls are already effective but need to be strengthened to address the high likelihood.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Mitigate
Why this is correct
Mitigating by maintaining or enhancing controls is appropriate given high likelihood.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Avoid
Why it's wrong here
Avoiding would discontinue the activity, which is likely too drastic.
Accept
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance is not appropriate when likelihood is high and controls can be enhanced.
Transfer
Why it's wrong here
Transferring (e.g., insurance) may be considered but does not address the root cause.
Common exam traps
ISACA often tests the distinction between 'mitigate' and 'transfer' by presenting scenarios where controls are effective but likelihood is high, leading candidates to incorrectly choose transfer (e.g., insurance) instead of recognizing that mitigation directly addresses the likelihood through additional technical controls.
Detailed technical explanation
In risk management, mitigation involves implementing security controls such as intrusion detection systems (IDS), endpoint protection, or patch management to reduce the probability of a successful attack. For example, deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) can mitigate SQL injection risks by filtering malicious traffic, even if the likelihood of such attacks is high due to industry trends. The effectiveness of mitigation is measured by residual risk, which should be within the organization's risk appetite after controls are applied.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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
IT Risk Assessment — This question tests IT Risk Assessment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Mitigate — Mitigate is the most appropriate risk response because the likelihood of a cyber-attack is high, but existing controls are effective in reducing the impact. Mitigation involves implementing additional controls or enhancing existing ones to reduce the likelihood or impact further, which aligns with the scenario where controls are already effective but need to be strengthened to address the high likelihood.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. During a risk assessment, an organization identifies that its primary data center is located in a flood-prone area. Which risk treatment option would best address this risk?
mediumWhy C: Implementing flood barriers and redundant cooling systems directly reduces the likelihood and impact of a flood event on the data center's physical infrastructure. This is a risk mitigation strategy that proactively addresses the root cause of the risk (flooding) by hardening the facility, which is the most effective treatment for a high-probability, high-impact physical threat.
Variation 2. A risk assessment for a healthcare organization reveals a high likelihood of data breaches due to weak encryption on portable devices. The organization decides to deploy full-disk encryption and enforce multi-factor authentication. Which risk response strategy is being applied?
hardWhy D: Deploying full-disk encryption and multi-factor authentication directly reduces the likelihood and/or impact of data breaches from weak encryption on portable devices. This is the definition of risk mitigation — applying controls to lower risk to an acceptable level. The organization is actively reducing the vulnerability, not transferring, accepting, or avoiding the risk.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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