CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
Which of the following is a leading Key Risk Indicator (KRI) for the risk of a data breach?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse lagging indicators (like breach count or detection time) with leading indicators, failing to recognize that a leading KRI must predict future risk, not measure past events.
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
✓
Percentage of systems with unpatched critical vulnerabilities
A leading KRI predicts future risk events. The percentage of systems with unpatched critical vulnerabilities directly indicates an increasing attack surface and likelihood of exploitation, making it a leading indicator for a data breach. In contrast, lagging indicators like detection time or breach count measure past incidents.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Average time to detect a breach
Why it's wrong here
This is a performance metric, not a leading indicator of risk level.
- ✗
Number of data breaches in the past quarter
Why it's wrong here
This is a lagging indicator, as it measures past incidents.
- ✓
Percentage of systems with unpatched critical vulnerabilities
Why this is correct
This is a leading indicator; a high percentage suggests increased risk of future breaches.
- ✗
Number of security incidents closed
Why it's wrong here
This is a lagging indicator of incident management effectiveness.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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