hardMultiple Select
CRISC Practice Question: Which THREE of the following are effective risk…
Which THREE of the following are effective risk treatment strategies?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse 'ignoring' or 'uninformed acceptance' with the legitimate risk acceptance strategy, which requires documented analysis and approval, and assuming that risks that have not yet materialized can be safely disregarded.
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
✓
Avoid the risk by discontinuing the activity
Option B is correct because risk avoidance is a recognized treatment strategy in which the organization eliminates the risk entirely by discontinuing the activity or process that generates it. Option D is correct because implementing compensating controls is a form of risk mitigation/reduction, lowering the likelihood or impact of a threat to an acceptable level. Option E is correct because risk transfer shifts the financial or operational impact of a risk to a third party, such as through outsourcing, insurance, or contractual agreements. Option A is not a valid treatment because accepting a risk must be a deliberate, informed decision based on analysis, not done blindly without assessment. Option C is not a valid treatment because ignoring a risk simply leaves it unmanaged and does not constitute an accepted risk-management strategy.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Accept the risk without any analysis
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance requires informed analysis, documented rationale and management approval against defined risk tolerance; accepting blindly leaves exposure unquantified and unowned. It is tempting because acceptance is a legitimate treatment strategy, but only after assessment, and here no analysis has been performed to justify it.
- ✓
Avoid the risk by discontinuing the activity
Why this is correct
Discontinuing the activity eliminates the underlying exposure entirely, so no residual risk remains to be managed. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a genuine risk treatment strategy, since avoidance removes both the likelihood and impact rather than merely transferring or tolerating them.
- ✗
Ignore the risk if it has not materialized yet
Why it's wrong here
Deferring action because a risk has not yet materialised is avoidance of treatment, not a recognised strategy; likelihood and impact still require response. It is tempting because low-probability risks may warrant acceptance, but acceptance follows documented analysis and tolerance decisions, not passive waiting for occurrence.
- ✓
Implement compensating controls to reduce risk
Why this is correct
Implementing compensating controls directly satisfies the risk treatment strategy of mitigation, reducing residual risk when the primary control is impractical or unavailable. Unlike avoidance, which eliminates the activity, or transfer, which shifts financial impact, this approach lowers likelihood or impact within the organisation's own environment, aligning with CRISC's treatment objectives.
- ✓
Transfer the risk through outsourcing
Why this is correct
Outsourcing shifts the financial and operational consequences of a risk to a third party via contract, making it a genuine transfer treatment. The organisation retains accountability, but the risk's impact is borne by the vendor.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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