ISC Risk Management Practice Question
An ISSEP is reviewing the security architecture for a system that handles PII. The system uses a centralized database for PII storage. What is the primary risk associated with this design pattern?
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
✓
Increased risk of data exposure through a single point of compromise.
A centralized database creates a 'single point of failure' (or 'single point of compromise'), where an attacker gaining access to the database potentially compromises all stored PII at once.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Incompatibility with cloud-based storage.
Why it's wrong here
Centralized databases are frequently used in cloud architectures.
- ✗
Increased latency for data retrieval.
Why it's wrong here
Performance is a concern, but it is not the primary security risk.
- ✗
Difficulty in performing data backups.
Why it's wrong here
Backups are generally easier in centralized systems.
- ✓
Increased risk of data exposure through a single point of compromise.
Why this is correct
Centralization inherently increases the impact of a successful breach.
About these practice questions
This ISC question is part of Courseiva's 209-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official (ISC)² exam blueprint
This ISC practice question is part of Courseiva's free (ISC)² 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 ISC exam.