ISC2 CC Security Operations Practice Question
A critical vulnerability is discovered in a widely used VPN appliance that is actively being exploited in the wild. The vendor has released an emergency patch. However, the organization's patch management policy requires testing in a staging environment before production deployment. What should the security team do?
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
✓
Deploy the patch immediately without testing to all devices
For critical vulnerabilities under active exploitation, emergency patching should bypass normal testing to reduce risk, but compensating controls can be applied if immediate patching is not possible.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Apply a workaround from the vendor and skip patching
Why it's wrong here
While workarounds may help, patching is the definitive fix.
- ✓
Deploy the patch immediately without testing to all devices
Why this is correct
Emergency patching is justified to mitigate active exploitation risk.
- ✗
Wait for the scheduled patch cycle to test thoroughly
Why it's wrong here
Waiting could leave the organization vulnerable to active exploits.
- ✗
Disconnect the VPN appliance until the next patch cycle
Why it's wrong here
Disconnecting may impact business operations; patching is preferred.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Security Principles
Key term
Policy
A policy is a set of rules or guidelines that defines how an organization manages, secures, and operates its IT systems and services.
Key term
VPN
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure, encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server, protecting your data and hiding your online activity.
About these practice questions
This CC question is part of Courseiva's 976-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 by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.