- A
Checking license compliance for open source components
Why wrong: License compliance is legal, not directly security.
- B
Reviewing the vendor's security certifications (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001)
Provides assurance of security controls.
- C
Requesting a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)
Helps identify vulnerabilities in third-party components.
- D
Assessing the vendor's incident response process
Important to understand how they handle security incidents.
- E
Requiring employee security training records
Why wrong: While beneficial, less critical than the other three.
Question 924 of 1,000
CISSP Software Development Security Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of software development security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An organization is planning to acquire a new SaaS application for customer relationship management. Which THREE of the following should be included in the vendor security assessment?
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
✓
Reviewing the vendor's security certifications (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001)
Reviewing the vendor's security certifications (e.g., SOC 2), assessing their incident response process, and requesting a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) are key steps. License compliance is important but not directly security, and employee training is internal to the vendor but less critical than the others.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Checking license compliance for open source components
Why it's wrong here
License compliance is legal, not directly security.
- ✓
Reviewing the vendor's security certifications (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001)
Why this is correct
Provides assurance of security controls.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Requesting a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)
Why this is correct
Helps identify vulnerabilities in third-party components.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Assessing the vendor's incident response process
Why this is correct
Important to understand how they handle security incidents.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Requiring employee security training records
Why it's wrong here
While beneficial, less critical than the other three.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which CISSP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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Software Development Security — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISSP question test?
Software Development Security — This question tests Software Development Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Reviewing the vendor's security certifications (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001) — Reviewing the vendor's security certifications (e.g., SOC 2), assessing their incident response process, and requesting a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) are key steps. License compliance is important but not directly security, and employee training is internal to the vendor but less critical than the others.
What should I do if I get this CISSP question wrong?
Identify which CISSP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This CISSP 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 CISSP exam.
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