- A
Immediately isolate the legacy ERP system from the network and implement a manual workaround for order processing.
Why wrong: Isolation may cause significant operational disruption, and manual workarounds are error-prone.
- B
Decommission the legacy ERP system and migrate to a modern alternative, accepting a temporary disruption in operations.
Why wrong: Migration is a long-term solution; immediate disruption is not warranted and may be unacceptable to the business.
- C
Accept the risk for both findings and document them in the risk register without additional controls.
Why wrong: The risk appetite allows limited acceptance, but these critical vulnerabilities warrant compensating controls.
- D
Apply virtual patching via an intrusion prevention system (IPS) for the ERP vulnerabilities and implement stricter security group rules in the cloud to restrict lateral movement.
Virtual patching and network segmentation provide effective compensating controls that reduce risk while maintaining operations.
Quick Answer
The answer is to apply virtual patching via an intrusion prevention system for the ERP vulnerabilities and implement stricter security group rules in the cloud to restrict lateral movement. This is the best course of action because it provides compensating controls for unpatched legacy systems, using virtual patching to shield the critical vulnerabilities without altering the unsupported software, while segmentation via tightened security groups directly addresses the lateral movement risk found in the cloud environment. On the CISSP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of risk management and the application of compensating controls when patching is impossible; a common trap is choosing to decommission the system or accept all risk outright, which violates the risk appetite that allows for limited acceptance with controls. Remember the mnemonic “VIPS” for Virtual patching, IPS, and Segmentation to recall the core compensating controls for unpatched legacy systems.
CISSP Security Assessment and Testing Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of security assessment and testing. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Your organization is a medium-sized e-commerce company with a hybrid infrastructure: on-premises datacenter and AWS cloud. The security team recently conducted an internal vulnerability scan of the on-premises network and discovered multiple critical vulnerabilities in a legacy ERP system that cannot be patched because the vendor no longer supports it. The ERP system is essential for order processing and cannot be decommissioned. The team also ran a penetration test against the cloud environment and found that an attacker with network access could leverage misconfigured security groups to move laterally between instances. The company has a risk appetite that allows for limited risk acceptance with compensating controls. As the senior security analyst, what is the BEST course of action?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Apply virtual patching via an intrusion prevention system (IPS) for the ERP vulnerabilities and implement stricter security group rules in the cloud to restrict lateral movement.
Option B provides compensating controls: virtual patching for the ERP vulnerabilities and stricter security group rules to restrict lateral movement in the cloud. This aligns with the risk appetite by reducing risk without immediate replacement. Option A is too disruptive, option C ignores the need for controls, and option D is a long-term solution that would cause unacceptable disruption.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Immediately isolate the legacy ERP system from the network and implement a manual workaround for order processing.
Why it's wrong here
Isolation may cause significant operational disruption, and manual workarounds are error-prone.
- ✗
Decommission the legacy ERP system and migrate to a modern alternative, accepting a temporary disruption in operations.
Why it's wrong here
Migration is a long-term solution; immediate disruption is not warranted and may be unacceptable to the business.
- ✗
Accept the risk for both findings and document them in the risk register without additional controls.
Why it's wrong here
The risk appetite allows limited acceptance, but these critical vulnerabilities warrant compensating controls.
- ✓
Apply virtual patching via an intrusion prevention system (IPS) for the ERP vulnerabilities and implement stricter security group rules in the cloud to restrict lateral movement.
Why this is correct
Virtual patching and network segmentation provide effective compensating controls that reduce risk while maintaining operations.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CISSP NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Security Assessment and Testing — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISSP question test?
Security Assessment and Testing — This question tests Security Assessment and Testing — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Apply virtual patching via an intrusion prevention system (IPS) for the ERP vulnerabilities and implement stricter security group rules in the cloud to restrict lateral movement. — Option B provides compensating controls: virtual patching for the ERP vulnerabilities and stricter security group rules to restrict lateral movement in the cloud. This aligns with the risk appetite by reducing risk without immediate replacement. Option A is too disruptive, option C ignores the need for controls, and option D is a long-term solution that would cause unacceptable disruption.
What should I do if I get this CISSP question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CISSP NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on CISSP
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company's vulnerability management program requires that all critical vulnerabilities be remediated within 30 days. A critical vulnerability is discovered in a legacy system that cannot be patched because the vendor no longer supports it. Which of the following is the best compensating control?
hard- A.Deploy a host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS)
- B.Increase logging and monitoring
- ✓ C.Segment the system from the rest of the network
- D.Encrypt all data at rest on the system
Why C: Network segmentation isolates the legacy system, reducing the attack surface. HIDS only detects, not prevents. Logging and monitoring are detective controls. Encryption does not prevent exploitation of the vulnerability.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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