The correct recommendation is to implement additional controls to reduce the likelihood or impact. This is because the residual risk is rated as medium, which directly exceeds the organization’s stated risk appetite requiring that all residual risks be low or below. When residual risk exceeds risk appetite, the organization cannot simply accept the risk, as acceptance is only appropriate when the residual level aligns with the appetite threshold. On the CISSP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of risk treatment decisions within the Risk Management domain, often appearing as a scenario where you must choose between accept, transfer, avoid, or mitigate. A common trap is selecting “accept” when residual risk is still above appetite, but the correct path is always to reduce it further through controls. Remember the memory tip: “If residual exceeds appetite, mitigate before you accept.”
CISSP Security and Risk Management Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of security and risk management. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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.
Exhibit
Risk Register Entry:
- Asset: Financial Database Server
- Threat: SQL Injection
- Vulnerability: Unpatched web application
- Likelihood: High (3)
- Impact: Critical (5)
- Risk Score: 15 (High)
- Existing Controls: WAF, Input validation
- Control Effectiveness: Partial
- Residual Risk: Medium (10)
Refer to the exhibit. The risk manager is reviewing this risk register entry. According to the organization's risk appetite, which states that residual risks must be low or below, what is the most appropriate recommendation?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Implement additional controls to reduce the likelihood or impact.
Option B is correct because the residual risk is medium, exceeding the risk appetite. Additional controls should be implemented to reduce likelihood or impact. Option A (accept) is inappropriate as residual risk is not low. Option C (transfer) may be considered but does not address the root cause and is not the primary recommendation. Option D (avoid) is too drastic without exploring controls.
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.
✓
Implement additional controls to reduce the likelihood or impact.
Why this is correct
This aligns with risk appetite by reducing residual risk to low.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Accept the residual risk because existing controls are in place.
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance is not appropriate because residual risk is medium, exceeding the low appetite.
✗
Transfer the risk to a third party via cyber insurance.
Why it's wrong here
Transfer may be a partial treatment but does not reduce inherent risk and might not cover full impact.
✗
Avoid the risk by decommissioning the database server.
Why it's wrong here
Avoidance is excessive; the asset is critical and other controls can be improved.
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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CISSP question in full detail.
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.
Security and Risk Management — This question tests Security and Risk Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Implement additional controls to reduce the likelihood or impact. — Option B is correct because the residual risk is medium, exceeding the risk appetite. Additional controls should be implemented to reduce likelihood or impact. Option A (accept) is inappropriate as residual risk is not low. Option C (transfer) may be considered but does not address the root cause and is not the primary recommendation. Option D (avoid) is too drastic without exploring controls.
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.
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Question Discussion
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