Quick Answer
The answer is transfer, as this is the most appropriate risk treatment for a high-impact, low-probability risk. The core concept here is cost-benefit analysis: because the likelihood is low, investing heavily in mitigation or avoidance is often not justified, yet the potential severity demands a proactive financial safety net. Transferring the risk through mechanisms like cyber insurance shifts the financial burden of a rare but devastating event to a third party, making it the most cost-effective strategy. On the CISSP exam, this question tests your understanding of the risk treatment matrix within the Risk Management domain, and a common trap is selecting “accept” due to the low probability—but for high-impact scenarios, acceptance is reckless unless residual risk is formally approved. A useful memory tip is to think of “low probability, high impact” as a “lightning strike” scenario: you don’t build a bunker, but you do buy insurance.
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.
A security manager is evaluating risk treatment options for a high-impact, low-probability risk. Which approach is most appropriate?
Transfer
Shifts financial burden to a third party, suitable for catastrophic but rare events.
Accept
Why wrong: Accepting high-impact risk is generally not advisable.
Avoid
Why wrong: Eliminating the asset or activity may have significant business impact.
Mitigate
Why wrong: Cost of mitigation may exceed benefit given low probability.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Transfer
For high-impact, low-probability risks, transferring (e.g., insurance) is often most cost-effective. Accepting may be too risky. Mitigating may not be justified due to low probability. Avoidance may be too disruptive.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Transfer
Why this is correct
Shifts financial burden to a third party, suitable for catastrophic but rare events.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Accept
Why it's wrong here
Accepting high-impact risk is generally not advisable.
Avoid
Why it's wrong here
Eliminating the asset or activity may have significant business impact.
Mitigate
Why it's wrong here
Cost of mitigation may exceed benefit given low probability.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
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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FAQ
Security and Risk Management — This question tests Security and Risk Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Transfer — For high-impact, low-probability risks, transferring (e.g., insurance) is often most cost-effective. Accepting may be too risky. Mitigating may not be justified due to low probability. Avoidance may be too disruptive.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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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