- A
Remediate only vulnerabilities that are exploitable from the internet
Why wrong: While important, this approach may miss high-severity internal vulnerabilities.
- B
Wait for the next scan to confirm the results before action
Why wrong: Delaying remediation increases risk; findings should be triaged promptly.
- C
Prioritize based on CVSS score, starting with critical and high severity
CVSS scores provide a standardized severity rating; focusing on critical/high vulnerabilities aligns with risk management.
- D
Remediate all vulnerabilities in alphabetical order by CVE ID
Why wrong: Alphabetical order ignores severity and risk.
Question 589 of 1,000
SSCP Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of risk identification, monitoring, and analysis. 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.
A company has implemented a new vulnerability scanner and the first scan reports 200 vulnerabilities. The security team needs to prioritize remediation. Which approach should they use first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
✓
Prioritize based on CVSS score, starting with critical and high severity
Option C is correct because the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) provides a standardized, industry-accepted method for rating vulnerability severity based on exploitability, impact, and other metrics. Prioritizing critical and high CVSS scores (e.g., 9.0-10.0 and 7.0-8.9) ensures the team addresses vulnerabilities with the highest potential for damage and exploitation first, which is a fundamental risk-based remediation strategy. This approach aligns with the NIST SP 800-40 guidance on prioritizing vulnerabilities by risk, not by arbitrary ordering or waiting for confirmation.
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.
- ✗
Remediate only vulnerabilities that are exploitable from the internet
Why it's wrong here
While important, this approach may miss high-severity internal vulnerabilities.
- ✗
Wait for the next scan to confirm the results before action
Why it's wrong here
Delaying remediation increases risk; findings should be triaged promptly.
- ✓
Prioritize based on CVSS score, starting with critical and high severity
Why this is correct
CVSS scores provide a standardized severity rating; focusing on critical/high vulnerabilities aligns with risk management.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Remediate all vulnerabilities in alphabetical order by CVE ID
Why it's wrong here
Alphabetical order ignores severity and risk.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think waiting for a second scan (Option B) is prudent to avoid false positives, but the SSCP exam emphasizes proactive risk management and immediate prioritization based on severity, not delaying action.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CVSS v3.1 base scores are computed from exploitability metrics (Attack Vector, Attack Complexity, Privileges Required, User Interaction) and impact metrics (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability), with temporal and environmental metrics allowing customization for organizational context. In practice, a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.8 (e.g., a remote code execution in a widely exposed service) should be remediated before a score of 4.3 (e.g., a low-impact information disclosure), even if the latter has a more memorable CVE ID. Real-world scenarios like the Log4j vulnerability (CVE-2021-44228, CVSS 10.0) demonstrate why severity-based prioritization is critical, as it was exploited within hours of disclosure.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — This question tests Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Prioritize based on CVSS score, starting with critical and high severity — Option C is correct because the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) provides a standardized, industry-accepted method for rating vulnerability severity based on exploitability, impact, and other metrics. Prioritizing critical and high CVSS scores (e.g., 9.0-10.0 and 7.0-8.9) ensures the team addresses vulnerabilities with the highest potential for damage and exploitation first, which is a fundamental risk-based remediation strategy. This approach aligns with the NIST SP 800-40 guidance on prioritizing vulnerabilities by risk, not by arbitrary ordering or waiting for confirmation.
What should I do if I get this SSCP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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 SSCP 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 SSCP exam.
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