- A
Report the non-compliance to management for remediation
Why wrong: Incorrect: It is not non-compliance; it exceeds the baseline.
- B
Implement Level 2 benchmarks to be consistent
Why wrong: Incorrect: Level 2 is more restrictive but not required by policy.
- C
Immediately revert to Level 1 settings to ensure compliance
Why wrong: Incorrect: Stronger settings are not a violation; reverting may reduce security.
- D
Document the deviation and accept the stronger configuration
Correct: Stronger settings are acceptable but should be documented for audit purposes.
Question 909 of 1,000
SSCP Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of risk identification, monitoring, and analysis. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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's security policy requires that all servers be hardened according to CIS Level 1 benchmarks. During an audit, it is discovered that a server has password complexity settings that exceed Level 1 requirements. Which of the following is the most appropriate action?
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
✓
Document the deviation and accept the stronger configuration
Option D is correct because exceeding CIS Level 1 password complexity requirements represents a stronger security posture, not a violation. CIS benchmarks define Level 1 as a minimum baseline of essential security controls, and deviations that improve security are acceptable as long as they are documented and formally accepted by management. The key principle is that compliance is measured against the minimum baseline, and stronger configurations are permitted with proper risk acceptance.
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.
- ✗
Report the non-compliance to management for remediation
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: It is not non-compliance; it exceeds the baseline.
- ✗
Implement Level 2 benchmarks to be consistent
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Level 2 is more restrictive but not required by policy.
- ✗
Immediately revert to Level 1 settings to ensure compliance
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Stronger settings are not a violation; reverting may reduce security.
- ✓
Document the deviation and accept the stronger configuration
Why this is correct
Correct: Stronger settings are acceptable but should be documented for audit purposes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates mistakenly treat any deviation from a baseline as non-compliance, failing to recognize that exceeding the minimum requirements is acceptable and should be documented rather than reverted or escalated.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CIS benchmarks are organized into Levels: Level 1 provides foundational security with minimal operational impact, while Level 2 offers defense-in-depth but may affect functionality. Password complexity settings exceeding Level 1 (e.g., requiring 16+ characters instead of 8, or enforcing special characters beyond the Level 1 minimum) are permissible as long as they do not conflict with other policies. In practice, organizations often adopt stronger password policies for critical servers, and the audit process should focus on verifying that deviations are formally risk-accepted rather than forcing a downgrade.
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 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 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: Document the deviation and accept the stronger configuration — Option D is correct because exceeding CIS Level 1 password complexity requirements represents a stronger security posture, not a violation. CIS benchmarks define Level 1 as a minimum baseline of essential security controls, and deviations that improve security are acceptable as long as they are documented and formally accepted by management. The key principle is that compliance is measured against the minimum baseline, and stronger configurations are permitted with proper risk acceptance.
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.
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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