mediumMultiple Choice
SSCP Practice Question: A security team uses a risk matrix with…
A security team uses a risk matrix with likelihood (Low, Medium, High) and impact (Low, Medium, High). A vulnerability scan finds a buffer overflow in a customer-facing web application. The application is not critical but has high availability requirements. The likelihood of exploitation is considered Medium due to internal network segmentation. What is the risk level?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that internal network segmentation automatically lowers the risk to Medium or Low, but the high availability requirement elevates the impact, resulting in a High risk level despite the reduced likelihood.
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
✓
High
The risk level is High because the likelihood is Medium (due to internal network segmentation reducing but not eliminating the chance of exploitation) and the impact is High (the application has high availability requirements, so a buffer overflow could cause a denial of service or code execution, severely affecting availability). In a standard 3x3 risk matrix, Medium likelihood combined with High impact yields a High risk rating.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Medium
Why it's wrong here
Medium likelihood combined with High impact yields a High risk level, not Medium, because a buffer overflow in a customer-facing application threatens the stated high availability requirement. Medium is tempting as the midpoint of the matrix, but impact is assessed as High here, so the intersection cannot sit at Medium.
- ✗
Extreme
Why it's wrong here
Extreme requires High likelihood paired with High impact on a three-by-three matrix; here likelihood is explicitly Medium. Extreme is tempting because a buffer overflow in an internet-facing application sounds severe, but the stated internal segmentation caps likelihood, so the correct intersection is High.
- ✓
High
Why this is correct
Medium likelihood combined with high impact maps to High on a standard three-by-three matrix. The application's high availability requirement raises impact despite segmentation lowering likelihood, and the matrix defines risk level from those two axes alone.
- ✗
Low
Why it's wrong here
Low understates the rating: Medium likelihood crossed with High impact produces High, since exploitation would disrupt a customer-facing application with high availability requirements. Low is tempting because the application is not critical and segmentation reduces exposure, but segmentation only sets likelihood at Medium, not impact.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.