- A
30 days
Why wrong: This is typical for high vulnerabilities.
- B
24-72 hours
Critical vulnerabilities require immediate attention.
- C
7 days
Why wrong: This is more typical for high vulnerabilities.
- D
90 days
Why wrong: This is typical for medium vulnerabilities.
Question 110 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 vulnerability scan identifies a critical vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.8. According to standard remediation SLAs, within what timeframe should this vulnerability typically be remediated?
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
✓
24-72 hours
A CVSS score of 9.8 falls into the 'Critical' severity range (9.0–10.0). Standard remediation SLAs for critical vulnerabilities typically require action within 24–72 hours because such vulnerabilities often allow remote code execution or complete compromise without authentication, posing an immediate and severe risk to the organization.
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.
- ✗
30 days
Why it's wrong here
This is typical for high vulnerabilities.
- ✓
24-72 hours
Why this is correct
Critical vulnerabilities require immediate attention.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
7 days
Why it's wrong here
This is more typical for high vulnerabilities.
- ✗
90 days
Why it's wrong here
This is typical for medium vulnerabilities.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the CVSS severity categories with the typical SLA timeframes, often assuming that all 'critical' vulnerabilities have a 7-day window, when in fact the most severe (9.0–10.0) require remediation within 24–72 hours per standard industry frameworks like PCI DSS or NIST.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 typically corresponds to a vector like AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, meaning the vulnerability is exploitable remotely, with low attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction, leading to full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. In practice, such vulnerabilities (e.g., unauthenticated RCE in a widely used service) are often weaponized within hours, so SLAs of 24–72 hours align with the need to apply patches or implement compensating controls before active exploitation becomes widespread.
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: 24-72 hours — A CVSS score of 9.8 falls into the 'Critical' severity range (9.0–10.0). Standard remediation SLAs for critical vulnerabilities typically require action within 24–72 hours because such vulnerabilities often allow remote code execution or complete compromise without authentication, posing an immediate and severe risk to the organization.
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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