- A
90 days
Why wrong: Incorrect: 90 days is typical for medium-severity vulnerabilities.
- B
24-72 hours
Correct: Critical vulnerabilities typically have a 24-72 hour SLA.
- C
7 days
Why wrong: Incorrect: 7 days is less common; critical vulnerabilities are addressed faster.
- D
30 days
Why wrong: Incorrect: 30 days is typical for high-severity vulnerabilities.
Question 19 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 scanner identifies a high-severity vulnerability in a web server that is exposed to the internet. According to common remediation SLAs, what is the typical timeframe to remediate a critical vulnerability?
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
Option B is correct because critical vulnerabilities in internet-exposed systems typically require remediation within 24–72 hours under common SLAs (e.g., PCI DSS, NIST, or organizational security policies). This timeframe reflects the high risk of remote exploitation, where an attacker can compromise the server before a longer window expires.
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.
- ✗
90 days
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: 90 days is typical for medium-severity vulnerabilities.
- ✓
24-72 hours
Why this is correct
Correct: Critical vulnerabilities typically have a 24-72 hour SLA.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
7 days
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: 7 days is less common; critical vulnerabilities are addressed faster.
- ✗
30 days
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: 30 days is typical for high-severity vulnerabilities.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between critical (24–72 hours), high (7 days), and medium (30 days) SLAs, and the trap here is that candidates confuse 'high' with 'critical' and select 7 days instead of the shorter window.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Critical vulnerabilities often have CVSS scores of 9.0–10.0 and may involve remote code execution (e.g., CVE-2021-44228 in Log4j). Under PCI DSS Requirement 6.6, critical vulnerabilities in public-facing web applications must be patched within 72 hours, while NIST SP 800-53 recommends remediation within 24 hours for critical findings. Real-world SLAs may also include compensating controls (e.g., WAF rules) if patching cannot be completed within the window.
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.
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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 — Option B is correct because critical vulnerabilities in internet-exposed systems typically require remediation within 24–72 hours under common SLAs (e.g., PCI DSS, NIST, or organizational security policies). This timeframe reflects the high risk of remote exploitation, where an attacker can compromise the server before a longer window expires.
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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