- A
Incident response plan
Why wrong: The IR plan guides actions during incidents.
- B
Risk register
The risk register tracks all identified risks and their treatment.
- C
Business continuity plan
Why wrong: BCP focuses on maintaining operations during disruptions.
- D
Security baseline
Why wrong: Baselines define security configuration standards.
Question 419 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.
After implementing security controls, a risk assessment shows that a residual risk of data exfiltration remains. Which document should formally record this residual risk and the decision to accept it?
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
✓
Risk register
The risk register is the formal document used to track identified risks, their assessed likelihood and impact, and the chosen risk response. When a residual risk remains after controls are implemented, the risk register records that residual risk level and formally documents management's decision to accept it, including the rationale and approval. This ensures auditability and accountability for the accepted risk.
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.
- ✗
Incident response plan
Why it's wrong here
The IR plan guides actions during incidents.
- ✓
Risk register
Why this is correct
The risk register tracks all identified risks and their treatment.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Business continuity plan
Why it's wrong here
BCP focuses on maintaining operations during disruptions.
- ✗
Security baseline
Why it's wrong here
Baselines define security configuration standards.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the risk register with the incident response plan, thinking that any risk-related documentation belongs in the incident response plan, but the risk register is specifically designed for tracking and formally accepting residual risks before any incident occurs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a risk register is a living document that typically includes fields such as risk ID, description, probability, impact, risk score, current controls, residual risk level, risk owner, and the risk response (e.g., accept, mitigate, transfer, avoid). In practice, the formal acceptance of residual risk often requires sign-off from a designated risk owner or management committee, and the risk register serves as the authoritative record for compliance audits (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST SP 800-39).
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 SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
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: Risk register — The risk register is the formal document used to track identified risks, their assessed likelihood and impact, and the chosen risk response. When a residual risk remains after controls are implemented, the risk register records that residual risk level and formally documents management's decision to accept it, including the rationale and approval. This ensures auditability and accountability for the accepted risk.
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.
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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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