SSCP Systems and Application Security Practice Question
An organization is experiencing VM sprawl, with many unmanaged virtual machines running in the environment. Which of the following is the most significant security risk associated with VM sprawl?
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
✓
Unpatched and misconfigured VMs
Unmanaged VMs often lack proper patching and configuration management, leading to unpatched vulnerabilities that can be exploited.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Unpatched and misconfigured VMs
Why this is correct
Unmanaged VMs are often forgotten, leading to security gaps.
- ✗
License compliance violations
Why it's wrong here
Licensing is a legal/compliance issue, not a technical security risk.
- ✗
Increased power consumption and cooling costs
Why it's wrong here
This is an operational cost issue, not a direct security risk.
- ✗
VM escape attacks from older hypervisors
Why it's wrong here
While VM escape is a risk, it is not specific to VM sprawl; sprawl is about having too many VMs without proper management.
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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.