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SSCP Practice Question: Wants to identify risks related to a new…
An organization wants to identify risks related to a new cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) system. Which approach would best identify threats and vulnerabilities specific to this system?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse vulnerability scanning (Option A) with threat modeling, assuming that scanning for known flaws is sufficient, when in fact threat modeling is required to identify design-level and cloud-specific threats that scanners cannot detect.
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
✓
Perform a threat modeling exercise such as STRIDE
Threat modeling with STRIDE is the best approach because it systematically identifies threats (Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information Disclosure, Denial of Service, Elevation of Privilege) specific to the CRM's architecture, data flows, and trust boundaries. Unlike generic scans or assessments, STRIDE focuses on the unique attack surface of a cloud-based system, such as API endpoints, multi-tenancy risks, and shared responsibility model gaps.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run a vulnerability scan on the CRM
Why it's wrong here
A vulnerability scan enumerates known technical weaknesses on hosts and services; it cannot surface threats such as multi-tenancy data exposure, provider insider access or shared-responsibility gaps. Scanning is the right choice once the CRM is deployed and you need to confirm patch and configuration state.
- ✗
Execute a business impact analysis (BIA)
Why it's wrong here
A BIA quantifies the operational and financial effect of disruption to critical business processes; it does not enumerate threats or vulnerabilities. It belongs after risk identification, when setting recovery time and recovery point objectives for the CRM's supporting processes.
- ✓
Perform a threat modeling exercise such as STRIDE
Why this is correct
STRIDE systematically enumerates spoofing, tampering, repudiation, information disclosure, denial of service and elevation of privilege across the CRM's data flows, trust boundaries and components, exposing threats and vulnerabilities unique to its cloud architecture rather than relying on generic checklists.
- ✗
Conduct a qualitative risk assessment using a generic framework
Why it's wrong here
A generic framework's threat catalogue and likelihood scales are not tied to this CRM's cloud architecture, so provider-specific exposures go unlisted. Qualitative assessment is correct when scoping is already understood and you need to rank identified risks by expert judgement.
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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.