- A
Avoidance
Why wrong: Avoidance would mean eliminating the activity causing risk.
- B
Mitigation
Restricting access reduces the risk until patches are applied.
- C
Transfer
Why wrong: Transfer involves sharing risk with a third party, like insurance.
- D
Acceptance
Why wrong: Acceptance means acknowledging the risk without action.
Question 270 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.
During a vulnerability scan, a security analyst discovers that several workstations are missing critical security patches. The organization decides to implement a compensating control by restricting network access to these workstations until patches are applied. Which risk response strategy is being used?
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
✓
Mitigation
Restricting network access to vulnerable workstations reduces the likelihood of exploitation by limiting their exposure to potential threats. This is a classic mitigation strategy because it does not eliminate the vulnerability (missing patches) but instead implements a compensating control to reduce the risk to an acceptable level until the patches can be applied. Mitigation focuses on reducing the impact or probability of a risk event, which is exactly what network access restrictions achieve.
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.
- ✗
Avoidance
Why it's wrong here
Avoidance would mean eliminating the activity causing risk.
- ✓
Mitigation
Why this is correct
Restricting access reduces the risk until patches are applied.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Transfer
Why it's wrong here
Transfer involves sharing risk with a third party, like insurance.
- ✗
Acceptance
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance means acknowledging the risk without action.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'mitigation' with 'avoidance' because both involve taking action, but mitigation reduces risk without eliminating the root cause, while avoidance removes the risk entirely by eliminating the activity or asset.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Network access restrictions as a compensating control can be implemented via host-based firewalls (e.g., Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security) or network segmentation using VLANs and ACLs on switches/routers. For example, placing unpatched workstations in a separate VLAN with a deny-all inbound ACL (except for patch management servers) reduces the attack surface while still allowing necessary updates. This approach aligns with the NIST SP 800-53 concept of compensating controls (CA-9) and is often documented in a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) for risk management.
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: Mitigation — Restricting network access to vulnerable workstations reduces the likelihood of exploitation by limiting their exposure to potential threats. This is a classic mitigation strategy because it does not eliminate the vulnerability (missing patches) but instead implements a compensating control to reduce the risk to an acceptable level until the patches can be applied. Mitigation focuses on reducing the impact or probability of a risk event, which is exactly what network access restrictions achieve.
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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