Quick Answer
The answer is risk transfer, risk retention, and risk avoidance. These three are valid risk treatment options according to ISO 31000 because the standard defines risk treatment as the process of selecting and implementing measures to modify risk, which explicitly includes avoiding the risk by deciding not to start or continue the activity, retaining the risk through informed acceptance, and transferring it to another party via contracts or insurance. On the Systems Security Certified Practitioner SSCP exam, this concept tests your understanding of the core risk management framework, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must distinguish valid ISO 31000 options from common distractors like risk elimination or risk ignorance. A frequent trap is confusing risk mitigation (a separate, broader category) with these specific treatment options. To remember them, use the mnemonic ART: Avoid, Retain, Transfer.
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.
Which THREE of the following are valid risk treatment options according to ISO 31000? (Select three.)
Risk retention
Formal acceptance of residual risk.
Risk elimination
Why wrong: Not a standard term; elimination is often achieved through avoidance or mitigation.
Risk duplication
Why wrong: Not a recognized risk treatment.
Risk reduction
Applying controls to reduce risk.
Risk transfer
Shifting risk to another party, e.g., insurance.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Risk retention
Risk retention (A) is a valid risk treatment option under ISO 31000 because it involves accepting the current level of risk, often when the cost of mitigation exceeds the potential impact or when the risk is within the organization's risk appetite. This is a deliberate decision to bear the risk, typically documented in a risk register and monitored for changes.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Risk retention
Why this is correct
Formal acceptance of residual risk.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Risk elimination
Why it's wrong here
Not a standard term; elimination is often achieved through avoidance or mitigation.
Risk duplication
Why it's wrong here
Not a recognized risk treatment.
Risk reduction
Why this is correct
Applying controls to reduce risk.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Risk transfer
Why this is correct
Shifting risk to another party, e.g., insurance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
ISC2 often tests the distinction between ISO 31000's formal terminology and common business jargon, so candidates mistakenly select 'risk elimination' instead of 'risk avoidance' or confuse 'risk duplication' with 'risk transfer' or 'redundancy' as a control measure.
Detailed technical explanation
ISO 31000 defines risk treatment options as risk avoidance, risk retention, risk reduction (mitigation), risk transfer (sharing), and risk acceptance (often considered a subset of retention). The standard emphasizes that treatment should be proportional to the risk level and aligned with organizational objectives. In practice, risk retention is often used for low-impact, high-frequency risks where the cost of insurance or controls outweighs the potential loss, such as accepting minor data breaches in a low-sensitivity environment.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Risk Identification, Monitoring and Analysis — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Risk Identification, Monitoring and Analysis practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All SSCP questions
504 questions across all exam domains
Systems Security Certified Practitioner SSCP study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
SSCP practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise SSCP questions linked to Risk Identification, Monitoring and Analysis.
Practise SSCP questions linked to Network and Communications Security.
Practise SSCP questions linked to Systems and Application Security.
Practise SSCP questions linked to Security Operations and Administration.
Practise SSCP questions linked to Incident Response and Recovery.
Practise SSCP questions linked to Access Controls.
Practise SSCP questions linked to Cryptography.
Practise SSCP questions linked to SSCP fundamentals.
Practise SSCP questions linked to SSCP scenario.
Practise SSCP questions linked to SSCP troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Risk Identification, Monitoring and Analysis — This question tests Risk Identification, Monitoring and Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Risk retention — Risk retention (A) is a valid risk treatment option under ISO 31000 because it involves accepting the current level of risk, often when the cost of mitigation exceeds the potential impact or when the risk is within the organization's risk appetite. This is a deliberate decision to bear the risk, typically documented in a risk register and monitored for changes.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.