ITIL4F Key Concepts of ITIL 4 Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are examples of risks that can be transferred or removed by using a service?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse activities or responsibilities (like training) with risks that can be transferred, or they assume all security and data risks are automatically transferred when using a service, ignoring shared responsibility models.
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
✓
Hardware failure
Hardware failure is a risk that can be transferred to a service provider through a service contract. When using a cloud or managed service, the provider assumes responsibility for maintaining and replacing hardware, thus removing this risk from the customer. This is a core benefit of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) models.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Hardware failure
Why this is correct
When a service provider delivers a service, they typically own and manage the underlying infrastructure, including all physical and virtual hardware components. The inherent risk of hardware failure, such as a server crash, disk malfunction, or network device outage, is therefore borne by the provider. This operational risk is transferred from the consumer to the provider as an integral part of the service agreement, making it a provider-managed responsibility.
- ✗
Employee training on how to use the service
Why it's wrong here
While a service provider may offer training materials or courses as an ancillary service, the ultimate responsibility for ensuring a consumer's employees are adequately trained to effectively and safely utilize the service typically rests with the consumer organization. The risk of operational inefficiencies, user errors, or security vulnerabilities stemming from a lack of user proficiency is therefore retained by the consumer, not transferred to the provider, as it falls within the consumer's internal operational domain.
- ✗
Data loss due to user mistake
Why it's wrong here
Even when a service provider manages the underlying infrastructure and data storage, the responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of data entered or managed directly by the consumer's users often remains with the consumer. If a user accidentally deletes critical information, inputs incorrect data, or misconfigures settings, the resulting data loss or corruption is generally considered a consumer-side operational risk. While providers may offer recovery mechanisms like backups, the primary cause and immediate impact are within the consumer's operational control.
- ✓
Security breach of the provider's infrastructure
Why this is correct
A service provider is fundamentally responsible for the security of the infrastructure, platforms, and applications they operate to deliver the service, including network devices, servers, and underlying software. The risk of a successful cyberattack, unauthorized access, or data exfiltration targeting these provider-managed components is therefore transferred to the provider. This responsibility is a core aspect of their service offering, necessitating robust security controls and incident response capabilities.
- ✓
Compliance with data protection regulations
Why this is correct
When a service provider processes, stores, or transmits data on behalf of a consumer, they often assume a shared or primary responsibility for compliance with relevant data protection regulations, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or CCPA, concerning the service itself. This includes ensuring their systems and processes meet regulatory requirements for data handling, security, and privacy. The risk of non-compliance related to the service's operational aspects and data processing activities is thus transferred to the provider.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This ITIL4F practice question is part of Courseiva's free PeopleCert 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 ITIL4F exam.