Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) wants to disable a functionality on a business-critical web application that is vulnerable to RCE in order to maintain the minimum risk level with minimal increased cost. Which of the following risk treatments best describes what the CISO is looking for?
Mitigating risk involves taking steps to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. In this case, the CISO wants to disable a functionality that is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution (RCE) to reduce the risk associated with that vulnerability. This approach aims to minimize the risk without entirely eliminating the use of the web application. It aligns with the intent to manage and reduce risk while maintaining operational functionality with minimal increased cost.
Mitigate involves taking steps to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. In this case, the CISO wants to disable a functionality that is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution (RCE) to reduce the risk associated with that vulnerability. Avoiding risk involves completely eliminating the risk by discontinuing the activity that introduces the risk. While disabling the functionality might seem like avoiding, in the context of risk management, avoiding would typically mean ceasing the use of the entire application or process, which is not the intent here.
Yes it is!
Risk avoidance involves taking actions to eliminate the risk entirely, which in this case means disabling the vulnerable functionality to prevent the risk of Remote Code Execution (RCE). This approach ensures that the risk is not present, aligning with the CISO’s objective of maintaining minimal risk.
Avoiding risk in this case would mean shutting down the web-application to bring the risk to zero and using a new solution, which would increases costs, and the question states 'with minimal increased cost.' Since the question also mentions 'maintaining the minimum risk level,' it implies that risk mitigation is being applied by disabling functionality.
Key word on the question "maintain minimum risk level". Doesn't say avoid completely.
Minimum risk level would be to avoid the risk entirely (disable a risky functionality). Mitigation involves lowering risk to an acceptable point. If you disable the functionality, you've eliminated that specific risk, not mitigated.
disabling just one function meaning ciso wants to avoid the risk
Another terrible question. B & D could be correct
Avoiding will be shutting down the web server. So I'll go with B, mitigating.
The Answer is B: “ in order to maintain the minimum risk level with minimal increased cost” if they were trying to avoid it they won’t be trying to maintain it the minimal risk level.
D. Avoid In this context, "avoid" refers to disabling the vulnerable functionality to eliminate the risk associated with remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities. By removing or disabling the specific feature that poses the risk, the CISO is aiming to avoid the potential security issue altogether while maintaining the overall risk level at a minimum with minimal cost.Mitigation involves implementing controls or changes to reduce the risk associated with a vulnerability. If the CISO is making modifications to the functionality to reduce the risk of RCE (e.g., by applying a partial fix or implementing additional security measures), then mitigation would be the appropriate term. However, if the functionality is entirely disabled to completely remove the associated risk, then avoid would be a more precise description. The key distinction is that avoidance involves eliminating the risk source altogether, whereas mitigation involves reducing the risk but not necessarily removing it entirely.
Key work: "DISABLE", this is risk avoidance. It's the least risky option, the question also stated for the "minimum risk level". Avoidance is always the least risky.
It's Mitigate. I wanted to say avoid but, the question states "maintain the minimum risk level", not "eliminate" the risk level. Also, there are, likely, other ways to exploit the server with RCE but, I'm interjecting now.
Avoiding risk means completely removing the threat by disabling or stopping the risky function. Since the CISO wants to disable the vulnerable part of the application, this is clearly a risk avoidance strategy. Mitigate means reducing the risk but keeping the functionality (like patching or adding more security).
This is a clear example of risk avoidance. You're eliminating the risk altogether, not mitigating it. Mitigation also implies added cost or resources. As well as possible compensating controls that don't completely fix the vulnerability.
D = The best answer is risk avoidance. B is not correct from my point of view.
The correct answer is D. Avoid. By disabling the vulnerable functionality, the CISO is effectively eliminating the risky behavior from the system. This approach removes the risk associated with that feature rather than reducing its impact or likelihood, and it does so with minimal added cost. While mitigation would involve implementing additional controls or safeguards, avoidance completely removes the exposure by ceasing the risky operation altogether, which is precisely what is being done in this scenario.
if you analyze the question deeply the answer will be B
if only the functionality itself is vulnerable to RCE, and is disabled, then D would be appropriate. But if the functionality + web app are together vulnerable to RCE (say CVE chaining), and only the functionality is disabled, then B would be appropriate. So which is it?
The correct is mitigate because even disabling part of the web app some risk remains.
Disabling a vulnerable feature within a larger application does reduce or even eliminate the specific risk associated with that feature, but it does not mean the entire application or system is free from risk. This action specifically mitigates the risk tied to the Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in that feature, but the application itself remains in use and may still have other risks.
I thank the key word here is “ in order to maintain the minimum risk level” so it’s mitigate!!!
Risk Mitigation: Taking steps to reduce the severity or impact of a vulnerability (e.g., disabling a risky feature instead of removing the entire system). Risk Avoidance: Eliminating the asset or activity entirely.