Threat Identification & Risk Management Flashcards

During a vulnerability assessment, a security investigator discovers an unlocked server room. This finding represents:

Answer: A vulnerability

An unlocked server room is a vulnerability — a weakness that could be exploited by a threat actor.

Which threat category encompasses acts of nature such as floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes?

Answer: Environmental threats

Environmental threats include natural disasters and acts of nature that can impact organizational security.

A security investigator is conducting a Business Impact Analysis (BIA). What is the PRIMARY output of a BIA?

Answer: Prioritized critical business functions and recovery time objectives

A BIA identifies critical business functions and establishes the maximum tolerable downtime and recovery objectives for each.

What type of threat involves a malicious insider gradually increasing their access privileges over time without authorization?

Answer: Privilege escalation

Privilege escalation involves an insider or attacker gaining higher-level access rights than they are authorized to have.

In a security risk matrix, which combination represents the HIGHEST priority for immediate action?

Answer: High likelihood / High impact

High likelihood combined with high impact places a risk in the critical zone, requiring immediate mitigation efforts.

A company relies on a single supplier for a critical component. A CSI would flag this as which type of risk?

Answer: Single point of failure / supply chain risk

Dependence on a single supplier creates a single point of failure and supply chain vulnerability that could disrupt operations.

Which of the following BEST describes 'threat intelligence' in security investigations?

Answer: Collecting and analyzing information about current and emerging threats

Threat intelligence involves gathering, analyzing, and acting on information about threats to improve security decision-making.