Information Technology Specialist (ITS) Cybersecurity Practice Exam

Which vulnerability management practice is best for reducing downtime and the risk of exploitation?

1. Regular audits

2. Mitigation

3. Incident response planning

4. User education

The correct answer is: Mitigation

Mitigation is the practice that focuses on reducing the impact of vulnerabilities and preventing them from being exploited, thereby minimizing downtime and risk. This approach includes implementing strategies and controls to lessen the likelihood of vulnerabilities being exploited or to limit the damage that could occur if a vulnerability is exploited. For instance, this can involve applying patches to software, changing configurations, or using additional security tools to strengthen systems. By prioritizing vulnerabilities based on their potential impact and the threat landscape, organizations can effectively manage which vulnerabilities to address first, ensuring that the most critical ones are mitigated swiftly. This proactive pathway not only fortifies the organization's security posture but also helps maintain service availability and operational continuity. While regular audits, incident response planning, and user education all contribute to an organization's overall cybersecurity strategy, they do not directly focus on the immediate reduction of exploitation risks in the same manner that mitigation does. Regular audits help assess compliance and identify potential vulnerabilities, incident response planning prepares an organization for when a security breach occurs, and user education empowers individuals to identify and avoid threats. However, during the operational phase, especially when a vulnerability is present, mitigation is the most effective approach for managing risks and ensuring minimal downtime.