(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

Which of the following would probably not be considered a threat?

1. A natural disaster

2. Unintentional damage to the system caused by a user

3. A laptop with sensitive data on it

4. An external attacker trying to gain unauthorized access

The correct answer is: A laptop with sensitive data on it

The reasoning behind the choice of a laptop with sensitive data on it as something that would probably not be considered a threat is based on the distinction between vulnerabilities and threats. A threat refers to any potential danger that could exploit a vulnerability and cause harm to an asset, whereas a laptop itself does not pose a direct threat. It can contain sensitive data, making it a risk if not protected properly, but it is essentially an object or a resource rather than an active threat source. In contrast, natural disasters, unintentional damage by users, and external attackers represent active threats to the integrity and security of systems and data. Natural disasters can lead to physical damage to infrastructure or loss of data, unintentional damage can occur due to human error, and external attackers pose a direct malicious threat to the security of data and systems. Each of these examples shows an active scenario where harm can come to the systems in question, while a laptop itself is merely a potential target, rather than a threat by its nature.