CISSP Practice Question: What would MOST likely happen if a company prioritizes performance over security…

Correct Answer: A. Increased vulnerability to attacks

Explanation (CISSP Manager Logic):

Prioritizing performance over security often involves bypassing critical controls like deep packet inspection or encryption to reduce latency. From a risk management perspective, this imbalance expands the attack surface and leaves the organization exposed to exploitation.

By maintaining a security-first posture, you:

• Reduce the likelihood of costly data breaches and downtime.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and legal requirements.
• Protect the organization’s long-term reputation and brand equity.

While the other options are relevant, they fall short because:

• B: Productivity gains are temporary and easily negated by the catastrophic impact of a security compromise.
• C: Short-term savings on infrastructure lead to significantly higher long-term costs during incident response.
• D: Satisfaction depends on trust; customers will abandon a fast service if their data is not protected.

Think like a manager:

Security is a business enabler that must be balanced with operational needs without exceeding the organization's defined risk appetite.