An organization is selecting security metrics to measure security performance, and a firewall specialist suggests tracking the number of external attacks blocked by the firewalls. Which of the followi

The correct answer is A. The number of blocked external attacks is not representative of the true threat profile.. The greatest concern with using the number of blocked external attacks as a metric is that it may not accurately represent the true threat profile. A large number of blocked attacks could indicate an effective firewall but might not reflect the full scope or sophistication of pot

Submitted by miguelv· Apr 18, 2026Information Security Program Development and Management

Question

An organization is selecting security metrics to measure security performance, and a firewall specialist suggests tracking the number of external attacks blocked by the firewalls. Which of the following is the GREATEST concern with using this metric?

Options

AThe number of blocked external attacks is not representative of the true threat profile.
BThe number of blocked external attacks is an indicator of the organization's popularity.
CThe number of blocked external attacks over time does not explain the attackers' motivations.
DThe number of blocked external attacks will vary by month, causing inconsistent graphs.

How the community answered

(45 responses)

A
82% (37)
B
11% (5)
C
4% (2)
D
2% (1)

Explanation

The greatest concern with using the number of blocked external attacks as a metric is that it may not accurately represent the true threat profile. A large number of blocked attacks could indicate an effective firewall but might not reflect the full scope or sophistication of potential threats. It is important to measure metrics that better reflect the overall security posture, including the nature of attacks and vulnerabilities.

Topics

#Security Metrics#Performance Measurement#Threat Profile#Risk Indicators

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