The absence of a safeguard, or a weakness in a system that may possibly be exploited is called a(n)?

The correct answer is C. Vulnerability. A vulnerability is a weakness or gap in a system's design, implementation, or controls that could be exploited by a threat actor. A threat is any potential event or actor that could exploit a vulnerability. Risk is the likelihood and impact of a threat exploiting a…

Submitted by renata2k· Apr 18, 2026Security Concepts and Practices

Question

The absence of a safeguard, or a weakness in a system that may possibly be exploited is called a(n)?

Options

AThreat
BExposure
CVulnerability
DRisk

How the community answered

(25 responses)

B
4% (1)
C
96% (24)

Explanation

A vulnerability is a weakness or gap in a system's design, implementation, or controls that could be exploited by a threat actor. A threat is any potential event or actor that could exploit a vulnerability. Risk is the likelihood and impact of a threat exploiting a vulnerability. Exposure refers to the state of being subject to potential harm or loss, often as a result of a vulnerability being present. The key distinction is that a vulnerability is the weakness itself - not the potential event or the resulting impact.

Topics

#Security Concepts#Vulnerability#Risk Management Fundamentals#Weakness

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