What is a benefit of vendor diversity?

Which of the following is a benefit of vendor diversity?

  1. Patch availability
  2. Zero-day resiliency Source Reference Answer
  3. Secure configuration guide applicability
  4. Load balancing

Community Votes

B
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Community Insight

The question tests the principle of diversity of defense, focusing on how using multiple vendors limits the impact of a single vulnerability.

Vendor diversity enhances security by ensuring that a vulnerability in one product does not compromise the entire infrastructure. The consensus confirms that this approach specifically strengthens resilience against zero-day exploits.

Students often choose 'Patch availability' assuming multiple sources mean better updates, but diversity actually makes patch management more complex.

Community Discussion (4 comments)

racer99_ 👍 7
Different vendors = different systems right? So think about it logically: all systems will not be vulnerable to the same type of vulnerability as they are different. The only answer that makes sense here is patch availability. Zero-day resiliency doesnt make sense as having different vendors does not necessarily protect you from zero-day exploits.
3b6be6b 👍 5
B. Zero-day resiliency: By diversifying vendors, organizations can minimize the impact of zero-day vulnerabilities because not all systems or solutions would rely on the same vendor’s potentially vulnerable software. This reduces the likelihood that a single exploit could compromise the entire infrastructure.
prabh1251 👍 2 Selected: B
Vendor diversity means using products and services from multiple vendors instead of relying on a single provider. This helps improve resiliency because: ✅ If a zero-day vulnerability affects one vendor’s product, other vendor systems may remain unaffected.
ViciousAkira 👍 4
The correct answer is: B. Zero-day resiliency Explanation: Vendor diversity involves using products or services from multiple vendors for critical systems. This approach can improve security by reducing the impact of vulnerabilities specific to a single vendor.

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Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Zero-day resiliency is the primary benefit of vendor diversity. By utilizing products from multiple manufacturers, an organization ensures that a vulnerability specific to one vendor's software will not affect the entire network. This containment strategy limits the blast radius of an exploit.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Patch availability is not a direct benefit; managing updates across multiple platforms often increases administrative overhead. Secure configuration guide applicability is actually more difficult with diverse environments because standards vary by vendor. Load balancing is a technical function related to traffic distribution, not a security outcome of vendor diversity.

Community Comment Notes

The community strongly supports Zero-day resiliency, noting that different systems are unlikely to share the same specific vulnerabilities. One comment incorrectly suggested patch availability, but this was outweighed by others explaining that the core value is preventing a total system compromise.

Official Reference

https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/53/rev/5/final

Exam Strategy

Look for keywords like 'blast radius' or 'single point of failure' when answering questions about diversity. Remember that the goal is redundancy to prevent a single issue from taking down the whole system.

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