Best Response to Actively Exploited Technical Vulnerability

D.

The BEST response to the scenario of a recently discovered technical vulnerability being actively exploited is D. Conduct a vulnerability assessment.

Explanation:

A vulnerability assessment is a systematic evaluation of an organization's security posture, which identifies and quantifies vulnerabilities, assesses the effectiveness of existing security controls, and provides recommendations for remediation. The primary purpose of a vulnerability assessment is to identify security weaknesses before they are exploited by attackers. Therefore, conducting a vulnerability assessment is the best response to this scenario.

Assessing the vulnerability management process (A) is not the best response to the scenario because the focus is on addressing the immediate threat, not on evaluating the process used to manage vulnerabilities. Although a vulnerability management process is critical to maintaining a secure environment, it does not address the immediate threat posed by the technical vulnerability.

Conducting a control self-assessment (B) is not the best response to the scenario because it does not directly address the technical vulnerability. A control self-assessment is a process by which an organization evaluates the effectiveness of its internal controls, policies, and procedures. While important, a control self-assessment does not directly address the immediate threat posed by the technical vulnerability.

Reassessing the inherent risk of the target (C) is not the best response to the scenario because the inherent risk of the target has already been established. The focus now should be on identifying and remediating the vulnerability. Reassessing the inherent risk may be appropriate once the vulnerability has been remediated, but it does not address the immediate threat posed by the technical vulnerability.