A security administrator is tasked with calculating the total ALE on servers. In a two year period of time, a
company has to replace five servers. Each server replacement has cost the company $4,000 with
downtime costing $3,000. Which of the following is the ALE for the company?
A.
$7,000
B.
$10,000
C.
$17,500
D.
$35,000
Explanation:
SLE × ARO = ALE, where SLE is equal to asset value (AV) times exposure factor (EF); and ARO is the
annualized rate of occurrence.
SLE =($4000 + $3000) x 5 = $35000ARO = 2 years Thus per year it would be 50% = 0,5
The ALE is thus $35000 x 0.5 = $17500
Incorrect Answers:
A: $7000 would be the SLE if there was only one server to consider.
B: A $10000 amount is ignoring the downtime costs that will be incurred.
D: A $35000 amount assumes that the servers must be replaced every year, and not every second year.Dulaney, Emmett and Chuck Eastton, CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, 6th Edition, Sybex, Indianapolis,
2014, pp. 5-6