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AI Security

Interview question · Security Foundations & Threat Modeling

You and an engineering team disagree on a finding's severity. How do you resolve it?

Severity disputes are usually disagreements about facts or assumptions. The scored answer finds which, settles it with evidence and the agreed scale, and has an escalation path that does not damage trust.

mediumNewPreparation tags: Microsoft, Google, AmazonUpdated Nov 2026

Severity disputes are usually disagreements about facts or assumptions. The scored answer finds which, settles it with evidence and the agreed scale, and has an escalation path that does not damage trust.

Make your first attempt

What would you say before reading the answer?

  1. 01 State the assumptions your answer depends on.
  2. 02 Explain the mechanism and choose a control.
  3. 03 Name a condition that would change your decision.

The worked answer includes an approach, scoring criteria and follow-up questions. Compare the reasoning with your own.

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What if · the follow-ups in this answer

The answer works through 6 follow-ups like an interviewer would

A developer disputes the high severity you gave to an authorisation flaw, saying the endpoint is rarely used.

  1. What do you clarify first?
  2. Does 'rarely used' lower severity?
  3. How do you settle impact?
  4. How do you settle likelihood?
  5. What if you still disagree?
  6. How would you resolve the dispute?

Each rung has a nudge, a model answer, the principle that carries over and the weak answer to avoid. Premium opens every answer and ladder.

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