If the CDE is determined to be low, what action is taken before engaging the target?

• A. Proceed
• B. Stop
• C. Delay
• D. Ignore

Answer: (B)

When narrowing down whether to engage, you rely on a pre-engagement metric to gauge readiness and risk. If this metric is low, it signals that conditions aren’t met—information is uncertain, the target verification is weak, or the potential for unintended harm is too high. In that situation, the safest and most responsible action is to stop and reassess rather than proceed. This pause gives time to gather more information, confirm the target, check ROE and collateral risk, and adjust the plan so you only engage when the CDE improves. Procceding would ignore the low readiness, and ignoring or rushing engagement would magnify risk; delaying could be appropriate only after you have a plan to raise confidence, but the direct response to a low CDE is to stop.