Free Practice Questions for Isaca CISM Exam

A key consideration in the use of quantitative risk analysis is that it assigns numeric values to exposures of information assets, such as the probability of occurrence, the frequency of occurrence, the impact of occurrence, and the monetary value of the assets. These numeric values help to measure and compare the risks in a more objective and consistent way, and to support the decision-making process based on cost-benefit analysis. Quantitative risk analysis also requires reliable and accurate data sources, and it may involve the use of statistical tools and techniques.

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition eBook1, Chapter 2: Information Risk Management, Section: Risk Analysis, Subsection: Quantitative Risk Analysis, Page 84.

 A gap analysis is a process of comparing the current state of an organization’s security posture with the desired or required state, and identifying the gaps or discrepancies that need to be addressed. A gap analysis helps to determine the current level of compliance with relevant regulations, standards, and best practices, and to prioritize the actions and resources needed to achieve the desired level of compliance1. A gap analysis should be performed first when developing a security strategy in support of a new service that is subject to regulations, because it provides the following benefits2:

It helps to understand the scope and impact of the new service on the organization’s security objectives, risks, and controls.

It helps to identify the legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements that apply to the new service, and the potential penalties or consequences of non-compliance.

It helps to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the existing security controls, and to identify the gaps or weaknesses that need to be remediated or enhanced.

It helps to align the security strategy with the business goals and objectives of the new service, and to ensure the security strategy is consistent and coherent across the organization.

It helps to communicate the security requirements and expectations to the stakeholders involved in the new service, and to obtain their support and commitment.

The other options, such as determining security controls for the new service, establishing a compliance program, or hiring new resources to support the service, are not the first steps when developing a security strategy in support of a new service that is subject to regulations, because they depend on the results and recommendations of the gap analysis. Determining security controls for the new service requires a clear understanding of the security requirements and risks associated with the new service, which can be obtained from the gap analysis. Establishing a compliance program requires a systematic and structured approach to implement, monitor, and improve the security controls and processes that ensure compliance, which can be based on the gap analysis. Hiring new resources to support the service requires a realistic and justified estimation of the human and financial resources needed to achieve the security objectives and compliance, which can be derived from the gap analysis. References = 1: What is a Gap Analysis? | Smartsheet 2: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 121 : CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 122 : CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 123 : CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 124 : CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 125

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Chain of custody is the MOST important requirement when collecting admissible evidence, because it ensures the integrity and authenticity of the evidence by documenting its history, handling, and storage. Chain of custody records who, what, when, where, why, and how the evidence was collected, analyzed, and preserved. Without a proper chain of custody, the evidence may be challenged or rejected in a court of law. Need to know, preserving audit logs, and due diligence are important aspects of evidence collection, but they are not as critical as chain of custody. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 3031; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 1492

The most important requirement when collecting admissible evidence is the chain of custody. The chain of custody is a documented record of who had control of the evidence at any given time, from the point of collection until the evidence is presented in court. This is important in order to ensure the evidence can be authenticated and is not subject to tampering or any other form of interference. Other important considerations include need to know, preserving audit logs, and due diligence.

Conducting a meeting to capture lessons learned is the next step after an incident management team leader sends out a notification that the organization has successfully recovered from a cyberattack because it helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current incident response plan, capture the feedback and recommendations from the incident responders and stakeholders, and implement the necessary improvements and corrective actions for future incidents. Preparing an executive summary for senior management is not the next step, but rather a subsequent step that involves reporting the incident details, impact, and resolution to the senior management. Gathering feedback on business impact is not the next step, but rather a concurrent step that involves assessing the extent and severity of the damage or disruption caused by the incident. Securing and preserving digital evidence for analysis is not the next step, but rather a previous step that involves collecting and documenting the relevant data or artifacts related to the incident. References: https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2017/volume-5/incident-response-lessons-learned https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2018/volume-3/incident-response-lessons-learned

Patch management files are the files that contain the patches or updates for the software applications and systems that are installed on the compromised system. Patch management files are essential to recover a compromised system that needs a complete rebuild, as they can help to restore the functionality, security, and performance of the system. Without patch management files, the system may not be able to run properly or securely, and may expose the organization to further risks or vulnerabilities. Network system logs, configuration management files, and intrusion detection system (IDS) logs are also important for recovering a compromised system, but they should be considered after patch management files. Network system logs can help to identify the source and scope of the attack, configuration management files can help to restore the original settings and policies of the system, and IDS logs can help to detect any malicious activities or anomalies on the system. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, pages 193-1941; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 672

The best automated control to resolve the issue of security incidents not being appropriately escalated by the help desk is to integrate incident response workflow into the help desk ticketing system. This will ensure that the help desk staff follow the predefined steps and procedures for handling and escalating security incidents, based on the severity, impact, and urgency of each incident. The incident response workflow will also provide clear guidance on who to notify, when to notify, and how to notify the relevant stakeholders and authorities. This will improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and consistency of the incident response process.

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 2901; A Practical Approach to Incident Management Escalation2

Security performance metrics are quantitative or qualitative measures that indicate the effectiveness and efficiency of the information security program in achieving the organization’s security goals and objectives. Measuring security performance metrics against business objectives is the best indication that an organization has integrated information security governance with corporate governance, as it demonstrates that the security program is aligned with and supports the business strategy, value delivery, and risk management. (From CISM Review Manual 15th Edition)

Entering identified risks into the organization's risk register ensures that they are documented, tracked, assigned, and addressed. Without recording in the risk register, there’s no formal mechanism to manage, treat, or monitor the risk.

“The risk register is the central repository for tracking all known risks, their status, and treatment plans.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2: Information Risk Management, Section: Risk Response and Risk Register*

Lessons learned analysis is the best way to enable an organization to enhance its incident response plan processes and procedures because it helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current plan, capture the feedback and recommendations from the incident responders and stakeholders, and implement the necessary improvements and corrective actions for future incidents. Security risk assessments are not directly related to enhancing the incident response plan, but rather to identifying and evaluating the security risks and controls of the organization. Information security audits are not directly related to enhancing the incident response plan, but rather to verifying and validating the compliance and effectiveness of the security policies and standards of the organization. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are not directly related to enhancing the incident response plan, but rather to measuring and reporting the performance and progress of the security objectives and initiatives of the organization. References: https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2017/volume-5/incident-response-lessons-learned https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2017/volume-1/security-risk-assessment-for-a-cloud-based-enterprise-resource-planning-system https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2016/volume-6/how-to-measure-the-effectiveness-of-information-security-using-iso-27004 https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2017/volume-3/how-to-measure-the-effectiveness-of-your-information-security-management-system

Intelligent middleware enables dynamic rerouting and automated load balancing, which is crucial for high availability. This minimizes downtime and ensures continuity without manual intervention.

“Middleware solutions can provide automated failover capabilities, improving system resilience and availability.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 3: Program Development and Management, Section: Availability and Resilience*

Manual failover and cold sites introduce delays, which are not suitable for e-business environments requiring near-zero downtime.

= A merger with another organization would MOST likely require a revision to the information security program, because it involves a significant change in the scope, structure, and objectives of the organization. A merger could affect the information security policies, procedures, roles, responsibilities, and resources of the organization, as well as introduce new risks and challenges. Therefore, the information security program should be reviewed and updated to reflect the new situation and ensure alignment with the organizational goals and strategies. An increase in industry threat level, a significant increase in reported incidents, and a change in IT management are all events that could affect the information security program without necessarily requiring a revision. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 3181; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 1532

Data recovery is the process of restoring data that has been lost, corrupted, or deleted. When a file is deleted, it is usually not physically erased from the disk, but only marked as free space by the operating system. Therefore, it may be possible to recover the file by using specialized tools that scan the disk for the file’s data. However, if the file has been overwritten by another file or data, then the original file’s data is lost and cannot be recovered. The other options are not as challenging as overwriting, because they only affect the logical structure of the disk, not the physical data. For example, the partition table, the directory, and the formatting information can be reconstructed or bypassed by using forensic tools. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, Chapter 5, Section 5.4.1.2

The greatest challenge with assessing emerging risk in an organization is the incomplete identification of threats, as emerging risks are often new, unknown, or unfamiliar, and may not be fully understood or assessed. Incomplete identification of threats can lead to gaps in risk analysis and management, and expose the organization to unexpected or unprepared scenarios. The other options, such as lack of a risk framework, ineffective security controls, or presence of known vulnerabilities, are not specific to emerging risks, and may apply to any type of risk assessment. References:

https://committee.iso.org/sites/tc262/home/projects/ongoing/iso-31022-guidelines-for-impl-2.html

https://www.isaca.org/resources/news-and-trends/newsletters/atisaca/2023/volume-6/emerging-risk-analysis

https://projectriskcoach.com/emerging-risks/

Consulting with the business owner is the FIRST course of action that the information security manager should take to address the risk associated with a new third-party cloud application that will not meet organizational security requirements, because it helps to understand the business needs and expectations for using the application, and to communicate the security risks and implications. The information security manager and the business owner should work together to evaluate the trade-offs between the benefits and the risks of the application, and to determine the best course of action, such as modifying the requirements, finding an alternative solution, or accepting the risk.

References =

CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, ISACA, 2020, p. 41: “The information security manager should consult with the business owners to understand their needs and expectations for using third-party services, and to communicate the security risks and implications.”

CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, ISACA, 2020, p. 42: “The information security manager and the business owners should collaborate to evaluate the trade-offs between the benefits and the risks of using third-party services, and to determine the best course of action, such as modifying the requirements, finding an alternative solution, or accepting the risk.”

Best Practices to Manage Risks in the Cloud - ISACA: “The information security manager should work with the business owner to define the security requirements for the cloud service, such as data protection, access control, incident response, and compliance.”

Eradication is the phase of incident response where the incident team removes the threat from the affected systems and restores them to a secure state. If this phase is not successful, the malware may persist or reappear on the systems, causing further damage or compromise. Therefore, eradication is the correct answer.

Reputational damage is often intangible, subjective, and hard to quantify, making it the most challenging aspect to measure.

“Reputation impact is difficult to quantify and may have long-term effects that are not immediately apparent.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 4: Incident Management, Section: Post-incident Analysis*

ISACA practice questions highlight that reputational damage is uniquely challenging to measure accurately.

A standardized security control is a set of rules, guidelines, or best practices that are designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets and systems. An information security framework is a collection of standardized security controls that are aligned with the organization’s objectives, strategy, and risk appetite. Adopting an information security framework provides a primary benefit of ensuring consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness in the implementation and management of information security across the organization.

References = CISM Review Manual 2022, page 321; CISM Exam Content Outline, Domain 1, Knowledge Statement 1.22; What is an Information Security Framework?; Information Security Frameworks: What Are They and Why Do You Need One?