Free Practice Questions for Isaca CISM Exam

 The main reason for having senior management review and approve an information security strategic plan is to ensure that the plan aligns with the corporate governance of the organization. Corporate governance is the set of responsibilities and practices exercised by the board and executive management to provide strategic direction, ensure objectives are achieved, manage risks appropriately and verify that the organization’s resources are used responsibly1. An information security strategic plan is a document that defines the vision, mission, goals, objectives, scope and approach for the information security program of the organization2. The plan should be aligned with the organization’s business strategy, risk appetite, culture, values and objectives3. By reviewing and approving the plan, senior management demonstrates their commitment and support for the information security program, ensures its alignment with the corporate governance, and provides the necessary resources and authority for its implementation4. References = 1: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, ISACA, 2017, page 172: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, ISACA, 2017, page 253: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, ISACA, 2017, page 264: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, ISACA, 2017, page 27.

Senior management review and approval of an information security strategic plan is important to ensure that the plan is aligned with the organization's overall corporate governance objectives. It is also important to ensure that the plan takes into account any legal and regulatory requirements, as well as the resources and staff needed to properly implement the plan.

The Recovery Time Objective (RTO) specifies the maximum acceptable downtime before operations must resume. A 30-minute requirement directly defines the RTO for those systems.

“RTO defines the duration within which systems must be restored following an outage to prevent unacceptable business impact.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 3: Business Continuity Planning, Section: Continuity Metrics*

 To help ensure that an information security training program is MOST effective, its contents should be based on employees’ roles, as different roles have different information security responsibilities, needs, and risks. A role-based training program can tailor the content and delivery methods to suit the specific learning objectives and outcomes for each role, and enhance the relevance and retention of the information security knowledge and skills. Based on recent incidents is not the best answer, as it may not cover all the information security topics that are important for the organization, and may not address the root causes or preventive measures of the incidents. Based on employees’ roles is more comprehensive and proactive than based on recent incidents. Aligned to business processes is not the best answer, as it may not reflect the individual roles and responsibilities of the employees, and may not cover all the information security aspects that are relevant for the organization. Based on employees’ roles is more specific and personalized than aligned to business processes. Focused on information security policy is not the best answer, as it may not provide sufficient details or examples to help the employees understand and apply the information security policy in their daily work. Based on employees’ roles is more practical and engaging than focused on information security policy. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 2241; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 1002

To help ensure that an information security training program is MOST effective, its contents should be based on employees’ roles. This is because different roles have different responsibilities and access levels to information and systems, and therefore face different types of threats and risks. By tailoring the training content to the specific needs and expectations of each role, the training program can increase the relevance and retention of the information security knowledge and skills for the employees. Role-based training can also help employees understand their accountability and obligations for protecting information assets in their daily tasks

Assessing the risk of noncompliance ensures that decisions are based on an understanding of the business impact and security implications.

“Before reporting or remediating, it is critical to assess the risk associated with the control bypass to make informed decisions.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2: Risk Management, Section: Risk Assessment*

 An organization-wide social media policy is a document that defines the rules and guidelines for using social media platforms within the organization. It covers topics such as who can use social media, what they can post, how they should protect confidential information, and what are the consequences for violating the policy. An organization-wide social media policy helps to mitigate the risk of confidential information being disclosed by employees on social media by providing a clear and consistent framework for managing social media activities12.

References = 1: CISM Review Manual (Digital Version), page 271 2: CISM Review Manual (Print Version), page 271

Elapsed time between detection, reporting, and response is the most appropriate metric for evaluating the incident notification process because it measures how quickly and effectively the organization identifies, communicates, and responds to security incidents. The incident notification process is a critical part of the incident response plan that defines the roles and responsibilities, procedures, and channels for reporting and escalating security incidents to the relevant stakeholders. Elapsed time between detection, reporting, and response helps to assess the performance and efficiency of the incident notification process, as well as to identify any bottlenecks or delays that may affect the incident resolution and recovery. Therefore, elapsed time between detection, reporting, and response is the correct answer.

 When a new information security manager is developing an information security strategy for a non-regulated organization, reviewing the management’s business goals and objectives would be the most helpful. This is because the information security strategy should be aligned with and support the organization’s vision, mission, values, and strategic direction. The information security strategy should also enable the organization to achieve its desired outcomes, such as increasing revenue, reducing costs, enhancing customer satisfaction, or improving operational efficiency. By reviewing the management’s business goals and objectives, the information security manager can understand the business context, needs, and expectations of the organization, and design the information security strategy accordingly. The information security manager can also communicate the value proposition and benefits of the information security strategy to the management and other stakeholders, and gain their support and commitment.

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, Chapter 1: Information Security Governance, Section: Information Security Strategy, page 211; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, Question 48, page 452.

Computer forensics involves analyzing systems to reconstruct activities and identify what changes or breaches have occurred. It provides a detailed understanding of the sequence of events during an incident.

“Computer forensics provides a detailed, legally defensible analysis of system activities to reconstruct the incident and identify root causes.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 4: Incident Management, Section: Forensics and Investigations*

ISACA practice questions note that computer forensics is key for reconstructing incident activities.

Ensuring the business can operate is the primary consideration when responding to a ransomware attack because it helps to minimize the disruption and impact of the attack on the organization’s mission-critical functions and services. Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the files or systems of the victims and demands payment for their decryption. Ransomware attacks can cause significant operational, financial, and reputational damage to organizations, especially if they affect their core business processes or customer data. Therefore, ensuring the business can operate is the primary consideration when responding to a ransomware attack.

Criteria for activation are essential to ensure that the BCP is triggered appropriately in response to a disruption.

“The BCP should include clearly defined activation criteria to ensure that plans are invoked when necessary.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 3: Information Security Program Development and Management, Section: Business Continuity Planning*

ISACA’s practice questions confirm that criteria for activation are core to a BCP’s effectiveness.

= The most important message to convey to employees in building a security risk-aware culture is that the responsibility for security rests with all employees, not just the information security function or the management. A security risk-aware culture is a collective mindset of the people in the organization working every day to protect the enterprise and its information assets from internal and external threats. A security risk-aware culture requires the workforce to know the security risks and the processes for avoiding or mitigating them, and to make thoughtful decisions that align with security policies and standards. A security risk-aware culture also incorporates a broader corporate culture of day-to-day actions that encourage employees to report security incidents, share security best practices, and participate in security awareness and training programs. A security risk-aware culture helps to reduce the human factor that causes 90 percent of all cyberattacks, and to offset the impact of corrupted or lost data, decreased revenue, regulatory fines, and reputational damage. A security risk-aware culture turns people from assets that must be protected into assets that actively contribute to the cybersecurity and risk management posture and elevate security to being a business enabler rather than a business impediment123.

Personal information requires different security controls than sensitive information is a true statement, but it is not the most important message to convey to employees in building a security risk-aware culture. Personal information is any information that can identify or relate to a natural person, such as name, address, email, phone number, social security number, etc. Sensitive information is any information that is confidential, proprietary, or has a high value or impact to the organization, such as trade secrets, financial data, customer data, intellectual property, etc. Different types of information may have different legal, regulatory, contractual, or ethical obligations to protect them from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, or destruction. Therefore, different security controls may be applied to personal and sensitive information based on their classification, such as encryption, access control, retention, disposal, etc. However, this message does not address the broader concept of security risk-aware culture, which is not limited to information classification and protection, but also encompasses the behaviors, attitudes, and values of the employees towards security.

Employee access should be based on the principle of least privilege is a good practice, but it is not the most important message to convey to employees in building a security risk-aware culture. The principle of least privilege states that users should only have the minimum level of access and permissions that are necessary to perform their job functions, and no more. This principle helps to reduce the risk of unauthorized or inappropriate actions, such as data leakage, fraud, sabotage, etc., by limiting the exposure and impact of user activities. However, this message does not capture the essence of security risk-aware culture, which is not only about access control, but also about the awareness, understanding, and commitment of the employees to security.

Understanding an information asset’s value is critical to risk management is a valid point, but it is not the most important message to convey to employees in building a security risk-aware culture. Understanding an information asset’s value is essential to determine the potential impact and likelihood of a security risk, and to prioritize the appropriate risk response strategies, such as avoidance, mitigation, transfer, or acceptance. However, this message does not reflect the holistic nature of security risk-aware culture, which is not only about risk assessment, but also about risk communication, risk treatment, and risk monitoring. References =

Building a Culture of Security - ISACA2

The Risk-Conscious, Security-Aware Culture: The Forgotten Critical Security Control - Cisco3

CISM ITEM DEVELOPMENT GUIDE - ISACA4

 To overcome the perception that security is a hindrance to business activities, it is important for an information security manager to promote the relevance and contribution of security to the organization’s goals and objectives. Security is not only a technical function, but also a business enabler that supports the organization’s strategy, vision, and mission. By promoting the relevance and contribution of security, the information security manager can demonstrate the value and benefits of security to the stakeholders, such as increasing customer trust, enhancing reputation, reducing costs, improving efficiency, and complying with regulations. Promoting the relevance and contribution of security can also help the information security manager to build relationships and partnerships with the business units, and to align the security program with the business needs and expectations. Promoting the relevance and contribution of security can also help the information security manager to foster a positive security culture and awareness within the organization, and to encourage the adoption and support of security policies and practices.

The other options are not the best ways to overcome the perception that security is a hindrance to business activities. Relying on senior management to enforce security is not the best way, because it may create a sense of coercion and resentment among the employees, and may undermine the credibility and authority of the information security manager. Focusing on compliance is not the best way, because it may create a false sense of security and satisfaction, and may neglect the other aspects and dimensions of security, such as risk management, value creation, and innovation. Reiterating the necessity of security is not the best way, because it may not address the root causes and factors of the negative perception, and may not provide sufficient evidence and justification for the security investments and decisions. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, ISACA, 2020, pp. 13-14, 23-241; CISM Online Review Course, Domain 1: Information Security Governance, Module 1: Information Security Governance Overview, ISACA2

To overcome the perception that security is a hindrance to business activities, it is important for an information security manager to promote the relevance and contribution of security. By demonstrating the value that security brings to the organization, including protecting assets and supporting business objectives, the information security manager can help to change the perception of security from a hindrance to a critical component of business success.

Relying on senior management to enforce security, focusing on compliance, and reiterating the necessity of security are all important elements of a comprehensive security program, but they do not directly address the perception that security is a hindrance to business activities. By promoting the relevance and contribution of security, the information security manager can help to align security with the overall goals and objectives of the organization, and foster a culture that values and supports security initiatives.

The effectiveness of an information security governance framework will best be enhanced if risk management is built into operational and strategic activities. This is because risk management is a key component of information security governance, which is the process of establishing and maintaining a framework to provide assurance that information security strategies are aligned with and support business objectives, are consistent with applicable laws and regulations, and are effectively managed and measured. Risk management involves identifying, analyzing, evaluating, treating, monitoring, and communicating information security risks that may affect the organization’s objectives, assets, and stakeholders. By integrating risk management into operational and strategic activities, the organization can ensure that information security risks are considered and addressed in every decision and action, and that the information security governance framework is aligned with the organization’s risk appetite and tolerance. This also helps to optimize the allocation of resources, enhance the performance and value of information security, and improve the accountability and transparency of information security governance.

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, Chapter 1: Information Security Governance, Section: Information Security Governance Framework, page 181; CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, Chapter 2: Information Risk Management, Section: Risk Management, page 812; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, Question 53, page 493.

During due diligence, performing a risk assessment is critical to understanding the potential impact of integrating the new organization into the acquiring company. This includes evaluating inherited risks, compliance gaps, and technical vulnerabilities.

“As part of due diligence during mergers and acquisitions, it is crucial to assess risks associated with the target organization to ensure proper integration and continuity.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2: Risk Management, Section: Due Diligence

ISACA’s CISM practice database reinforces that identifying and quantifying risks early helps ensure appropriate controls are in place before the integration, making risk assessment the most critical activity.

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

Justifying investments in information security requires aligning proposals with business objectives to gain management approval.

A. Vulnerability scan results: These provide technical insights but are insufficient for high-level justification.

B. Competitor benchmark analysis: While useful, this is less relevant than demonstrating direct alignment with organizational needs.

C. Previous security budget: Historical data may provide context but does not justify future needs.

D. Business requirements: This is the BEST answer because aligning security investments with business objectives demonstrates the value and necessity of the program to stakeholders.

 The best way to ensure information security governance is aligned with corporate governance is to integrate security reporting into corporate reporting. This will enable the board and senior management to oversee and monitor the performance and effectiveness of the information security program, as well as the alignment of information security objectives and strategies with business goals and risk appetite. Security reporting should provide relevant, timely, accurate, and actionable information to support decision making and accountability. The other options are important components of information security governance, but they do not ensure alignment with corporate governance by themselves. References = CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 411; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription, Question ID: 1027

Prevention of authorized access is the greatest threat posed by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on a public-facing web server because it prevents legitimate users or customers from accessing the web services or resources, causing disruption, dissatisfaction, and potential loss of revenue or reputation. Execution of unauthorized commands is not a threat posed by a DDoS attack, but rather by a remote code execution (RCE) attack. Defacement of website content is not a threat posed by a DDoS attack, but rather by a web application attack. Unauthorized access to resources is not a threat posed by a DDoS attack, but rather by a brute force attack or an authentication bypass attack. References: https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2017/volume-6/the-value-of-penetration-testing https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2016/volume-5/security-scanning-versus-penetration-testing