CISM Exam Dumps - Isaca Certification Questions and Answers

The most important attribute when assigning a risk owner is that the risk owner has the authority to take action on the risk (B). In CISM, risk ownership is fundamentally about accountability and decision-making authority. The risk owner must be empowered to decide on risk treatment options—such as mitigation, transfer, acceptance, or avoidance—and to allocate resources or approve changes necessary to address the risk.

While reassessing risk after remediation (A) and updating the risk register (C) are important responsibilities, they are administrative and follow-on activities that do not, by themselves, ensure effective risk management. Ownership of the failed control (D) is not required; in fact, CISM distinguishes between risk ownership (business accountability) and control ownership (operational responsibility). The risk owner is typically a business role accountable for the impact of the risk, not necessarily the individual responsible for implementing or operating the control.

CISM guidance consistently stresses that risk owners must have sufficient authority, accountability, and understanding of business impact to make informed decisions aligned with the organization’s risk appetite. Without authority, risk ownership becomes ineffective and purely symbolic.

Procedures are the detailed steps or instructions for performing specific tasks or activities. They are usually aligned with standards, policies and guidelines, but they are more specific and prescriptive. System maintenance instructions and schedules are examples of procedures that should be documented and followed to ensure the proper functioning and security of the system.

The correct answer is D because application allow listing is one of the most effective preventive controls against ransomware execution. Allow listing permits only approved and authorized applications, scripts, or executables to run, thereby reducing the likelihood that malicious ransomware code can execute on endpoints or servers. An application deny list blocks known malicious applications, but it is less effective because attackers can modify filenames, hashes, or code to bypass known deny rules. A web security gateway can help reduce exposure to malicious downloads, phishing links, and compromised websites, but it does not fully prevent ransomware introduced through other channels. A host intrusion detection system may detect suspicious activity, but detection is reactive and may occur after ransomware has already started execution or encryption. CISM risk management principles favor preventive controls where feasible, especially for high-impact threats. Since ransomware success often depends on unauthorized code execution, application allow listing provides stronger protection than the other options.

The information owner is the person who has the authority and responsibility for the information asset and its protection. The information security manager should contact the information owner as soon as possible after the incident has been confirmed, to inform them of the incident, its impact, and the actions taken or planned to resolve it. The information owner may also need to be involved in the decision-making process regarding the incident response and recovery. (From CISM Review Manual 15th Edition)

 According to the CISM Review Manual, the first step to establishing an effective information security program is to create a business case that aligns the program objectives with the organization’s goals and strategies. A business case provides the rationale and justification for the information security program and helps to secure the necessary resources and support from senior management and other stakeholders. A business case should include the following elements:

The scope and objectives of the information security program

The current state of information security in the organization and the gap analysis

The benefits and value proposition of the information security program

The risks and challenges of the information security program

The estimated costs and resources of the information security program

The expected outcomes and performance indicators of the information security program

The implementation plan and timeline of the information security program

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, Chapter 3, Section 2, pages 97-99.

Human error remains the leading cause of cybersecurity breaches, including mishandling data, misconfigurations, and falling for phishing attacks.

“Human error continues to be one of the most common causes of data breaches and security incidents.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 4: Incident Management, Section: Root Cause Analysis*

It is most important that risk owners understand they are accountable for overseeing and monitoring the effectiveness of controls associated with the risk . In CISM, risk ownership means accountability for managing a risk within the organization’s risk appetite. The risk owner does not necessarily operate every control, but must ensure that appropriate treatment is selected, controls are effective, residual risk is understood, and issues are addressed. Reporting metrics to the information security manager is useful, but it is only part of oversight and does not fully define accountability. Escalating deficiencies may be required when risks exceed tolerance, but escalation alone is not the primary accountability. Collaborating with stakeholders is important, but accountability remains with the risk owner. CISM separates control ownership from risk ownership: control owners may operate controls, while risk owners remain accountable for the business risk and outcomes. Therefore, overseeing and monitoring the effectiveness of related controls is the most important accountability for risk owners.

= The application owner is primarily accountable for the associated task because they are responsible for ensuring that the application meets the business requirements and objectives, as well as the security and compliance standards. The application owner is also the one who defines the roles and responsibilities of the application team, including the security engineer, and oversees the development, testing, deployment, and maintenance of the application. The application owner should work with the cloud provider to address the security vulnerability and mitigate the risk. The information security manager, the data owner, and the security engineer are not primarily accountable for the associated task, although they may have some roles and responsibilities in supporting the application owner. The information security manager is responsible for establishing and maintaining the information security program and aligning it with the business objectives and strategy. The data owner is responsible for defining the classification, usage, and protection requirements of the data. The security engineer is responsible for implementing and testing the security controls and features of the application. References = CISM Review Manual 2023, Chapter 1, Section 1.2.2, page 18; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription, Question ID: 115.

According to the CISM Review Manual, the information security manager should evaluate the third party’s agreements with its external provider to ensure that the security requirements and controls are adequate and consistent with the organization’s expectations. Engaging or conducting an audit may be a subsequent step, but not the most important one. Recommending canceling the contract may be premature and impractical.

References = CISM Review Manual, 27th Edition, Chapter 3, Section 3.4.2, page 1431.

= Standardization of compliance requirements is the best approach to reduce unnecessary duplication of compliance activities, as it allows for a common understanding of the objectives and expectations of various stakeholders, such as regulators, auditors, customers, and business partners. Standardization also facilitates the alignment of compliance activities with the organization’s risk appetite and tolerance, and enables the identification and elimination of redundant or conflicting controls. References = CISM Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 721; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, 12th Edition, question 952

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 A post-incident review (PIR) is the process of evaluating the effectiveness of the incident response after the incident has been resolved. A PIR aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the response process, the root causes and impacts of the incident, the lessons learned and best practices, and the recommendations and action plans for improvement1. A PIR can help an organization enhance its incident response capabilities, reduce the likelihood and severity of future incidents, and increase its resilience and maturity2.

A PIR is the best process to support the evaluation of incident response effectiveness, because it provides a systematic and comprehensive way to assess the performance and outcomes of the response process, and to identify and implement the necessary changes and improvements. A PIR involves collecting and analyzing relevant data and feedback from various sources, such as incident logs, reports, evidence, metrics, surveys, interviews, and observations. A PIR also involves comparing the actual response with the expected or planned response, and measuring the achievement of the response objectives and the satisfaction of the stakeholders3. A PIR also involves documenting and communicating the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the evaluation, and ensuring that they are followed up and implemented.

The other options are not as good as a PIR in supporting the evaluation of incident response effectiveness, because they are either more specific, limited, or dependent on a PIR. A root cause analysis (RCA) is a technique to identify the underlying factors or reasons that caused the incident, and to prevent or mitigate their recurrence. An RCA can help an organization understand the nature and origin of the incident, and to address the problem at its source, rather than its symptoms. However, an RCA is not sufficient to evaluate the effectiveness of the response process, because it does not cover other aspects, such as the response performance, outcomes, impacts, lessons, and best practices. An RCA is usually a part of a PIR, rather than a separate process. A chain of custody (CoC) is a process of maintaining and documenting the integrity and security of the evidence collected during the incident response. A CoC can help an organization ensure that the evidence is reliable, authentic, and admissible in legal or regulatory proceedings. However, a CoC is not a process to evaluate the effectiveness of the response process, but rather a requirement or a standard to follow during the response process. A CoC does not provide any feedback or analysis on the response performance, outcomes, impacts, lessons, or best practices. An incident logging is a process of recording and tracking the details and activities of the incident response. An incident logging can help an organization monitor and manage the response process, and to provide an audit trail and a source of information for the evaluation. However, an incident logging is not a process to evaluate the effectiveness of the response process, but rather an input or a tool for the evaluation. An incident logging does not provide any assessment or measurement on the response performance, outcomes, impacts, lessons, or best practices. References = 1: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 5, Section 5.5 2: Post-Incident Review: A Guide to Effective Incident Response 3: Post-Incident Review: A Guide to Effective Incident Response : CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 5, Section 5.5 : CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 5, Section 5.5 : CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 5, Section 5.4 : CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 5, Section 5.3

Enterprise goals are the most critical input because security policies must align with and support the organization’s objectives and mission. Policies that do not align with enterprise goals are less likely to gain management support and may not effectively protect key assets.

“Information security must support enterprise goals and objectives to ensure alignment with the broader business strategy.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 1: Information Security Governance, Section: Alignment with Business Goals and Objectives

ISACA’s CISM questions reiterate that alignment with enterprise goals is essential for policy effectiveness.

 Information security governance 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. By aligning information security governance with corporate governance, the organization can ensure that information security is integrated into the business processes and decision making, and that the information security risks and opportunities are properly identified, assessed, and addressed. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, Chapter 1, Section 1.1

The document that should be triggered first when unknown malware has infected an organization’s critical system is the incident response plan because it defines the roles and responsibilities, procedures and protocols, tools and techniques for responding to and managing a security incident effectively and efficiently. Disaster recovery plan (DRP) is not a good document for this purpose because it focuses on restoring the organization’s critical systems and operations after a major disruption or disaster, which may not be necessary or appropriate at this stage. Business continuity plan (BCP) is not a good document for this purpose because it focuses on restoring the organization’s critical business functions and operations after a major disruption or disaster, which may not be necessary or appropriate at this stage. Vulnerability management plan is not a good document for this purpose because it focuses on identifying and evaluating the security weaknesses or exposures of the organization’s systems and assets, which may not be relevant or helpful at this stage. 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

Risk management is the most important factor for the effectiveness of an information security program, as it provides a systematic and consistent approach to identify, assess, treat, and monitor the information security risks that could affect the organization’s objectives. Risk management also helps to align the security program with the business strategy, prioritize the security initiatives and resources, and communicate the value of security to the stakeholders.

References = CISM Review Manual 2022, page 3071; CISM Exam Content Outline, Domain 4, Knowledge Statement 4.1