CISM Exam Dumps - Isaca Certification Questions and Answers

The first thing an information security manager should do after learning through mass media of a data breach at the organization’s hosted payroll service provider is to validate the breach with the provider, which means contacting the provider directly and confirming the details and scope of the breach, such as when it occurred, what data was compromised, and what actions the provider is taking to mitigate the impact. Validating the breach with the provider can help the information security manager assess the situation accurately and plan the next steps accordingly. The other options, such as suspending the data exchange, notifying regulatory authorities, or initiating the business continuity plan, may be premature or unnecessary before validating the breach with the provider. References:

https://www.wired.com/story/sequoia-hr-data-breach/

https://cybernews.com/news/kronos-major-hr-and-payroll-service-provider-hit-with-ransomware-warns-of-a-long-outage/

https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/pay-in-crisis-as-major-payroll-company-hacked-20211117-p599mr

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.

Escalation processes ensure that the provider and the organization can coordinate quickly and effectively during incidents.

“A clearly defined escalation process ensures that incidents are handled swiftly and with the appropriate level of authority, particularly when working with cloud service providers.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 4: Incident Management, Section: Cloud and Outsourced Incident Response*

ISACA practice questions reinforce that escalation processes are critical when collaborating with third parties in incident management.

A buffer overflow is a software coding error or vulnerability that occurs when a function is carried out with more data than the function can handle, resulting in adjacent memory locations being overwritten or corrupted by the excess data1. A program contains a hidden and unintended function that presents a security risk is not a buffer overflow, but rather a backdoor2. Malicious code designed to interfere with normal operations is not a buffer overflow, but rather malware3. A type of covert channel that captures data is not a buffer overflow, but rather a keylogger. References: 1 https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/buffer-overflow 2 https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/backdoor 3 https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/malware https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/keylogger

post-incident review of an information security incident is a process that aims to identify the root causes, contributing factors, and lessons learned from the incident, and to implement corrective and preventive actions to avoid or mitigate similar incidents in the future. The primary objective of a post-incident review is to prevent recurrence, as it helps to improve the security posture, awareness, and resilience of the organization. Preventing recurrence also helps to reduce the impact and cost of future incidents, as well as to enhance the reputation and trust of the organization. Updating the risk profile, minimizing impact, and determining the impact are not the primary objectives of a post-incident review, although they may be part of its outcomes or outputs. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 1011

 The online bank should first isolate the affected network segment, as this is the most effective way to contain the attack and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the network or compromising more data or systems. Isolating the affected network segment also helps to preserve the evidence and facilitate the investigation and recovery process. Reporting the root cause to the board of directors, assessing whether personally identifiable information (Pll) is compromised, and shutting down the entire network are not the first actions that the online bank should take, as they may not be feasible or appropriate at the time of the attack, and may cause more disruption, confusion, or damage to the business operations and reputation. References = CISM Review Manual 2023, page 1641; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual 2023, page 362; ISACA CISM - iSecPrep, page 213

Senior management support is essential to ensuring effective incident response because it provides the necessary authority, resources, and guidance for the information security team to perform their roles and responsibilities. Senior management support also helps to establish the goals, scope, policies, and procedures for the incident response plan (IRP), as well as to ensure its alignment with the business objectives and strategy. Senior management support also fosters a culture of security awareness, accountability, and collaboration among all stakeholders involved in the incident response process.

The other options are not essential to ensuring effective incident response, although they may be helpful or beneficial. A business continuity plan (BCP) is a document that outlines the actions and arrangements to ensure the continuity of critical business functions in the event of a disruption or disaster. A cost-benefit analysis is a method of comparing the costs and benefits of different alternatives or solutions to a problem. A classification scheme is a system of categorizing information assets based on their sensitivity, value, and criticality.

References = CISM Manual1, Chapter 6: Incident Response Planning (IRP), Section 6.1: Incident Response Plan2

1: https://store.isaca.org/s/store#/store/browse/cat/a2D4w00000Ac6NNEAZ/tiles 2: 4

Unexpected outcomes may arise in production when using only sanitized data for the testing of applications. Sanitized data is data that has been purposely and permanently deleted or modified to prevent unauthorized access or misuse. Sanitized data may not reflect the real characteristics, patterns, or behaviors of the original data, and thus may not be suitable for testing applications that rely on data quality and accuracy. According to NIST, data sanitization methods can affect the usability of data for testing purposes1. The other options are not risks introduced by using sanitized data for testing applications, but rather risks that can be mitigated by using sanitized data. Data loss, data disclosure, and breaches of compliance obligations are possible consequences of using unsanitized data that contains sensitive or confidential information. References: 2: What is Data Sanitization? | Data Erasure Methods | Imperva 3: Data sanitization techniques: Standards, practices, legislation 1: Data sanitization – Wikipedia

The first step when developing a business case for a new intrusion detection system (IDS) solution is to define the issues to be addressed. A business case is a document that provides the rationale and justification for initiating a project or investment. It typically includes information such as the problem statement, the objectives, the alternatives, the costs and benefits, the risks and assumptions, and the expected outcomes. The first step in developing a business case is to define the issues to be addressed, which means identifying and describing the current situation, the problems or challenges faced by the organization, and the needs or opportunities for improvement. By defining the issues to be addressed, the information security manager can establish the scope and purpose of the business case, and provide a clear and compelling problem statement that explains why a new IDS solution is needed. The other options are not the first step when developing a business case for a new IDS solution, although they may be part of the subsequent steps. Performing a cost-benefit analysis is a step that involves comparing the costs and benefits of different alternatives, including the new IDS solution and the status quo. A cost-benefit analysis can help evaluate and justify the feasibility and desirability of each alternative, and support the decision-making process. Calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO) is a step that involves estimating the direct and indirect costs associated with acquiring, operating, maintaining, and disposing of an asset or a system over its entire life cycle. A TCO calculation can help determine the long-term financial implications of investing in a new IDS solution, and compare it with other alternatives. Conducting a feasibility study is a step that involves assessing the technical, operational, legal, and economic aspects of implementing a project or an investment. A feasibility study can help identify and mitigate any potential issues or risks that may affect the success of the project or investment, and provide recommendations for improvement

The information security manager should first determine the risk related to noncompliance with the policy, as this will help to understand the impact and likelihood of the policy violation and the potential consequences for the organization. The information security manager can then use the risk assessment results to communicate the importance of the policy to the IT personnel, propose any necessary changes to the policy or the processes, or request an audit of the policy development process, depending on the situation. Conducting user awareness training, updating policies and procedures, or requesting an audit are possible actions that the information security manager can take after determining the risk, but they are not the first step. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, Chapter 2: Information Risk Management, Section: Risk Assessment, page 86; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, Question 59, page 60.

 According to the CISM Review Manual, one of the best ways to contain an SQL injection attack that has been detected by a web application firewall is to reconfigure the web application firewall to block the attack. This means that the web application firewall should be updated with the latest detection patterns and rules that can identify and prevent SQL injection attacks. By doing so, the web application firewall can reduce the impact and damage of the attack, and prevent further exploitation of the vulnerable database1

The other options are not as effective as reconfiguring the web application firewall to block the attack. Force password changes on the SQL database is a reactive measure that does not address the root cause of the problem, and may cause data loss or corruption if not done properly. Updating the detection patterns on the web application firewall is a preventive measure that can help to detect SQL injection attacks, but it does not stop them from happening in the first place. Blocking IPs from where the attack originates is a defensive measure that can limit or stop some SQL injection attacks, but it does not protect all possible sources of malicious traffic, and may also affect legitimate users or applications1

References = 1: CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, ISACA, 2020, pp. 32-33…

The best way to determine corrective actions after a major information security incident is to conduct a postmortem assessment, which is a systematic and structured review of the incident, its causes, its impacts, and its lessons learned. A postmortem assessment can help to identify the root causes of the incident, the strengths and weaknesses of the incident response process, the gaps and deficiencies in the security controls, and the opportunities for improvement and remediation. A postmortem assessment can also help to document the recommendations and action plans for preventing or minimizing the recurrence of similar incidents in the future.

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition eBook1, Chapter 4: Information Security Incident Management, Section: Incident Response, Subsection: Postincident Activities, Page 211.

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a legally binding document that defines the performance and compliance expectations for third-party services, including information security requirements. It is the best mechanism to ensure that the third-party backup site meets ongoing security standards.

“SLAs should include security, availability, and performance expectations to align third-party services with organizational policies.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 3: Program Development, Section: Third-Party Relationships*

The information security manager should do FIRST invoke the organization’s incident response plan, which is a predefined set of procedures and guidelines for handling security incidents in a timely and effective manner. The incident response plan should include the roles and responsibilities of the incident response team, the communication protocols and channels, the escalation and reporting procedures, and the documentation and evidence collection requirements. By invoking the incident response plan, the information security manager can ensure that the incident is properly contained, analyzed, resolved, and reported, and that the appropriate stakeholders are informed and involved. The other options are not the first actions that the information security manager should take, as they are part of the communication process that follows the incident response plan. Setting up communication channels for the target audience, determining the needs and requirements of each audience, and creating a comprehensive singular communication are all important steps for communicating effectively with the board, regulatory agencies, and the media, but they are not the first priority in the event of a security incident. The information security manager should first follow the incident response plan to manage the incident and its impact, and then communicate the relevant information to the target audience according to the plan. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 2261; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 1012

Determining the needs and requirements of each audience should be the FIRST step in developing materials to update the board, regulatory agencies, and the media about a security incident. This is because different audiences have different expectations, interests, and concerns regarding the incident and its impact. By understanding the needs and requirements of each audience, the information security manager can tailor the communication materials to address them effectively and appropriately. This will also help to avoid confusion, misinformation, or misinterpretation of the incident details and response actions

Social engineering is a technique used by attackers to manipulate individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that can compromise the security of an organization. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security mechanism that requires users to provide at least two forms of authentication to verify their identity. By requiring MFA, even if an attacker successfully obtains a user's credentials through social engineering, they will not be able to access the network without the additional form of authentication.

Penetration testing simulates real-world attacks to identify any remaining exploitable vulnerabilities after controls are implemented. It validates that mitigation has been successful from an attacker’s perspective.

“Penetration testing is essential to verify the effectiveness of remediation efforts and ensure vulnerabilities can no longer be exploited.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2: Risk Management, Section: Security Testing and Evaluation*

Vulnerability assessments and audits are valuable, but pen testing provides practical assurance.

According to the CISM Manual, the information security manager should first assess the risk to business operations before taking any other action. This will help to prioritize the issues and determine the appropriate response. Performing a vulnerability assessment, a gap analysis, or creating a security exception are possible actions, but they should be based on the risk assessment results. References = CISM Manual, 5th Edition, page 1211; CISM Practice Quiz, question 32