CISM Exam Dumps - Isaca Certification Questions and Answers

The best option to reduce the risk of unauthorized sharing of information during the due diligence process is B. Establishing mutual non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). This is because NDAs are legal contracts that bind the parties to keep confidential any information that is exchanged or disclosed during the due diligence process. NDAs can help to protect the sensitive data, intellectual property, trade secrets, or business strategies of both the organization and the third party from being leaked, stolen, or misused by unauthorized parties. NDAs can also specify the terms and conditions for the use, storage, and disposal of the information, as well as the consequences for breaching the agreement.

References = CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 3, Section 3.2.1, page 1341; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual 9th Edition, Question 70, page 18

The BEST way for an organization to ensure that incident response teams are properly prepared is by conducting tabletop exercises appropriate for the organization.

Tabletop exercises are an effective way to test and validate an organization ' s incident response plan (IRP) and the readiness of the incident response team. These exercises simulate different scenarios in a controlled environment and allow the team to practice their response procedures, identify gaps, and make improvements to the plan. By conducting regular tabletop exercises, the incident response team can stay current with changes in the threat landscape and ensure that they are prepared to respond to incidents effectively.

According to the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Study Manual, " Tabletop exercises are a valuable tool for testing and validating the effectiveness of the IRP and the readiness of the incident response team. These exercises simulate different scenarios in a controlled environment and allow the team to practice their response procedures, identify gaps, and make improvements to the plan. "

While providing training from third-party forensics firms, obtaining industry certifications, and documenting multiple scenarios for the organization and response steps can all be useful in preparing incident response teams, they are not as effective as conducting tabletop exercises appropriate for the organization.

= An incremental backup method only backs up the data that has changed since the last backup, whether it was a full or an incremental backup. This method requires the least amount of time and storage space for backup, but it requires the most time to restore data for an application. To restore data from an incremental backup, the latest full backup and all the subsequent incremental backups are needed. A full backup method backs up all the data in a system or an application at a point in time. This method requires the most amount of time and storage space for backup, but it requires the least time to restore data for an application. To restore data from a full backup, only the latest full backup is needed. A differential backup method backs up the data that has changed since the last full backup. This method requires more time and storage space for backup than the incremental method, but less than the full backup method. It also requires less time to restore data for an application than the incremental method, but more than the full backup method. To restore data from a differential backup, the latest full backup and the latest differential backup are needed. A disk mirroring method creates an exact copy of a disk on another disk in real time. This method provides the highest level of availability and fault tolerance, but it also requires twice the amount of disk space. To restore data from a disk mirroring method, the mirrored disk can be used as the primary disk in case of a failure. References = CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 201-202.

The method that requires the MOST time to restore data for an application is a Full Backup. Full backups contain all the data that is required to restore an application, but the process of restoring the data is the most time-consuming as it involves copying all the data from the backup to the application. Incremental backups only backup the changes made since the last backup, differential backups only backup changes made since the last full backup, and disk mirroring provides real-time data replication, so the data is immediately available.

The first step is to invoke the incident response plan to ensure a systematic, controlled, and compliant response to the security incident.

“The incident response plan should be activated immediately to investigate, contain, and resolve incidents of unauthorized access.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 4: Incident Management, Section: Incident Response Plan Execution*

ISACA practice questions also reinforce that invoking the incident response plan is the essential first response to contain the breach.

 Risk management dashboards are the MOST effective in monitoring an organization’s existing risk because they provide a visual and interactive representation of the key risk indicators (KRIs) and metrics that reflect the current risk posture and performance of the organization. Risk management dashboards can help to communicate the risk information to various stakeholders, identify trends and patterns, compare actual results with targets and thresholds, and support decision making and risk response12. Periodic updates to risk register (A) are important to maintain the accuracy and relevance of the risk information, but they are not the most effective in monitoring the existing risk because they do not provide a real-time or dynamic view of the risk situation. Security information and event management (SIEM) systems © are effective in monitoring the security events and incidents that may indicate potential or actual threats to the organization, but they are not the most effective in monitoring the existing risk because they do not provide a comprehensive or holistic view of the risk context and impact. Vulnerability assessment results (D) are effective in monitoring the weaknesses and exposures of the organization’s assets and systems, but they are not the most effective in monitoring the existing risk because they do not provide a quantitative or qualitative measure of the risk likelihood and consequence. References = 1: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 316-3171; 2: CISM Domain 2: Information Risk Management (IRM) [2022 update]2

The first action the information security manager should take is to initiate the incident response process (B). According to CISM incident management principles, once there is confirmed evidence of a security incident—such as employee data being publicly disclosed—the organization must immediately activate its formal incident response procedures. This ensures that actions are coordinated, evidence is preserved, roles and responsibilities are clear, and regulatory, legal, and communication requirements are handled in a controlled manner.

Informing impacted employees (A), escalating to senior management (C), and engaging forensic experts (D) are all important steps, but they are subsequent actions that occur within the incident response process, not before it. Initiating the incident response process provides the structured framework needed to assess scope, contain damage, meet notification obligations, and determine whether forensic investigation is required.

CISM emphasizes that ad hoc actions taken outside the incident response process increase the risk of miscommunication, legal exposure, and ineffective containment. Activating the process first ensures disciplined execution aligned with governance, legal, and regulatory expectations.

A disaster recovery plan (DRP) test is a simulation of a disaster scenario to evaluate the effectiveness and readiness of the DRP. The greatest inherent risk when performing a DRP test is the disruption to the production environment, which could cause operational issues, data loss, or system damage. Therefore, it is essential to plan and execute the DRP test carefully, with proper backup, isolation, and rollback procedures. Poor documentation, lack of communication, and lack of coordination are also potential risks, but they are not as severe as disrupting the production environment. References = CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 253; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription, QID 224.

The greatest inherent risk when performing a disaster recovery plan (DRP) test is disruption to the production environment. A DRP test involves simulating a disaster scenario to ensure that the organization ' s plans are effective and that it is able to recover from an incident. However, this involves running tests on the production environment, which has the potential to disrupt the normal operations of the organization. This inherent risk can be mitigated by running tests on a non-production environment or by running tests at times when disruption will be minimized.

Review of security metrics trends is the best evidence to senior management that security control performance has improved because it helps to measure and demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the security controls over time. Security metrics are quantitative or qualitative indicators that provide information about the security status or performance of an organization, system, process, or activity. Security metrics can be used to evaluate the implementation, operation, and outcome of security controls, such as the number of vulnerabilities detected and remediated, the time to respond and recover from incidents, the compliance level with security policies and standards, or the return on security investment. Review of security metrics trends helps to identify and communicate the progress, achievements, and challenges of the security program, as well as to support decision making and continuous improvement. Therefore, review of security metrics trends is the correct answer.

A gap analysis is the most effective method to identify an organization’s ability to comply with legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements because it explicitly compares the current state of controls, policies, and practices against required obligations. In CISM governance, compliance is assessed by determining whether mandatory requirements are fully met, partially met, or not met at all—this is the precise purpose of a gap analysis.

Vulnerability scanning (A) focuses on technical weaknesses and does not assess compliance with laws or contracts. A control self-assessment (CSA) (B) evaluates the effectiveness of existing controls but does not systematically compare them against external compliance requirements. A risk assessment (D) evaluates threats, vulnerabilities, and impacts, but its objective is risk prioritization, not compliance determination.

CISM emphasizes that governance requires clear visibility into compliance gaps so management can prioritize remediation, allocate resources, and demonstrate due diligence. Gap analysis provides structured, auditable evidence of compliance posture and directly supports regulatory readiness and contractual assurance.

The information security manager should first obtain legal guidance when there is a conflict between the organization’s information security policy and a local regulation, because this will help to understand the implications and consequences of the conflict, and to identify the possible options and solutions for resolving it. The information security manager should also consult with the relevant stakeholders, such as senior management, business owners, and information owners, to determine the best course of action that aligns with the organization’s objectives, risk appetite, and compliance obligations. Enforcing the local regulation or the organization’s information security policy without legal guidance may expose the organization to legal liabilities, security risks, or operational disruptions. Obtaining an independent assessment of the regulation may be helpful, but it is not the first step to take.

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 691; A Guide to ISACA CISM Domains & Domain 1: Information Security Governance2

 Establishing an information security steering committee is the best way to facilitate the integration of information security governance into enterprise governance. The information security steering committee is a cross-functional group of senior managers who provide strategic direction, oversight, and support for the information security program. The committee ensures that the information security strategy is aligned with the enterprise strategy, objectives, and risk appetite. The committee also fosters collaboration and communication among various stakeholders and promotes a culture of security awareness and accountability. Developing an information security policy, documenting the information security governance framework, and implementing an information security awareness program are all important activities for implementing and maintaining information security governance, but they do not necessarily facilitate its integration into enterprise governance. These activities may be initiated or endorsed by the information security steering committee, but they are not sufficient to ensure that information security governance is embedded into the enterprise governance structure and processes. References = CISM Review Manual 2023, page 34 1; CISM Practice Quiz 2

The first course of action is to ensure the policy has been communicated to the system administrators (C). CISM governance principles require that policies be formally communicated and understood before enforcement or compliance assessment occurs. Conducting assessments (B) or training (A) is ineffective if administrators are not aware of the policy requirements. Effective governance follows a sequence: approval → communication → implementation → monitoring and enforcement. Communication ensures accountability and supports consistent adoption of security requirements.

The information security steering committee is composed of business leaders is the best indicator that information security governance and corporate governance are integrated, as this shows that the information security program is aligned with the business objectives and strategies, and that the information security manager has the support and involvement of the senior management. The information security steering committee is responsible for overseeing the information security program, setting the direction and scope, approving policies and standards, allocating resources, and monitoring performance and compliance. The information security steering committee also ensures that the information security risks are communicated and addressed at the board level, and that the information security program is consistent with the corporate governance framework and culture. The information security team is aware of business goals, the board is regularly informed of information security key performance indicators (KPIs), and a cost-benefit analysis is conducted on all information security initiatives are also important, but not as important as the information security steering committee is composed of business leaders, as they do not necessarily imply that the information security governance and corporate governance are integrated, and that the information security program has the authority and accountability to achieve its goals. References = CISM Review Manual 2023, page 271; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual 2023, page 342; ISACA CISM - iSecPrep, page 193

Reviewing controls listed in the vendor contract is the most helpful approach for properly scoping the security assessment of an existing vendor because it helps to determine the security requirements and expectations that the vendor has agreed to meet. A vendor contract is a legal document that defines the terms and conditions of the business relationship between the organization and the vendor, including the scope, deliverables, responsibilities, and obligations of both parties. A vendor contract should also specify the security controls that the vendor must implement and maintain to protect the organization’s data and systems, such as encryption, authentication, access control, backup, monitoring, auditing, etc. Reviewing controls listed in the vendor contract helps to ensure that the security assessment covers all the relevant aspects of the vendor’s security posture, as well as to identify any gaps or discrepancies between the contract and the actual practices. Therefore, reviewing controls listed in the vendor contract is the correct answer.