CISM Exam Dumps - Isaca Certification Questions and Answers

The most important factor to obtain senior leadership support when presenting an information security strategy is that the strategy aligns with management’s acceptable level of risk because it ensures that the strategy is consistent and compatible with the organization’s risk appetite and thresholds, and reflects management’s expectations and priorities for security risk management. The strategy addresses ineffective information security controls is not a very important factor because it does not indicate how the strategy will improve or enhance the security controls or performance. The strategy aligns with industry benchmarks and standards is not a very important factor because it does not indicate how the strategy will differentiate or innovate the organization’s security capabilities or practices. The strategy addresses organizational maturity and the threat environment is not a very important factor because it does not indicate how the strategy will advance or adapt the organization’s security posture or resilience. References: https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2016/volume-4/technical-security-standards-for-information-systems https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2017/volume-2/how-to-align-security-initiatives-with-business-goals-and-objectives

A business impact analysis (BIA) is the document that should contain the initial priori-tization of recovery of services. A BIA is a process of identifying and analyzing the po-tential effects of disruptions to critical business functions and processes. A BIA typi-cally includes the following steps1:

•Identifying the critical business functions and processes that support the organization’s mission and objectives.

•Estimating the maximum tolerable downtime (MTD) for each function or process, which is the longest time that the organization can afford to be without that function or process before suffering unacceptable consequences.

•Assessing the potential impacts of disruptions to each function or process, such as finan-cial losses, reputational damage, legal liabilities, regulatory penalties, customer dissatis-faction, etc.

•Prioritizing the recovery of functions or processes based on their MTDs and impacts, and assigning recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs) for each function or process. RTOs are the target times for restoring functions or processes after a disruption, while RPOs are the acceptable amounts of data loss in case of a disruption.

•Identifying the resources and dependencies required for each function or process, such as staff, equipment, software, data, suppliers, customers, etc.

A BIA provides the basis for developing a business continuity plan (BCP), which is a document that outlines the strategies and procedures for ensuring the continuity or re-covery of critical business functions and processes in the event of a disruption2. The other options are not documents that should contain the initial prioritization of recov-ery of services. An IT risk analysis is a process of identifying and evaluating the threats and vulnerabilities that affect the IT systems and assets of an organization. It helps to determine the likelihood and impact of potential IT incidents, and to select and imple-ment appropriate controls to mitigate the risks3. A threat assessment is a process of identifying and analyzing the sources and capabilities of adversaries that may pose a threat to an organization’s security. It helps to determine the level of threat posed by different actors, and to develop countermeasures to prevent or respond to attacks. A business process map is a visual representation of the activities, inputs, outputs, roles, and resources involved in a business process. It helps to understand how a process works, how it can be improved, and how it relates to other processes. References: 1: Business impact analysis (BIA) - Wikipedia 2: Business continuity plan - Wikipedia 3: IT risk management - Wikipedia : Threat assessment - Wikipedia : Business process map-ping - Wikipedia

Residual risk is the risk that remains after applying controls to mitigate the original risk. It is important to assess the residual risk after remediation to ensure that it is within the acceptable level and tolerance of the organization. (From CISM Review Manual 15th Edition)

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.

Average return on investment (ROI) associated with security initiatives is the best metric to provide evidence of alignment of information security governance with corporate governance because it demonstrates the value and benefits of security investments to the organization’s strategic goals and objectives. Average number of security incidents across business units is not a good metric because it does not measure the effectiveness or efficiency of security initiatives or their alignment with corporate governance. Mean time to resolution (MTTR) for enterprise-wide security incidents is not a good metric because it does not measure the impact or outcome of security initiatives or their alignment with corporate governance. Number of vulnerabilities identified for high-risk information assets is not a good metric because it does not measure the performance or improvement of security initiatives or their alignment with corporate governance. References: https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2015/volume-6/measuring-the-value-of-information-security-investments https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2015/volume-1/how-to-measure-the-effectiveness-of-information-security-governance

Regular testing ensures that the incident management plan is practical and effective in real-world scenarios.

“Regular testing of the incident response plan is essential to verify that it can be executed effectively and that staff understand their roles.”

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

Risk ownership is the most important detail to capture in an organization's risk register. Risk ownership is the responsibility for managing a risk, including taking corrective action, and should be assigned to a specific individual or team. It is important to note that the risk owner is not necessarily the same as the risk acceptor, who is the individual or team who makes the final decision to accept a risk. Capturing risk ownership in the risk register is important to ensure that risks are actively managed and that the responsible parties are held accountable.

= Business continuity management (BCM) is the process of planning and implementing measures to ensure the continuity of critical business processes in the event of a disruption. The most important consideration of BCM is ensuring human safety, as this is the primary responsibility of any organization and the basis of ethical conduct. Human safety includes protecting the health and well-being of employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders who may be affected by a disruption. Identifying critical business processes, ensuring the reliability of backup data, and securing critical information assets are also important aspects of BCM, but they are secondary to human safety. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, ISACA, 2020, p. 2111; CISM Online Review Course, Domain 4: Information Security Incident Management, Module 4: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery, ISACA2

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation: Employee accountability is the degree to which employees are responsible for their actions and outcomes related to information security. It reflects the extent to which employees understand their roles and responsibilities, follow the policies and procedures, report incidents and breaches, and comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Embedding security responsibilities into job descriptions helps to clarify the expectations and obligations of employees, as well as the consequences of non-compliance or negligence. It also helps to align the security objectives with the business goals and strategies, and to foster a culture of security awareness and responsibility.

 The primary reason to perform regular reviews of the cybersecurity threat landscape is to compare emerging trends with the existing organizational security posture, as this helps the information security manager to identify and prioritize the gaps and risks that need to be addressed. The cybersecurity threat landscape is dynamic and constantly evolving, and the organization’s security posture may not be adequate or aligned with the current and future threats. By reviewing the threat landscape regularly, the information security manager can assess the effectiveness and maturity of the security program, and recommend appropriate actions and controls to improve the security posture and reduce the likelihood and impact of cyberattacks. References = CISM Review Manual 2023, page 831; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual 2023, page 322; ISACA CISM - iSecPrep, page 173

 Unannounced testing is the most accurate way to assess the effectiveness of controls, as it simulates a real-world scenario and does not allow the staff to prepare or modify their behavior in advance. Mature change management processes, senior management support, and well-defined security policies are all important factors for establishing and maintaining a strong security posture, but they do not directly measure the performance of controls. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 149. CISM Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, question ID 1003.

A validation of the current firewall rule set is the best method for determining whether a firewall has been configured to provide a comprehensive perimeter defense because it verifies that the firewall rules are consistent, accurate, and effective in allowing or blocking traffic according to the security policies and standards of the organization. A port scan of the firewall from an internal source is not a good method because it does not test the firewall’s behavior from an external perspective, which is more relevant for perimeter defense. A ping test from an external source is not a good method because it only tests the firewall’s availability and responsiveness, not its security or functionality. A simulated denial of service (DoS) attack against the firewall is not a good method because it only tests the firewall’s resilience and performance under high traffic load, not its security or functionality. References: https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2016/volume-4/technical-security-standards-for-information-systems https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2017/volume-2/the-value-of-penetration-testing https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2016/volume-5/security-scanning-versus-penetration-testing

A balanced scorecard is a tool that can be used to demonstrate the added value of an information security program by measuring and reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) and key risk indicators (KRIs) aligned with strategic objectives. Security baselines, a gap analysis and a SWOT analysis are all useful for assessing and improving security posture, but they do not necessarily show how security contributes to business value.

= A business continuity plan (BCP) is the plan that should be invoked by an organization in an effort to remain operational during a disaster. A disaster is a sudden, unexpected, or disruptive event that causes significant damage, loss, or interruption to the organization’s normal operations, assets, or resources. Examples of disasters are natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, or fires, or human-made disasters, such as cyberattacks, sabotage, or terrorism. A BCP is a document that describes the procedures, strategies, and actions that the organization will take to ensure the continuity of its critical business functions, processes, and services in the event of a disaster. A BCP also defines the roles and responsibilities of the staff, management, and other stakeholders involved in the business continuity management, and the resources, tools, and systems that will support the business continuity activities. A BCP helps the organization to:

Minimize the impact and duration of the disaster on the organization’s operations, assets, and reputation.

Restore the essential functions and services as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Protect the health, safety, and welfare of the staff, customers, and partners.

Meet the legal, regulatory, contractual, and ethical obligations of the organization.

Learn from the disaster and improve the business continuity capabilities and readiness of the organization.

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, Chapter 3: Information Security Program Development and Management, Section: Business Continuity Plan (BCP), page 1771; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, Question 83, page 772.

The information security manager’s best course of action is to report the findings of the risk assessment to the key stakeholders, such as senior management, business owners, and regulators. This will ensure that the stakeholders are aware of the potential impact of the risk and can make informed decisions on how to address it. The other options are possible actions to take after reporting the findings, but they are not the best course of action in this scenario.

References = CISM Domain 2: Information Risk Management (IRM) [2022 update] (section: Information Risk Response) and CISM ITEM DEVELOPMENT GUIDE - ISACA (page 6, item example 2)

The greatest concern resulting from the lack of severity criteria in incident classification is that escalation procedures will be ineffective because they rely on severity criteria to determine when and how to escalate an incident to higher levels of authority or responsibility, and what actions or resources are required for resolving an incident. Statistical reports will be incorrect is not a great concern because they do not affect the incident response process directly, but rather provide information or analysis for improvement or evaluation purposes. The service desk will be staffed incorrectly is not a great concern because it does not affect the incident response process directly, but rather affects the availability or efficiency of one of its components. Timely detection of attacks will be impossible is not a great concern because it does not depend on severity criteria, but rather on monitoring and alerting mechanisms. 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

A security metrics dashboard is a graphical representation of key performance indicators (KPIs) and key risk indicators (KRIs) that provide useful information about the effectiveness of the information security program. A security metrics dashboard can help communicate the value and performance of the information security program to senior management and other stakeholders, as well as identify areas for improvement and alignment with business objectives. A security metrics dashboard should be concise, relevant, timely, accurate, and actionable.

References = CISM Review Manual 16th Edition, page 163; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual 9th Edition, page 419.