Auditors need to communicate effectively with auditees. Therefore, their personal behaviour is a key characteristic needed to ensure a successful audit. Below there are the characteristics and a brief related description. Match the characteristics to the descriptions.
Scenario 6
Sinvestment is an insurance provider that offers a wide range of coverage options, including home, commercial, and life insurance. Originally established in North California, the company has expanded its operations to other locations, including Europe and Africa. In addition to its growth, Sinvestment is committed to complying with laws and regulations applicable to its industry and preventing any information security incident. They have implemented an information security management system (ISMS) based on ISO/IEC 27001 and have applied for certification.
A team of auditors was assigned by the certification body to conduct the audit. After signing a confidentiality agreement with Sinvestment, they started the audit activities. For the activities of the stage 1 audit, it was decided that they would be performed on site, except the review of documented information, which took place remotely, as requested by Sinvestment.
The audit team started the stage 1 audit by reviewing the documentation required, including the declaration of the ISMS scope, information security policies, and internal audit reports. The evaluation of the documented information was based on the content and procedure for managing the documented information.
In addition, the auditors found out that the documentation related to information security training and awareness programs was incomplete and lacked essential details. When asked, Sinvestment’s top management stated that the company has provided information security training sessions to all employees.
The stage 2 audit was conducted three weeks after the stage 1 audit. The audit team observed that the marketing department (not included in the audit scope) had no procedures to control employees’ access rights. Since controlling employees' access rights is one of the ISO/IEC 27001 requirements and was included in the company's information security policy, the issue was included in the audit report.
Question
Was Sinvestment’s request for reviewing documented information remotely acceptable?
Scenario 9: UpNet, a networking company, has been certified against ISO/IEC 27001. It provides network security, virtualization, cloud computing, network hardware, network management software, and networking technologies.
The company's recognition has increased drastically since gaining ISO/IEC 27001 certification. The certification confirmed the maturity of UpNefs operations and its compliance with a widely recognized and accepted standard.
But not everything ended after the certification. UpNet continually reviewed and enhanced its security controls and the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the ISMS by conducting internal audits. The top management was not willing to employ a full-time team of internal auditors, so they decided to outsource the internal audit function. This form of internal audits ensured independence, objectivity, and that they had an advisory role about the continual improvement of the ISMS.
Not long after the initial certification audit, the company created a new department specialized in data and storage products. They offered routers and switches optimized for data centers and software-based networking devices, such as network virtualization and network security appliances. This caused changes to the operations of the other departments already covered in the ISMS certification scope.
Therefore. UpNet initiated a risk assessment process and an internal audit. Following the internal audit result, the company confirmed the effectiveness and efficiency of the existing and new processes and controls.
The top management decided to include the new department in the certification scope since it complies with ISO/IEC 27001 requirements. UpNet announced that it is ISO/IEC 27001 certified and the certification scope encompasses the whole company.
One year after the initial certification audit, the certification body conducted another audit of UpNefs ISMS. This audit aimed to determine the UpNefs ISMS fulfillment of specified ISO/IEC 27001 requirements and ensure that the ISMS is being continually improved. The audit team confirmed that the certified ISMS continues to fulfill
the requirements of the standard. Nonetheless, the new department caused a significant impact on governing the management system. Moreover, the certification body was not informed about any changes. Thus, the UpNefs certification was suspended.
Based on the scenario above, answer the following question:
UpNet announced that the ISMS certification scope encompasses the whole company once ensuring that the new department also complies with the ISO/IEC 27001 requirements. How would you classify this situation illustrated in scenario 9?
An organization does not check the source code of the updated version of an application when it is updated automatically. Thus, the application may be open to
unauthorized modifications. This represents a _________________ that may impact information ___________________
Scenario 5
Scenario 5
CyberShielding Systems Inc. provides security services spanning the entire information technology infrastructure. It provides cybersecurity software, including endpoint security, firewalls, and antivirus software. CyberShielding Systems Inc. has helped various companies secure their networks for two decades through advanced products and services. Having achieved a reputation in the information and network security sector, CyberShielding Systems Inc. decided to implement a security information management system (ISMS) based on ISO/IEC 27001 and obtain a certification to better secure its internal and customer assets and gain a competitive advantage.
The certification body initiated the process by selecting the audit team for CyberShielding Systems Inc.'s ISO/IEC 27001 certification. They provided the company with the name and background information of each audit member. However, upon review, CyberShielding Systems Inc. discovered that one of the auditors did not hold the security clearance required by them. Consequently, the company objected to the appointment of this auditor. Upon review, the certification body replaced the auditor in response to CyberShielding Systems Inc.'s objection.
As part of the audit process, CyberShielding Systems Inc.'s approach to risk and opportunity determination was assessed as a standalone activity. This involved examining the organization’s methods for identifying and managing risks and opportunities. The audit team’s core objectives encompassed providing assurance on the effectiveness of CyberShielding Systems Inc.'s risk and opportunity identification mechanisms and reviewing the organization's strategies for addressing these determined risks and opportunities. During this, the audit team also identified a risk due to a lack of oversight in the firewall configuration review process, where changes were implemented without proper approval, potentially exposing the company to vulnerabilities. This finding highlighted the need for stronger internal controls to prevent such issues.
The audit team accessed process descriptions and organizational charts to understand the main business processes and controls. They performed a limited analysis of the IT risks and controls because their access to the IT infrastructure and applications was limited by third-party service provider restrictions. However, the audit team stated that the risk of a significant defect occurring in CyberShielding’s ISMS was low since most of the company's processes were automated. They therefore evaluated that the ISMS, as a whole, conforms to the standard requirements by questioning CyberShielding representatives on IT responsibilities, control effectiveness, and anti-malware measures. CyberShielding’s representatives provided sufficient and appropriate evidence to address all these questions.
Despite the agreement signed before the audit, which outlined the audit scope, criteria, and objectives, the audit was primarily focused on assessing conformity with established criteria and ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
Question
Based on Scenario 5, is the approach used by the audit team to assess the conformity of the ISMS to the standard requirements in line with audit recommended practices?
The scope of an organization certified against ISO/IEC 27001 states that they provide editing and web hosting services. However, due to some changes in the organization, the technical support related to the web hosting services has been outsourced. Should a change in the scope be initiated in this case?
You are an experienced audit team leader guiding an auditor in training.
Your team is currently conducting a third-party surveillance audit of an organisation that stores data on behalf of external clients. The auditor in training has been tasked with reviewing the TECHNOLOGICAL controls listed in
the Statement of Applicability (SoA) and implemented at the site.
Select four controls from the following that would you expect the auditor in training to review.
Question
During an ISO/IEC 27001 certification audit, the audit team leader failed to follow established best practices for conducting the audit. In addition, they lacked the necessary expertise to assess some of the complex areas of the ISMS, leading to suboptimal results. While the audit findings were still reported, some areas of the audit are considered weak and the audit does not fully adhere to the required procedures.
Which level of responsibility does this scenario represent in the case of tortious acts?
Scenario 5: Data Grid Inc. is a well-known company that delivers security services across the entire information technology infrastructure. It provides cybersecurity software, including endpoint security, firewalls, and antivirus software. For two decades, Data Grid Inc. has helped various companies secure their networks through advanced products and services. Having achieved reputation in the information and network security field, Data Grid Inc. decided to obtain the ISO/IEC 27001 certification to better secure its internal and customer assets and gain competitive advantage.
Data Grid Inc. appointed the audit team, who agreed on the terms of the audit mandate. In addition, Data Grid Inc. defined the audit scope, specified the audit criteria, and proposed to close the audit within five days. The audit team rejected Data Grid Inc.'s proposal to conduct the audit within five days, since the company has a large number of employees and complex processes. Data Grid Inc. insisted that they have planned to complete the audit within five days, so both parties agreed upon conducting the audit within the defined duration. The audit team followed a risk-based auditing approach.
To gain an overview of the main business processes and controls, the audit team accessed process descriptions and organizational charts. They were unable to perform a deeper analysis of the IT risks and controls because their access to the IT infrastructure and applications was restricted. However, the audit team stated that the risk that a significant defect could occur to Data Grid Inc.'s ISMS was low since most of the company's processes were automated. They therefore evaluated that the ISMS, as a whole, conforms to the standard requirements by asking the representatives of Data Grid Inc. the following questions:
•How are responsibilities for IT and IT controls defined and assigned?
•How does Data Grid Inc. assess whether the controls have achieved the desired results?
•What controls does Data Grid Inc. have in place to protect the operating environment and data from malicious software?
•Are firewall-related controls implemented?
Data Grid Inc.'s representatives provided sufficient and appropriate evidence to address all these questions.
The audit team leader drafted the audit conclusions and reported them to Data Grid Inc.'s top management. Though Data Grid Inc. was recommended for certification by the auditors, misunderstandings were raised between Data Grid Inc. and the certification body in regards to audit objectives. Data Grid Inc. stated that even though the audit objectives included the identification of areas for potential improvement, the audit team did not provide such information.
Based on this scenario, answer the following question:
Based on scenario 5, the audit team assessed the ISMS as a whole, rather than assessing the effectiveness and conformity of each process. Is this acceptable?
Which two of the following options do not participate in a second-party audit to ISO/IEC 27001?
TESTED 24 Feb 2026
