CISM Exam Dumps - Isaca Certification Questions and Answers

The most effective way to gain senior management approval of security investments in network infrastructure is by demonstrating that targeted security controls tie to business objectives.

Security investments should be tied to business objectives and should support the overall goals of the organization. By demonstrating that the security controls will directly support the organization's business objectives, senior management will be more likely to approve the investment.

According to the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Study Manual, "To gain senior management's approval for investments in security, it is essential to show how the security controls tie to business objectives and are in support of the overall goals of the organization."

While performing penetration tests against the network, highlighting competitor performance, and presenting comparable security implementation estimates from vendors are all useful in presenting the value of security investments, they are not as effective as demonstrating how the security controls will support the organization's business objectives.

Initiating incident response is the first course of action for an information security manager when an employee reports the loss of a personal mobile device containing corporate information. This will help to contain the incident, assess the impact, and take appropriate measures to prevent or mitigate further damage. According to ISACA, incident management is one of the key processes for information security governance. Initiating a device reset, disabling remote access, and conducting a risk assessment are possible subsequent actions, but they should be part of the incident response plan. References: 1: Find, lock, or erase a lost Android device - Google Account Help 2: Find, lock, or erase a lost Android device - Android Help 3: Lost or Stolen Mobile Device Procedure - Information Security Office : CISM Practice Quiz | CISM Exam Prep | ISACA : 200 CISM Exam Prep Questions | Free Practice Test | Simplilearn : CISM practice questions to prep for the exam | TechTarget

 The primary purpose of business continuity and disaster recovery plans is to ensure that the organization can resume its critical business functions within the stated recovery time objectives (RTOs) after a disruptive event. RTOs are based on the business needs and the impact analysis of each function or process. Therefore, meeting the business needs is the best indicator that the plans are effective. Regulatory requirements, internal compliance requirements, and risk management objectives are important factors that influence the development and testing of the plans, but they are not the ultimate measure of their effectiveness. References = CISM Certified Information Security Manager Study Guide, Chapter 9: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery, page 3071; CISM Foundations: Module 4 Course, Part Two: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans2; Imperva, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Planning (BCP & DRP)3

Labeling information according to its security classification enhances the likelihood of people handling information securely. Security classification is a process of categoriz-ing information based on its level of sensitivity and importance, and applying appropri-ate security controls based on the level of risk associated with that infor-mation1. Labeling is a process of marking the information with the appropriate classifi-cation level, such as public, internal, confidential, secret, or top secret2. The purpose of labeling is to inform the users of the information about its value and protection re-quirements, and to guide them on how to handle it securely. Labeling can help users to:

•Identify the information they are dealing with and its classification level

•Understand their roles and responsibilities regarding the information

•Follow the security policies and procedures for the information

•Avoid unauthorized access, disclosure, modification, or destruction of the information

•Report any security incidents or breaches involving the information

Labeling can also help organizations to:

•Track and monitor the information and its usage

•Enforce access controls and encryption for the information

•Audit and review the compliance with security standards and regulations for the infor-mation

•Educate and train employees and stakeholders on information security awareness and best practices

Therefore, labeling information according to its security classification enhances the likelihood of people handling information securely, as it increases their awareness and accountability, and supports the implementation of security measures. The other op-tions are not the primary benefits of labeling information according to its security clas-sification. Reducing the number and type of countermeasures required is not a benefit, but rather a consequence of applying security controls based on the classification lev-el. Reducing the need to identify baseline controls for each classification is not a bene-fit, but rather a prerequisite for labeling information according to its security classifica-tion. Affecting the consequences if information is handled insecurely is not a benefit, but rather a risk that needs to be managed by implementing appropriate security con-trols and incident response procedures. References: 1: Information Classification - Ad-visera 2: Information Classification in Information Security - GeeksforGeeks : Infor-mation Security Policy - NIST : Information Security Classification Framework - Queensland Government

= 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.

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

Assessing the consequences of noncompliance is the next step that should be done after determining that there are a significant number of exceptions to a newly released industry-required security standard. The information security manager should evaluate the potential impact and exposure of the organization due to the noncompliance with the security standard. The assessment should consider the legal, regulatory, contractual, and reputational implications of the noncompliance, as well as the likelihood and severity of the incidents or penalties that may result from the noncompliance. The assessment should also compare the cost and benefit of complying with the security standard versus accepting the risk of noncompliance. The assessment should provide the basis for making informed and rational decisions about how to address the noncompliance issue and prioritize the actions and resources needed to achieve compliance. Documenting risk acceptances, revising the organization’s security policy, and conducting an information security audit are all possible actions that may be taken to address the noncompliance issue, but they are not the next steps that should be done. These actions should be performed after assessing the consequences of noncompliance, and based on the results and recommendations of the assessment. Documenting risk acceptances may be appropriate if the organization decides to accept the risk of noncompliance, and if the risk is within the risk appetite and tolerance of the organization. Revising the organization’s security policy may be necessary if the organization decides to comply with the security standard, and if the policy needs to be updated to reflect the new requirements and expectations. Conducting an information security audit may be useful if the organization wants to verify the level of compliance and identify the gaps and weaknesses in the security controls and processes. Therefore, assessing the consequences of noncompliance is the next step that should be done after determining that there are a significant number of exceptions to a newly released industry-required security standard, as it helps the information security manager to understand the risk and impact of the noncompliance and to make informed and rational decisions about how to address it. References = CISM Review Manual 2023, page 43 1; CISM Practice Quiz 2

 Managed security solutions are services provided by external vendors that offer security expertise, resources, and tools to help organizations protect their information assets and systems. A primary benefit of managed security solutions is that they allow organizations to focus on their core business operations, while delegating the security tasks to the service provider. This can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization, as well as reduce the complexity and cost of managing security internally. Managed security solutions can also provide a wider range of capabilities, easier implementation across an organization, and lower cost of operations, but these are not the primary benefits, as they may vary depending on the quality and scope of the service provider. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, ISACA, 2020, p. 841; CISM Online Review Course, Domain 3: Information Security Program Development and Management, Module 3: Information Security Program Management, ISACA2

The strongest justification for granting an exception to the security policy that disables access to USB storage devices on laptops and desktops is that the benefit is greater than the potential risk. A security policy is a document that defines the goals, objec-tives, principles, roles, responsibilities, and requirements for protecting information and systems in an organization. A security policy should be based on a risk assessment that identifies and evaluates the threats and vulnerabilities that affect the organiza-tion’s assets, as well as the potential impact and likelihood of incidents. A security pol-icy should also be aligned with the organization’s business objectives and risk appe-tite1. However, there may be situations where a security policy cannot be fully enforced or complied with due to technical, operational, or business reasons. In such cases, an exception to the policy may be requested and granted by an authorized person or body, such as a security manager or a policy committee. An exception to a security policy should be justified by a clear and compelling reason that outweighs the risk of non-compliance. An exception to a security policy should also be documented, approved, monitored, reviewed, and revoked as necessary2. The strongest justification for grant-ing an exception to the security policy that disables access to USB storage devices on laptops and desktops is that the benefit is greater than the potential risk. USB storage devices are portable devices that can store large amounts of data and can be easily connected to laptops and desktops via USB ports. They can provide several benefits for users and organizations, such as:

•Enhancing data mobility and accessibility

•Improving data backup and recovery

•Supporting data sharing and collaboration

•Enabling data encryption and authentication

However, USB storage devices also pose significant security risks for users and organi-zations, such as:

•Introducing malware or viruses to laptops and desktops

•Exposing sensitive data to unauthorized access or disclosure

•Losing or stealing data due to device loss or theft

•Violating security policies or regulations

Therefore, an exception to the security policy that disables access to USB storage de-vices on laptops and desktops should only be granted if the benefit of using them is greater than the potential risk of compromising them. For example, if a user needs to transfer a large amount of data from one laptop to another in a remote location where there is no network connection available, and the data is encrypted and protected by a strong password on the USB device, then the benefit of using the USB device may be greater than the risk of losing or exposing it. The other options are not the strongest justifications for granting an exception to the security policy that disables access to USB storage devices on laptops and desktops. Enabling USB storage devices based on user roles is not a justification, but rather a possible way of implementing a more gran-ular or flexible security policy that allows different levels of access for different types of users3. Users accepting the risk of noncompliance is not a justification, but rather a requirement for requesting an exception to a security policy that acknowledges their responsibility and accountability for any consequences of noncompliance4. Accessing being restricted to read-only is not a justification, but rather a possible control that can reduce the risk of introducing malware or viruses from USB devices to laptops and desktops5. References: 1: Information Security Policy - NIST 2: Policy Exception Man-agement - ISACA 3: Deploy and manage Removable Storage Access Control using In-tune - Microsoft Learn 4: Policy Exception Request Form - University of California 5: Re-movable Media Policy Writing Tips - CurrentWare

According to the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Study Manual, risk owners are responsible for managing a risk, including taking corrective action to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. When implementing controls, it is essential to obtain input from risk owners to ensure that the controls are effective in managing the risk to an acceptable level.

By obtaining input from risk owners, the organization can ensure that the controls are tailored to the specific risks and are effective in reducing the risk to an acceptable level. This can help to minimize the impact of the risk on the organization and reduce the potential for financial or reputational damage.

“An information security training program should be tailored to the specific roles and responsibilities of employees. This will help them understand how their actions affect information security and what they need to do to protect it. A generic training program that is focused on policy, business processes or recent incidents may not be relevant or effective for all employees.”

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

Chain of custody is the MOST important requirement when collecting admissible evidence, because it ensures the integrity and authenticity of the evidence by documenting its history, handling, and storage. Chain of custody records who, what, when, where, why, and how the evidence was collected, analyzed, and preserved. Without a proper chain of custody, the evidence may be challenged or rejected in a court of law. Need to know, preserving audit logs, and due diligence are important aspects of evidence collection, but they are not as critical as chain of custody. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 3031; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 1492The most important requirement when collecting admissible evidence is the chain of custody. The chain of custody is a documented record of who had control of the evidence at any given time, from the point of collection until the evidence is presented in court. This is important in order to ensure the evidence can be authenticated and is not subject to tampering or any other form of interference. Other important considerations include need to know, preserving audit logs, and due diligence.

The most likely reason for executive management to take no further action related to the risk of a denial of service (DoS) attack is that the cost of implementing controls exceeds the potential financial losses. This means that the risk is acceptable or tolerable for the organization, and that the benefits of reducing the risk do not outweigh the costs of applying the controls. This decision is based on a cost-benefit analysis, which is a common technique for evaluating and comparing different risk response options. A cost-benefit analysis considers the following factors:

The estimated impact of the risk, which is the potential loss or damage that the organization may suffer if the risk materializes. The impact can be expressed in quantitative or qualitative terms, such as monetary value, reputation, customer satisfaction, legal liability, etc.

The estimated likelihood of occurrence, which is the probability or frequency that the risk will occur within a given time period. The likelihood can be expressed in numerical or descriptive terms, such as percentage, rating, high, medium, low, etc.

The estimated cost of controls, which is the total amount of resources that the organization needs to invest in order to implement and maintain the controls. The cost can include direct and indirect expenses, such as hardware, software, personnel, training, maintenance, etc.

The estimated benefit of controls, which is the reduction in the impact or likelihood of the risk as a result of implementing the controls. The benefit can be expressed in the same terms as the impact or likelihood, such as monetary value, percentage, rating, etc.

A cost-benefit analysis can be performed using various methods, such as net present value (NPV), return on investment (ROI), internal rate of return (IRR), etc. The general principle is to compare the cost and benefit of each control option, and select the one that provides the highest net benefit or the lowest net cost. A control option is considered feasible and desirable if its benefit exceeds its cost, or if its cost is lower than the impact of the risk.

In this case, executive management has decided to take no further action related to the risk of a DoS attack, which implies that the cost of implementing controls exceeds the potential financial losses. This could be because the impact or likelihood of the risk is low, or because the cost or complexity of the controls is high, or both. For example, the organization may have a robust backup and recovery system, a diversified network infrastructure, a strong customer loyalty, or a low dependency on online services, which reduce the impact or likelihood of a DoS attack. Alternatively, the organization may face technical, financial, or operational challenges in implementing effective controls, such as firewalls, load balancers, traffic filters, or cloud services, which increase the cost or complexity of the controls. Therefore, executive management may have concluded that the risk is acceptable or tolerable, and that taking no further action is the most rational and economical choice.

The other options are not the most likely reasons for executive management to take no further action related to the risk of a DoS attack, as they indicate a lack of proper risk assessment or validation. The risk assessment should define the likelihood of occurrence and the reported vulnerability should be validated, as these are essential steps for identifying and analyzing the risk. Executive management should be aware of the impact potential, as this is a key factor for evaluating and prioritizing the risk. If any of these options were true, executive management would not have enough information or evidence to make an informed and justified decision about the risk response. References =

CISM Review Manual, Chapter 2, pages 67-69

CISM Exam Content Outline | CISM Certification | ISACA, Domain 2, Task 2.2

Information Security Risk Management for CISM® - Pluralsight, Module 2, Section 2.3

CISM: Information Risk Management Part 2 from Skillsoft - NICCS, Section 2.4

Executive management may not take action related to a risk if they have determined that the cost of implementing necessary controls to mitigate the risk exceeds the potential financial losses that the organization may incur if the risk were to materialize. In cases such as this, it is important for the information security team to provide the executive team with thorough cost-benefit analysis that outlines the cost of implementing the controls versus the expected losses from the risk.

 = A forensic examination is a process of collecting, preserving, analyzing, and presenting digital evidence in a manner that is legally acceptable. The first step in conducting a forensic examination is to create an image of the original data on new media, such as a hard disk, a CD-ROM, or a USB drive. This is done to ensure that the original data is not altered, damaged, or destroyed during the examination. An image is an exact copy of the data, including the file system, the slack space, and the deleted files. Creating an image also allows the examiner to work on a duplicate of the data, rather than the original, which may be needed as evidence in court. Booting the original hard disk on a clean system is not a good practice, as it may change the data on the disk, such as the timestamps, the registry entries, and the log files. Duplicating data from the backup media is not sufficient, as the backup media may not contain all the data that is relevant to the investigation, such as the deleted files, the temporary files, and the swap files. Shutting down and relocating the server is not advisable, as it may cause data loss, corruption, or tampering. The server should be kept running and isolated from the network until an image is created. References = CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 204-205.

Prior to conducting a forensic examination, an information security manager should create an image of the original data on new media. This is done in order to preserve the evidence, as making changes to the original data could potentially alter or destroy the evidence. Creating an image of the data also helps to ensure that the data remains intact and free from any interference or tampering.