CISM Exam Dumps - Isaca Certification Questions and Answers

 The best approach to incident response for an organization migrating to a cloud-based solution is to revise the existing incident response procedures to encompass the cloud environment. This is because the cloud environment introduces new challenges and risks that may not be adequately addressed by the current procedures. For example, the cloud provider may have different roles and responsibilities, service level agreements, notification and escalation processes, data protection and privacy requirements, and legal and regulatory obligations than the organization. Therefore, the organization should review and update its incident response procedures to align with the cloud provider’s policies and practices, as well as the organization’s business objectives and risk appetite. The organization should also ensure that the incident response team members are trained and aware of the changes in the procedures and the cloud environment.

The other options are not the best approaches because they do not consider the specific characteristics and implications of the cloud environment. Adopting the cloud provider’s incident response procedures may not be feasible or desirable, as the organization may have different needs and expectations than the cloud provider. Transferring responsibility for incident response to the cloud provider may not be possible or advisable, as the organization may still retain some accountability and liability for the security and availability of its data and services in the cloud. Continuing to use the existing incident response procedures may not be effective or efficient, as the procedures may not cover the scenarios and issues that may arise in the cloud environment. References =

CISM Review Manual (Digital Version) 1, Chapter 4: Information Security Incident Management, pages 191-192, 195-196, 199-200.

Cloud Incident Response Framework – A Quick Guide 2, pages 3-4, 6-7, 9-10.

CISM ITEM DEVELOPMENT GUIDE 3, page 18, Question 1.

The primary objective of incident triage is to categorize events based on their severity, impact, urgency, and priority. Incident triage helps the security operations center (SOC) to allocate the appropriate resources, assign the relevant roles and responsibilities, and determine the best course of action for each event. Incident triage also helps to filter out false positives, reduce noise, and focus on the most critical events that pose a threat to the organization’s information security.

Coordination of communications, mitigation of vulnerabilities, and containment of threats are important tasks that are performed during the incident response process, but they are not the primary objective of incident triage. Coordination of communications ensures that the relevant stakeholders are informed and updated about the incident status, roles, actions, and outcomes. Mitigation of vulnerabilities addresses the root causes of the incident and prevents or reduces the likelihood of recurrence. Containment of threats isolates and stops the spread of the incident and minimizes the damage to the organization’s assets and operations. These tasks are dependent on the outcome of the incident triage, which determines the scope, severity, and priority of the incident. References = CISM Certified Information Security Manager Study Guide, Chapter 8: Security Operations and Incident Management, page 2691; CISM Foundations: Module 4 Course, Part One: Security Operations and Incident Management2; Critical Incident Stress Management - National Interagency Fire Center3; Critical Incident Stress Management - US Forest Service4

= The best way to enable the integration of information security governance into corporate governance is to establish an information security steering committee with business representation. An information security steering committee is a group of senior executives and managers from different business units and functions who are responsible for overseeing, directing, and supporting the information security program and strategy of the organization. An information security steering committee with business representation can enable the integration of information security governance into corporate governance by providing the following benefits12:

Align the information security objectives and priorities with the business objectives and priorities, and ensure that the information security program and strategy support and enable the achievement of the organizational goals and performance.

Communicate and promote the value and importance of information security to the board of directors, senior management, and other stakeholders, and ensure that information security is considered and incorporated in the decision making and planning processes of the organization.

Provide guidance and direction to the information security manager and the information security team, and ensure that they have the necessary authority, resources, and support to implement and maintain the information security program and strategy effectively and efficiently.

Monitor and evaluate the performance and outcomes of the information security program and strategy, and ensure that they are aligned with the expectations and requirements of the organization and its stakeholders, as well as the relevant laws, regulations, standards, and best practices.

Identify and address the issues, challenges, and opportunities related to information security, and ensure that the information security program and strategy are continuously improved and updated to reflect the changes and developments in the internal and external environment.

The other options are not the best way to enable the integration of information security governance into corporate governance, as they are less comprehensive, effective, or influential than establishing an information security steering committee with business representation. Well-documented information security policies and standards are important components of the information security program and strategy, but they are not sufficient to enable the integration of information security governance into corporate governance, as they may not reflect or align with the business needs, priorities, or expectations, and they may not be communicated, implemented, or enforced properly or consistently across the organization. Clear lines of authority across the organization are important factors for the information security governance structure, but they are not sufficient to enable the integration of information security governance into corporate governance, as they may not ensure the involvement, participation, or support of the senior executives, managers, and other stakeholders who are responsible for or affected by information security. Senior management approval of the information security strategy is an important outcome of the information security governance process, but it is not sufficient to enable the integration of information security governance into corporate governance, as it may not ensure the alignment, communication, or monitoring of the information security strategy with the business strategy, and it may not ensure the accountability, responsibility, or authority of the information security manager and the information security team12. References = CISM Domain 1: Information Security Governance (ISG) [2022 update], Information Security Governance for CISM® | Pluralsight, Aligning Information Security with Business Strategy - ISACA, Aligning Information Security with Business Objectives - ISACA

The explanation given is: “A BIA is a process that identifies and evaluates the potential effects of natural and man-made events on business operations. It helps to understand how critical systems are interrelated and what their dependencies are. A BIA also helps to determine the RTOs for each system. The other options are not directly related to understanding the relationships between critical systems.”

 A preventive control is a type of control that aims to prevent or reduce the occurrence or impact of potential adverse events that can affect the organization’s objectives and performance. Preventive controls are proactive measures that are implemented before an incident happens, and they are designed to address the root causes or sources of risk. Preventive controls can also help the organization to comply with the relevant laws, regulations, standards, and best practices regarding information security1.

An example of a preventive control is a redundant power supply, which is a backup or alternative source of power that can be used in case of a power outage or failure. A redundant power supply can reduce the business risk associated with critical system outages, which can result from power disruptions caused by natural disasters, technical faults, human errors, or malicious attacks. A redundant power supply can provide the following benefits for information security2:

Maintain the availability and continuity of the critical systems and services that depend on power, such as servers, databases, networks, or applications. A redundant power supply can ensure that the critical systems and services can operate normally or resume quickly after a power outage or failure, minimizing the downtime and data loss that can affect the organization’s operations, customers, or reputation.

Protect the integrity and reliability of the critical systems and data that are stored or processed by the power-dependent devices, such as computers, hard drives, or memory cards. A redundant power supply can prevent or reduce the damage or corruption of the critical systems and data that can be caused by sudden or unexpected power fluctuations, surges, or interruptions, which can compromise the accuracy, completeness, or consistency of the information.

Enhance the resilience and redundancy of the power infrastructure and network that supports the critical systems and services. A redundant power supply can provide an alternative or backup route for power delivery and distribution, which can increase the flexibility and adaptability of the power infrastructure and network to cope with different scenarios or conditions of power supply or demand.

The other options are not the type of control that is being considered by the organization. A corrective control is a type of control that aims to restore or recover the normal state or function of the affected systems or processes after an incident has occurred. A corrective control is a reactive measure that is implemented during or after an incident, and it is designed to address the consequences or impacts of risk. A corrective control can also help the organization to learn from the incident and improve its information security practices1. An example of a corrective control is a backup or restore system, which is a method of creating and restoring copies of the system or data that have been lost or damaged due to an incident.

A detective control is a type of control that aims to identify or discover the occurrence or existence of an incident or a deviation from the expected or desired state or behavior of the systems or processes. A detective control is a monitoring or auditing measure that is implemented during or after an incident, and it is designed to provide information or evidence of risk. A detective control can also help the organization to analyze or investigate the incident and determine the root cause or source of risk1. An example of a detective control is a log or alert system, which is a tool of recording or reporting the activities or events that have occurred or are occurring within the systems or processes.

A deterrent control is a type of control that aims to discourage or dissuade the potential perpetrators or sources of risk from initiating or continuing an incident or an attack. A deterrent control is a psychological or behavioral measure that is implemented before or during an incident, and it is designed to influence or manipulate the motivation or intention of risk. A deterrent control can also help the organization to reduce the likelihood or frequency of incidents or attacks1. An example of a deterrent control is a warning or notification system, which is a method of communicating or displaying the consequences or penalties of violating the information security policies or rules. References = Risk Control Techniques: Preventive, Corrective, Directive, And …, Learn Different types of Security Controls in CISSP - Eduonix Blog

= Change management controls are the most effective in preventing the introduction of vulnerabilities that may disrupt the availability of a critical business application. Change management controls are the policies, procedures, and practices that govern the initiation, approval, implementation, testing, and documentation of changes to the information systems and infrastructure. Change management controls help to ensure that changes are authorized, planned, controlled, and monitored, and that they do not introduce any unintended or adverse effects on the security, functionality, performance, or reliability of the system or application. Change management controls also help to identify and mitigate any potential risks or issues that may arise from the changes, and to ensure that the changes are aligned with the business objectives and requirements. By implementing change management controls, the organization can prevent the introduction of vulnerabilities that may disrupt the availability of a critical business application, as well as enhance the quality and efficiency of the change process. References = CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 105, page 106.

According to the CISM Review Manual (Digital Version), page 212, the incident response process consists of six phases: preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned. Containment is the phase where the incident response team isolates the affected systems or networks to prevent further damage or spread of the malware. Eradication is the phase where the incident response team removes the malware and any traces of its activity from the affected systems or networks. Recovery is the phase where the incident response team restores the normal operations of the systems or networks. Identification is the phase where the incident response team detects and analyzes the signs of the incident. Therefore, the information security manager should be confident that the malware has not continued to spread at the completion of the containment phase, which is the earliest phase where the incident response team can stop the propagation of the malware. References = 1: CISM Review Manual (Digital Version), page 212

 Residual risk is the risk that remains after implementing controls to mitigate the inherent risk. A reduction in residual risk indicates that the information security program is effective in managing the risks to an acceptable level. This would best justify the continued investment in the program, as it demonstrates the value and benefits of the security activities. Security framework alignment, speed of implementation, and industry peer benchmarking are not direct measures of the effectiveness or value of the information security program. They may be useful for comparison or compliance purposes, but they do not necessarily reflect the impact of the program on the risk profile of the organization. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 431; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 622Residual risk is the remaining risk after all security controls have been implemented. It is important to measure the residual risk of an organization in order to determine the effectiveness of the security program and to justify continued investment in the program. A reduction in residual risk is an indication that the security program is effective and that continued investment is warranted.

 Increasing accountability is the primary reason for ensuring clearly defined roles and responsibilities are communicated to users who have been granted administrative privileges due to specific application requirements. Administrative privileges grant users the ability to perform actions that can affect the security, availability and integrity of the application or system, such as installing software, modifying configurations, accessing sensitive data or granting access to other users. Therefore, users who have administrative privileges must be aware of their roles and responsibilities and the consequences of their actions. Communicating clearly defined roles and responsibilities to these users helps to establish accountability by setting expectations, defining boundaries, assigning ownership and enabling monitoring and reporting. Accountability also helps to deter misuse or abuse of privileges, ensure compliance with policies and standards, and facilitate incident response and investigation.

Clearer segregation of duties is a benefit of ensuring clearly defined roles and responsibilities, but it is not the primary reason. Segregation of duties is a control that aims to prevent or detect conflicts of interest, errors, fraud or unauthorized activities by separating different functions or tasks among different users or groups. For example, a user who can create a purchase order should not be able to approve it. Segregation of duties helps to reduce the risk of unauthorized or inappropriate actions by requiring more than one person to complete a critical or sensitive process. However, segregation of duties alone does not ensure accountability, as users may still act in collusion or circumvent the control.

Increased user productivity is a possible outcome of ensuring clearly defined roles and responsibilities, but it is not the primary reason. User productivity refers to the efficiency and effectiveness of users in performing their tasks and achieving their goals. By communicating clearly defined roles and responsibilities, users may have a better understanding of their tasks, expectations and performance indicators, which may help them to work faster, smarter and better. However, user productivity is not directly related to the security risk of granting administrative privileges, and it may also depend on other factors, such as user skills, motivation, tools and resources.

Fewer security incidents is a desired result of ensuring clearly defined roles and responsibilities, but it is not the primary reason. Security incidents are events or situations that compromise the confidentiality, integrity or availability of information assets or systems. By communicating clearly defined roles and responsibilities, users may be more aware of the security implications of their actions and the potential threats and vulnerabilities they may face, which may help them to avoid or prevent security incidents. However, fewer security incidents is not a guarantee or a measure of accountability, as users may still cause or experience security incidents due to human error, negligence, malicious intent or external factors. References =

CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 144

Effective User Access Reviews - ISACA1

CISM ITEM DEVELOPMENT GUIDE - ISACA2

During the initiation phase of the system development life cycle (SDLC) for a software project, information security activities should address security objectives, which are derived from the business objectives and the risk assessment. Security objectives define the desired level of protection for the system and its data, and guide the selection of security controls in later phases. Baseline security controls are predefined sets of security requirements that apply to common types of systems or environments. Benchmarking security metrics is a process of comparing the performance of security processes or controls against a standard or best practice. Cost-benefit analyses are used to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of security controls, and are usually performed in the acquisition/development phase or the implementation phase of the SDLC. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 1021; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 772

Learn more:

1. isaca.org2. amazon.com3. gov.uk

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.

 The best way to ensure appropriate security controls are built into software is to integrate security throughout the development process. This means that security should be considered from the initial stages of planning, design, coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance of the software. Integrating security throughout the development process helps to identify and mitigate security risks early, reduce the cost and complexity of fixing vulnerabilities later, improve the quality and reliability of the software, and enhance the trust and confidence of the users and customers. Integrating security throughout the development process also aligns with the best practices and standards of information security governance, such as the CISM framework123.

References =

CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 1631

CISM domain 3: Information security program development and management [2022 update]2

CISSP domain 8 overview: Software development security4

According to the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Study Manual, "The primary objective of information security governance is to provide a framework for managing and controlling information security practices and technologies at an enterprise level. Its goal is to manage and reduce risk through a process of identification, assessment, and management of those risks."

While demonstrating senior management commitment, compliance with industry best practices, and ensuring user compliance with policies are all important aspects of information security governance, they are not the primary objective. The primary objective is to manage and reduce risk by establishing a framework for managing and controlling information security practices and technologies at an enterprise level.

Identify and assess the risk in the context of business objectives. Before making any changes to the security policy or introducing any new controls, the information security manager should first identify and assess the risk that the new privacy regulation poses to the business. This should be done in the context of the overall business objectives so that the security measures introduced are tailored to meet the specific needs of the organization.