Isaca CISA Certified Information Systems Auditor Exam Practice Test

Function point analysis (FPA) is the best methodology to use for estimating the complexity of developing a large business application. FPA is a technique that measures the functionality of a software system based on the user requirements and the business processes that the system supports. FPA assigns a numerical value to each function or feature of the system, based on its type, complexity, and relative size. The total number of function points represents the size and complexity of the system, which can be used to estimate the development effort, cost, and time.

FPA has several advantages over other estimation methods, such as:

It is independent of the technology, programming language, or development methodology used for the system. Therefore, it can be applied consistently across different platforms and environments.

It is based on the user perspective and the business value of the system, rather than the technical details or implementation aspects. Therefore, it can be performed early in the project life cycle, before the design or coding phases.

It is objective and standardized, as it follows a set of rules and guidelines defined by the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG). Therefore, it can reduce ambiguity and improve accuracy and reliability of the estimates.

It is adaptable and scalable, as it can handle changes in the user requirements or the system scope. Therefore, it can support agile and iterative development approaches.

References:

1: Function Point Analysis – Introduction and Fundamentals

2: Software Engineering | Functional Point (FP) Analysis

The most important thing for an IS auditor to validate when auditing network device management is that all devices have current security patches assessed. This is because security patches are essential for fixing known vulnerabilities and preventing unauthorized access, data breaches, or denial-of-service attacks on the network devices. If the network devices are not patched regularly, they may expose the network to various cyber threats and compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the network services and data12.

Devices cannot be accessed through service accounts is not the most important thing to validate because service accounts are typically used for automated tasks or processes that require privileged access to network devices. Service accounts can be secured by using strong passwords, limiting their permissions, and monitoring their activities. However, service accounts alone do not protect the network devices from external or internal attacks that exploit unpatched vulnerabilities3.

Backup policies include device configuration files is not the most important thing to validate because backup policies are mainly used for restoring the network devices in case of failure, disaster, or corruption. Backup policies can help with recovering the network functionality and data, but they do not prevent the network devices from being compromised or attacked in the first place. Backup policies should be complemented by security policies that ensure the network devices are patched and protected4.

All devices are located within a protected network segment is not the most important thing to validate because network segmentation is a technique that divides the network into smaller subnets or zones based on different criteria, such as function, security level, or access control. Network segmentation can help isolate and contain the impact of a potential attack on a network device, but it does not prevent the attack from happening. Network segmentation should be combined with security patching and other security measures to ensure the network devices are secure.

 The most important process to help ensure the application provides accurate calculations is quality assurance (QA), which involves verifying that the application meets the specified requirements and standards, and testing the application for functionality, performance, reliability, security, and usability. QA helps to identify and correct any defects or errors in the application before it is deployed to the production environment. Key performance indicator (KPI) monitoring, change management, and configuration management are important processes for managing and maintaining the application after it is implemented, but they do not directly ensure the accuracy of the calculationsperformed by the application. References: CISA Review Manual(Digital Version), Chapter 3: Information Systems Acquisition, Development & Implementation, Section 3.3: Practices for Quality Assurance

The most effective method of destroying sensitive data stored on electronic media is physical destruction, which involves breaking, shredding, melting, or incinerating the media to make it unreadable and unrecoverable. Degaussing, random character overwrite, and low-level formatting are methods of sanitizing or erasing data from electronic media, but they do not guarantee complete destruction of data and may leave some traces that can be recovered by advanced techniques. Therefore, physical destruction is the most secure and reliable method of data disposal for sensitive data. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5: Protection of Information Assets, Section 5.4: Data Disposal

 The best control for detecting unauthorized data changes in an IT organization where many responsibilities are shared is to have data changes independently reviewed by another group. This is because an independent review can provide an objective and unbiased verification of the data changes and ensure that they are authorized, accurate, and complete. An independent review can also help to detect any errors, fraud, or malicious activities that may have occurred during the data changes. An independent review can also provide assurance that the data integrity and security are maintained. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 4, Section 4.31

CISA Online Review Course, Domain 1, Module 4, Lesson 22

 A feasibility study is an assessment that determines the likelihood of a proposed project being successful, such as a new system development1. A feasibility study typically covers various aspects of the project, such as technical, economic, operational and legal feasibility2. The IS auditor’s role is to audit the feasibility study and ensure that it is objective, realistic and reliable3.

One of the most important aspects of a feasibility study is the economic feasibility, which analyzes the costs and benefits of the proposed system and compares them with alternative solutions2. Theeconomic feasibility study should include a detailed breakdown of the development, implementation and operational costs, as well as the expected revenues, savings and intangible benefits of the system3. The IS auditor should review the cost-benefit documentation for reasonableness and accuracy, and verify that the assumptions and calculations are valid and supported by evidence3.

The other options are not directly related to auditing the feasibility study of a system development project. Reviewing qualifications of key members of the project team (option A) is more relevant to auditing the project management and human resources aspects of the project. Reviewing the request for proposal (RFP) to ensure that it covers the scope of work (option B) is more relevant to auditing the procurement and vendor selection process of the project. Ensuring that vendor contracts are reviewed by legal counsel (option D) is more relevant to auditing the legal and contractual aspects of the project.

References: 3: Types of Feasibility Study in Software Project Development 2: Feasibility Analysis in System Development Process 1: What Is a Feasibility Study? Definition, Benefits and Types

A backlog consumption report is a report that shows the amount of work that has been completed and the amount of work that remains to be done in a project. It is a useful tool for measuring the progress and performance of a web-based customer service application development project, as it can indicate whether the project is on track, ahead or behind schedule, and how much effort is required to finish the project. A backlog consumption report can also help identify any issues or risks that may affect the project delivery. Critical path analysis reports, developer status reports and change management logs are also helpful for evaluating a project, but they are not as helpful as a backlog consumption report, as they do not provide a clear picture of the overall project status and completion rate. References:

: [Backlog Consumption Report Definition]

: Backlog Consumption Report | ISACA

Maintaining an onboarding and annual security awareness program is the best way to prevent social engineering incidents because it can educate the users about the common techniques and tactics used by social engineers and how to avoid falling victim to them. Ensuring user workstations are running the most recent version of antivirus software, including security responsibilities in job descriptions and requiring signed acknowledgment, and enforcing strict email security gateway controls are all good security practices, but they do not directly address the human factor that is exploited by social engineering. References:

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2020, p. 3671

ISACA, CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription2

Audit frameworks can assist the IS audit function by providing direction and information regarding the performance of audits. Audit frameworks are sets of standards, guidelines, and best practices that help IS auditors plan, conduct, and report on their audit engagements. Audit frameworks can help IS auditors ensure the quality, consistency, and professionalism of their audit work, as well as comply with the expectations and requirements of the stakeholders and regulators. Audit frameworks can also help IS auditors address the specific challenges and risks of auditing information systems and technology.

Defining the authority and responsibility of the IS audit function is not a way that audit frameworks can assist the IS audit function, but rather a way that the IS audit charter can assist the IS audit function. The IS audit charter is a document that defines the purpose, scope, objectives, and authority of the IS audit function within the organization. The IS audit charter can help IS auditors establish their role and position in relation to other functions and departments, as well as clarify their rights and obligations.

Providing details on how to execute the audit program is not a way that audit frameworks can assist the IS audit function, but rather a way that the audit methodology can assist the IS audit function. The audit methodology is a set of procedures and techniques that guide IS auditors in performing their audit tasks and activities. The audit methodology can help IS auditors apply a systematic and structured approach to their audit work, as well as use appropriate tools and methods to collect and analyze evidence.

Outlining the specific steps needed to complete audits is not a way that audit frameworks can assist the IS audit function, but rather a way that the audit plan can assist the IS audit function. The audit plan is a document that describes the scope, objectives, timeline, resources, and deliverables of a specific auditengagement. The audit plan can help IS auditors organize and manage their audit work, as well as communicate their expectations and responsibilities to the auditees.

References:

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2019, p. 51 1

Understanding Project Audit Frameworks - Wolters Kluwer 2

How to Implement a Robust Audit Framework - Insights - Metricstream 3

What Is The Internal Audit Function? An Accurate Definition Of The

The primary advantage of using virtualization technology for corporate applications is to achieve better utilization of resources, such as hardware, software, network and storage. Virtualization technology allows multiple applications to run on a single physical server or device, which reduces the need for additional hardware and maintenance costs. Virtualization technology also enables dynamic allocation and reallocation of resources according to the demand and priority of the applications, which improves efficiency and flexibility. The other options are not the primary advantage of using virtualization technology, although they may be some of the benefits or challenges depending on the implementation and configuration. References:

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, chapter 4, section 4.21

ISACA, COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, section 3.23

 The finding that should be of greatest concern to an IS auditor assessing the effectiveness of an organization’s vulnerability scanning program is that results are not reported to individuals with authority to ensure resolution. This indicates a lack of accountability and communication for vulnerability management, which may result in unresolved or delayed remediation of identified vulnerabilities. This may expose the organization to increased risk of cyberattacks or breaches. The other findings are also concerning, but not as much as this one, because they may affect the completeness, accuracy or timeliness of the vulnerability scanning process, but not necessarily its effectiveness. References:

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, chapter 4, section 4.41

ISACA, COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, section 3.2

The first step in auditing a data communication system is to determine the business use and types of messages to be transmitted. This is because the auditor needs to understand the purpose, scope, and objectives of the data communication system, as well as the nature, volume, and sensitivity of the data being transmitted. This will help the auditor to identify the risks, controls, and audit criteria for the data communication system. Traffic volumes and response-time criteria, physical security for network equipment, and the level of redundancy in the various communication paths are important aspects of a data communication system, but they are not the first step in auditing it. They depend on the business use and types of messages to be transmitted, and they may vary according to different scenarios and requirements. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), [ISACA Auditing Standards]

KPIs are not clearly defined is the most concerning finding for an IS auditor, because it implies that the third-party vendor does not have a clear understanding of what constitutes success or failure in their performance. This can lead to inaccurate or misleading reporting, poor decision making, and lack of accountability. KPIs should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) and aligned with the business objectives and expectations of the stakeholders12. References: 1: CISAReview Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5, Section 5.3.2 2: CISA Online Review Course, Module 5, Lesson 3

 The first step for the security incident response team after an IS security attack is reported is to perform a damage assessment. This involves identifying the scope, impact and root cause of the incident, as well as collecting and preserving evidence for further analysis and investigation. Reporting results to management, documenting lessons learned and prioritizing resources for corrective action are important steps, but they should be done after the damage assessment is completed. References: CISA Review Manual (DigitalVersion), Chapter 6, Section 6.31

 An IS auditor is analyzing a sample of accounts payable transactions for a specific vendor and identifies one transaction with a value five times as high as the average transaction. The next step that the auditor should do is to request an explanation of the variance from the auditee. This is because the variance may indicate an error, fraud, or an unusual but legitimate transaction that requires further investigation. The auditor should not report the variance immediately to the audit committee withoutverifying its cause and significance. The auditor should not increase the sample size to 100% of the population without considering the cost-benefit analysis and the sampling methodology. The auditor should not exclude the transaction from the sample population without justification, as itmay affect the validity and reliability of the audit results. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), [ISACA Auditing Standards]

The auditor should be most concerned about the information security policy not being approved by the policy owner. This is because the policy owner is the person who has the authority and accountability for ensuring that the policy is implemented and enforced. Without the policy owner’s approval, the policy may not reflect the organization’s objectives, risks, and compliance requirements. The policy owner is usually a senior executive or a board member who has a stake in the information security governance. The other options are less critical than the policy owner’s approval, although they may also indicate some weaknesses in the policy development and maintenance process. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 1, Section 1.21

CISA Online Review Course, Domain 5, Module 1, Lesson 12

The best source ofinformation for examining the classification of new data is the risk assessment results, because they provide an objective and consistent basis for determining the value, sensitivity, and criticality of the data, as well as the potential impact of unauthorized disclosure, modification, or loss of the data12. The risk assessment results can help to definethe appropriate classification levels and criteria for the data, such as public, internal, confidential, or restricted12. Input by data custodians, security policy requirements, and current levelof protection are not the best sources of information for examining the classification of new data, because they may not reflect the actual risk exposure or business needs of the data. References: 1: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5, Section5.4.2 2: CISA Online Review Course, Module 5, Lesson 4

The best approach for an IS auditor to evaluate whether the IT strategy supports the organization’s vision and mission is to meet with senior management to understand the business goals and how IT can enable them. This will help the IS auditor to assess the alignment and integration of IT with the business strategy and to identify any gaps or opportunities for improvement. Reviewing ROIs, KPIs, or feedback from other departments may provide some insights, but they are not sufficient to evaluate the IT strategy. References: IS Audit and Assurance Standards, section “Standard 1201: Engagement Planning”

 The greatest concern with this situation is that a business-critical application does not currently have any level of fault tolerance and thus has a single point of failure. A single point of failure is a component or element of a system that, if it fails, will cause the entire system to stop functioning. Fault tolerance is the ability of a system to continue operating without interruption or degradation in the event of a failure of one or more of its components or elements. Fault tolerance can be achieved by using techniques such as redundancy, replication, backup, or failover. A business-critical application should have a high level of fault tolerance to ensure its availability, reliability, and continuity. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5, Section 5.51

CISA Online Review Course,Domain 3, Module 3, Lesson 22

 The best approach to determine whether IT service delivery is based on consistently effective processes is to evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs are measurable values that demonstrate how effectively an organization is achieving its key objectives. KPIs can help the IT governance body to monitor and assess the performance, quality, and efficiency of the IT service delivery processes. KPIs can also help to identify areas for improvement and benchmark against best practices or industry standards. References:

CISA Review Manual (DigitalVersion), Chapter 1, Section 1.3.21

CISA Online Review Course, Domain 5, Module 2, Lesson 22

 The most important thing to determine when conducting a post-implementation review is whether success criteria have been achieved. A post-implementation review is a process of evaluating the results and outcomes of a project or initiative after it has been completed and implemented. The success criteria are the measurable indicators that define what constitutes a successful project or initiative in terms of its objectives, benefits, quality, performance, and stakeholder satisfaction. The IS auditor should verify whether the success criteria have been achieved by comparing the actual results and outcomes with the expected or planned ones, and by assessing whether they meet or exceed the expectations and requirements of the stakeholders. The IS auditor should also identify any gaps, issues, or risks that may affect the sustainability or scalability of the project or initiative, and provide recommendations for improvement or remediation. The other options are not as important as determining whether success criteria have been achieved when conducting a post-implementation review, because they either focus on specific aspects or components of the project or initiative rather than theoverall value proposition, or they are part of the pre-implementation or implementation phases rather than the post-implementation phase. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)1, Chapter 4, Section 4.2.3

Substantive testing is the most important type of testing during software license audits, as it provides evidence of the accuracy and completeness of the software inventory and licensing records. Substantive testing involves examiningtransactions, balances, and other data to verify their validity, existence, accuracy, and valuation. Compliance testing, on the other hand, is more focused on assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of internal controls over software licensing, such as policies, procedures,and monitoring mechanisms. Compliance testing alone cannot provide sufficient assurance that the software license audit objectives are met, as itdoes notverify the actual software usage and compliance status. Judgmental sampling and stop-or-go sampling are methods of selecting samples for testing, not types of testing themselves. *References: According to the ISACA IT Audit and Assurance Standards, Guidelines and Tools and Techniques for IS Audit and Assurance Professionals, section1206 Testing, “The IS audit and assurance professional should perform sufficient testing to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence to support conclusions reached.” 1 The section also defines substantive testing as “testing performed to obtain audit evidence to detect material misstatements in transactions orbalances” and compliance testing as “testing performed to obtain audit evidence on theoperating effectiveness of controls.” 1 According to the ISACA IT Audit and Assurance Guideline G15 Software License Management, “The objective of a software license auditis to provide management with an independent assessment relating to compliance with software license agreements.” 2 The guideline also states that “substantive tests should be performed on a sample basis to verify that all software installed on devices within scope has been appropriately licensed.” 2

Following a breach, the maximum amount of time before customers must be notified that their personal information may have been compromised depends on the industry regulations that apply to the organization. Different industries and jurisdictions may have different legal and regulatory requirements for breach notification, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States, or the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada. Industry standards, incident response plans, and information security policies are not as authoritative as industry regulations in determining the breach notification time frame. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), [ISACA Privacy Principles and Program Management Guide]

A demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a network segment that is separated from the internal network and the external network, such as the internet, by firewalls or other security devices. A DMZ provides an extra layer of security for the organization’s internal network by isolating the servers and services that need to be accessible to external users, such as a file server, from the rest of the network. A DMZ also prevents external users from accessing the internal network directly, as they have to go through two firewalls to reach it. Therefore, setting up a DMZ is an IS auditor’s best recommendation to protect anorganization from attacks when its file server needs to be accessible to external users12.

The other possible options are:

Enforce a secure tunnel connection: This means that the organization requires external users to establish a secure and encrypted connection, such as a virtual private network (VPN), to access its file server. This can provide some level of security and privacy for the data transmission, but it does not protect the file server or the internal network from attacks if the connection is compromised or if the external users are malicious. Therefore, enforcing asecuretunnel connection is not an IS auditor’s best recommendation to protect an organization from attacks when its file server needs to be accessible to external users3.

Enhance internal firewalls: This means that the organization improves the security and performance of its internal firewalls, which are devices that filter and control the network traffic between different segments of the network. This can provide some level of protection for the internal network from unauthorized or malicious access, but it does not protect the file server or the external network from attacks if the file server is exposed to the internet or if the external network is compromised. Therefore, enhancing internal firewalls is not an IS auditor’s best recommendation to protect an organization from attacks when its file server needs to be accessible to external users4.

Implement a secure protocol: This means that the organization uses a secure and standardized protocol, such as Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) or Secure Shell (SSH), to transfer files between its file server and external users. This can provide some level of security and integrity for the data transmission, but it does not protect the file server or the internal network from attacks if the protocol is exploited or if the external users are malicious. Therefore, implementing a secure protocol is not an IS auditor’s best recommendation to protect an organization from attacks when its file server needs to be accessible to external users5. References: 1: What Is a DMZ Network and Why Would You Use It? | Fortinet 2: Demilitarised zone (DMZ) | Cyber.gov.au 3: What Is VPN Tunneling? | Fortinet 4: Firewall - Wikipedia 5: Secure Shell - Wikipedia

The most important issue for an IS auditor to consider with regard to Voice-over IP (VoIP) communications is the homogeneity of the network, because it affects the quality, security, and reliability of the VoIP service. Ahomogeneous network is one that uses a single protocol or standard for VoIP communication, such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or H.32312. A homogeneous network can reduce thecomplexity, latency, and interoperability issues that may arise from using different or incompatible protocols or devices forVoIP communication12. Continuity of service, identity management, and nonrepudiation are also important issues for VoIP communications, but not as important as the homogeneity of the network. References: 1: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 4, Section 4.4.3 2: CISA Online Review Course, Module 4, Lesson 4

 Data classification is the process of organizing and labeling data into categories based on file type, contents, and other metadata. Data classification helps organizations answer important questions about their data that inform how they mitigate risk and manage data governance policies. Data classification also enables appropriate protection measures, and efficient search, retrieval and use of each data category12.

While evaluating the data classification process of an organization, an IS auditor’s primary focus should be on whether data is correctly classified. This means that the data is assigned to the appropriate classification level based on its sensitivity, importance, integrity, availability, compliance requirements, and business value. Correct data classification ensures that the data is protected according to its risk level, and that the organization can comply with relevant laws and regulations that apply to different types of data3.

The other three options are not the primary focus of an IS auditor while evaluating the data classification process, although they may be relevant or useful for certain aspects of data management.Data classifications are automated means that the organization uses software tools or algorithms to analyze and label data based on predefined rules or criteria. This can improve the efficiency and consistency of data classification, but it does not guarantee that the data is correctly classified. The IS auditor still needs to verify the accuracy and validity of the automated classifications, and check for any errors or anomalies.

A data dictionary is maintained means that the organization keeps a record of the definitions, formats, sources, and relationships of the data elements in its systems or databases. This can enhance the understanding and usability of the data, but it does not ensure that the data is correctly classified. The IS auditor still needs to examine the content and context of the data, and compare it with the classification criteria and policies.

Data retention requirements are clearly defined means that the organization specifies how long it will keep different types of data, and when it will delete or archive them. This can help reduce storage costs, improve performance, and comply with legal obligations, but it does not ensure that the data is correctly classified. The IS auditor still needs to assess whether the data is stored and protected according to its classification level, and whether the retention periods are appropriate for each type of data.

Therefore, data is correctly classified is the best answer.

References:

Data Classification: The Basics and a 6-Step Checklist - NetApp

What is Data Classification? Guidelines and Process -Varonis

Data Classification and Handling Procedures Guide

The best recommendation to include in an organization’s bring your own device (BYOD) policy to help prevent data leakage is to require multi-factor authentication on BYOD devices. BYOD is a practice that allows employees to use their own personal devices, such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops, to access the organization’s network, data, and systems. Data leakage is a risk that involves the unauthorized or accidental disclosure or transfer of sensitive or confidential data from the organization to external parties or devices. Multi-factor authentication is a security measure that requires users to provide two or more pieces of evidence to verify their identity and access rights, such as passwords, tokens, biometrics, or codes. Multi-factor authentication can help prevent data leakage by reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access to the organization’s data and systems throughBYOD devices, especially if they are lost, stolen, or compromised. The other options are not as effective as requiring multi-factor authentication on BYOD devices, because they either do not prevent data leakage directly,or they are reactive rather than proactive measures. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)1, Chapter 5, Section 5.2.3

The greatest concern for an IS auditor reviewing an online security awareness program is that metrics have not been established to assess training results. Without metrics, it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of the program and identify areas for improvement. The other findings are alsoissues that need to be addressed, but they are not as significant as the lack of metrics. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5, Section 5.3.11

The greatest indicator that the cybersecurity policy may need to be revised is a significant increase in approved exceptions. This implies that the policy is not aligned with the current business needs and risks, and that it may be too restrictive or outdated. The other options are not necessarily indicators of a need for policy revision, as they may be due to other factors such as changes in the externalenvironment, audit scope or methodology. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5, Section 5.21

The primary role of key performance indicators (KPIs) in supporting business process effectiveness is to enable conclusions about the performance of the processes and target variances for follow-up analysis. KPIs are measurable values that demonstrate how effectively an organization is achieving its key objectives. KPIs can help to monitor and evaluate the performance, quality, and efficiency of the business processes. KPIs can also help to identify areas for improvement and benchmark against best practices or industry standards. KPIs can also provide feedback and guidance for decision making and corrective actions. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 1, Section 1.3.21

CISA Online Review Course, Domain 5, Module 2, Lesson 22

The concept of materiality is most important for an IS auditor to apply when planning an audit engagement, because it helps the auditor to determine the scope, objectives, procedures and resources of the audit. Materiality is the degree to which an omission or misstatement of information could affect the users’ decisions or the achievement of the audit objectives. By applying the concept of materiality, the auditor can focus on the most significant and relevant areas of the audit and avoid wasting time and effort on trivial or immaterial matters. The other options are not as important as planning an audit engagement, because they are either based on or affected by the materiality assessment done during the planning phase. References:

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, chapter 1, section 1.31

ISACA, IT Audit and Assurance Standards, Guidelines and Tools and Techniques forIS Audit and Assurance Professionals, section 12022

The recovery time objective (RTO) has a longer duration than documented in the disaster recovery plan (DRP) should be of greatest concern to the auditor when reviewing a bank’s SLA with a third-party provider that hosts the bank’s secondary data center. This is because the RTO is the maximum acceptable time for restoring a system or an application after a disaster or a disruption. A longer RTO than the DRP means that the bank maynot be able to resume its critical business operations within the expected time frame, which may result insignificant financial losses, reputational damage, customer dissatisfaction, or regulatory non-compliance12.

The SLA has not been reviewed in more than a year is not the greatest concern, although it is a good practice to review and update the SLA periodically to ensure that it reflects the current business needsand expectations, as well as any changes in the service provider’s capabilities or performance. However, a lack of review does not necessarily imply a lack of compliance or quality of service, as long as the SLA is still valid and enforceable34.

Backup data is hosted online only is not the greatest concern, although it may pose some security risks if the backup data is not encrypted or protected by adequate access controls. Online backup data means that the backup data is stored on a remote server that can be accessed via the Internet, which may offer some advantages such as faster recovery, lower cost, and higher availability than offline backup data that is stored on physical media such as tapes or disks. However, online backup data also requires reliable network connectivity and bandwidth, as well as proper security measures to prevent unauthorized access or tampering56.

The recovery point objective (RPO) has a shorter duration than documented in the DRP is not the greatest concern, although it may indicate some inconsistency or misalignment between the SLA and the DRP. The RPO is the maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time from a disaster or a disruption. A shorter RPO than the DRP means that the bank may lose less data than expected, which may be beneficial for its business continuity and recovery. However, a shorter RPO may also imply more frequent backups, which may increase the cost and complexity ofthe backup process

Full disk encryption (FDE) is a means of protecting information by encrypting all of thedata on a disk, including temporary files, programs, and system files1. FDE is best suited for addressing the risk scenario of physical theft of media on which information is stored, as it prevents unauthorized access to the data even if the device is lost or stolen2. FDE does not prevent data leakage as a result of employees leaving to work for competitors, as they may still have access to the data while using the device or copy the data to another device before leaving. FDE does not prevent noncompliance fines related to storage of regulated information, as it does not ensure that the data is stored in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations. FDE does not prevent unauthorized logical access to information through an application interface, as it does not control the access rights and permissions of users and applications. *References: According to the ISACA IT Audit and Assurance Standards, Guidelines and Tools and Techniques for IS Audit and Assurance Professionals, section 2402 Planning, “The IS audit and assurance professional should identify and assess risk relevant to the area under review.” 3 Oneof the risk factors to consider is “the sensitivity of information processed, stored or transmitted by the system” 3. FDE is one of the possible controls to mitigate the risk of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information due to physical theft of media.

 A distributed security administration system is a system that allows different administrators to manage the security of different parts of the network or organization. This can provide more flexibility, scalability, and efficiency than a centralized system, where one administrator is responsible for the entire security. However, a distributed security administration system also presents some potential challenges and risks, such as:

Inconsistency and conflict among different security policies and standards

Lack of coordination and communication among different administrators

Difficulty in monitoring and auditing the overall security status and performance

Increased complexity and cost of security management and maintenance

Therefore, the greatest potential concern for implementing a distributed security administration system is that the security procedures may be inadequate to support the change. Security procedures are the rules and guidelines that define how security is implemented and enforced in an organization. They include policies, standards, processes, roles, responsibilities, controls, and metrics. Security procedures should be aligned with the business objectives, risks, and requirements of the organization, as well as the best practices and regulations in the industry. Security procedures should also be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect the changes in the environment, technology, and threats.

If the security procedures are not adequate to support the change from a centralized to a distributed security administration system, the organization may face increased security risks, such as unauthorized access, data breaches, compliance violations, reputation damage, and financial losses. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the security procedures are revised and adapted to suit the new system, and that they are communicated and enforced effectively across the organization.

References:

1: Security in Distributed System - GeeksforGeeks

2: Distributed System Security Architecture - Wikipedia

3: Distributed Systems Security: Issues, Processes and Solutions

Whenclassifying information, it is most important to align the classification to business risk, because it ensures that the information is protected according to its value andimpact to the organization34. Business risk considers factors such as legal, regulatory, contractual, operational, reputational, and financial implications of information disclosure or compromise34. Aligning information classification to business risk also helps to prioritize and allocate resources for information security measures. Security policy, data retention requirements, and industry standards are important considerations for information classification, but not as important as business risk. References: 3: CISA Review Manual(Digital Version), Chapter 5, Section 5.4.2 4: CISA Online Review Course, Module 5, Lesson 4

 The most important thing for an IS auditor to verify when reviewing the use of an outsourcer for disposal of storage media is that the vendor’s process appropriately sanitizes the media before disposal. As explained in the previous question, storage media may contain sensitive or confidential information that needs to be protected from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. The IS auditor should verify that the vendor has a process that appropriately sanitizes the media before disposal, such as wiping, degaussing, shredding, or incinerating, and that the process is effective and compliant with the organization’s policies and standards. The other options are not as important as verifying the vendor’s process, because they either do not ensure the security and privacy of the information on the media, or they aresecondary to the vendor’s process. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)1, Chapter 5, Section 5.2.7

The best indication to an IS auditor that management’s post-implementation review was effective is that lessons learned were documented and applied, as this shows that the management has identified and addressed the issues and gaps that arose during the implementation, and has improved the processes and practices for future projects. Business and IT stakeholders participating in the post-implementation review is a good practice, but it does not guarantee that the review was effective or that the outcomes were implemented. Post-implementation review being a formal phase in the system development life cycle (SDLC) is a requirement, but it does not ensure that the review was effective or that the outcomes were implemented. Internal audit follow-up being completed without any findings is a desirable result, but it does not indicate that the management’s post-implementation review was effectiveorthat the outcomes were implemented. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 3: Information Systems Acquisition, Development andImplementation, Section 3.2: Project Management Practices1

The best method to delete sensitive information from storage media that will be reused is multiple overwriting. This is because multiple overwriting ensures that the data is practically unrecoverable by any software or hardware means. Multiple overwriting involves writing 0s, 1s, or random patterns onto all sectors of the storage media several times, making the original data unreadable or inaccessible. There arevarious software programs available that can securely delete files from storage media using multiple overwriting techniques1.

Crypto-shredding is not the best method because it only works for encrypted data. Crypto-shredding involves deleting the encryption key used to encrypt the data, making the data unreadable and unrecoverable. However, if the data is not encrypted, crypto-shredding will not erase it2.

Reformatting and re-partitioning are not the best methods because they do not erase the data completely. Reformatting and re-partitioning only delete the file system structures and pointers that make the data accessible, but thedata itself remains on the storage media and can be recovered using data recovery software

The most important responsibility of user departments associated with program changes is approving changes before implementation. This is because user departments are the primary stakeholders and beneficiaries of the program changes, and they need to ensure that the changes meet their requirements, expectations, and objectives. User departments also need to approve the changes before implementation to avoid unauthorized, unnecessary, or erroneous changes that could affect the functionality, performance, or security of the program.

Providing unit test data is a responsibility of user departments associated with program changes, but it is not the most important one. Unit test data is used to verify that the individual components of the program work as expected after the changes. However, unit test data alone cannot guarantee that the program as a whole works correctly, or that the changes are aligned with the user departments’ needs.

Analyzing change requests is a responsibility of user departments associated with program changes, but it is not the most important one. Analyzing change requests is the process of evaluating the feasibility, necessity, and impact of the proposed changes. However, analyzing change requests does not ensure that the changes are implemented correctly, or that they are acceptable to the user departments.

Updating documentation to reflect latest changes is a responsibility of user departments associated with program changes, but it is not the most important one. Updating documentation is the process of maintaining accurate and complete records of the program’s specifications, features, and functionsafter the changes. However, updating documentation does not ensure that the changes are effective, or that they are approved by the user departments.

References:

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2019, p. 281

ISACA, CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription

The best testing approach to facilitate rapid identification of application interface errors is automated testing. Automated testing is the use of software tools or scripts to execute predefined test cases, compare expected and actual outcomes, and report any discrepancies. Automated testing can help to speed up the testing process, increase test coverage, reduce human errors, and improve test accuracy and consistency. Automated testing can also help to detect interface errors that may occur due to incompatible data formats, communication protocols, or system configurations. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 3, Section 3.3.11

CISA OnlineReview Course, Domain 2, Module 2, Lesson 1

The answer B is correct because a system-generated list of staff and their project assignments, roles, and responsibilities is the most useful to an IS auditor performing a review of access controls for a document management system. A document management system is a software that helps organizations store, manage, and share documents electronically. Access controls are the mechanisms that restrict or allow access to the documents based on predefined criteria, such as user identity, role, or project. An IS auditor needs to verify that the access controls are properly configured and implemented to ensure the security, confidentiality, and integrity of the documents.

A system-generated list of staff and their project assignments, roles, and responsibilities can help the IS auditor to perform the following tasks:

Identify the users who have access to the document management system and their level of access (e.g., read-only, edit, delete, etc.).

Compare the actual access rights of the users with their expected or authorized access rights based on their roles and responsibilities.

Detect any anomalies, discrepancies, or violations in the access rights of the users, such as excessive or unauthorized access, segregation of duties conflicts, or dormant or inactive accounts.

Evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the access control policies and procedures, such as user provisioning, deprovisioning, authentication, authorization, auditing, etc.

The other options are not as useful as option B. Policies and procedures for managing documents provided by department heads (option A) are not reliable sources of information for an IS auditor because they may not reflect the actual practices or compliance status of the document management system. Previous audit reports related to other departments’ use of the same system (option C) are not relevant for an IS auditor because they may not address the specific issues or risks associatedwith the current department’s use of the document management system. Information provided by the audit teamlead on the authentication systems used by the department (option D) is not sufficient for an IS auditor because authentication is only one aspect of access control and it does not provide information on the authorization or auditing of the document access.

References:

Overview of document management in SharePoint

Setting Up a Document Control System: 6 Basic Steps

Access Control Management: Purpose, Types,Tools, & Benefits

9 Best Document Management Systems of 2023

An IT balanced scorecard (BSC) is a performance metric that is used to identify, improve, and control the various functions and outcomes of an IT department or organization. An IT BSC is based on the concept of the balanced scorecard, which was introduced by Robert Kaplan and David Norton in 1992 as a strategic management system that translates the vision and strategy of an organization into measurable objectives and actions. An IT BSC adapts the balanced scorecard framework to the specific needs and goals of the IT function, aligning it with the business strategy and value proposition.

An IT BSC typically consists of four perspectives that help managers plan, implement, and evaluate the IT performance: customer, internal process, learning and growth, and financial. Each perspective defines a set of objectives, measures, targets, and initiatives that reflect the IT contribution to the organization’s success. For example, the customer perspective may measure the satisfaction and retention of internal and external customers who use IT services or products; the internal process perspective may measure the efficiency and effectiveness of IT processes such as development, delivery, support, or security; the learning and growth perspective may measure the skills, knowledge,innovation, and culture of the IT staff; and the financial perspective may measure the costs, benefits, and return on investment of IT projects or assets.

An IT BSC provides a new IS auditor with the most useful information to evaluate overall IT performance because it:

Provides a comprehensive and balanced view of the IT function from multiple angles and stakeholders

Links the IT objectives and activities to the business strategy and value creation

Enables a clear communication and alignment of expectations and priorities among IT managers, staff, customers, and other stakeholders

Facilitates a continuous monitoring and improvement of IT performance based on data-driven feedback and analysis

Supports a holistic and integrated approach to IT governance, risk management, and compliance

Therefore, an IT BSC is a valuable tool for a new IS auditor to assess how well the IT function is fulfilling its mission and delivering value to the organization.

References:

The IT Balanced Scorecard (BSC) Explained - BMC Software

What Is a Balanced Scorecard (BSC), How Is it Used in Business?

Lost in the Woods: COBIT 2019 and the IT Balanced Scorecard - ISACA

The risk that is most affected by this oversight is audit risk. Audit risk is the risk that the auditor may express an inappropriate opinion or conclusion based on the audit evidence obtained. Audit risk consists of inherent risk, control risk, and detection risk. Inherent risk is the risk that material errors or frauds exist in the audited area before considering the effectiveness of internal controls. Control risk is the risk that the internal controls fail to prevent or detect material errors or frauds. Detection risk is the risk that the auditor fails to identify material errors or frauds using the audit procedures performed. In this case, the auditor has overlooked evidence that could contradict a conclusion of the audit, which increases the detection risk and consequently the audit risk. References:

CISA Review Manual (DigitalVersion), Chapter 2, Section 2.31

CISA Online Review Course, Domain 1, Module 1, Lesson 32

 An organization is shifting to a remote workforce. In preparation, the IT department is performing stress and capacity testing of remote access infrastructure and systems. This type of control is being implemented to direct or guide actions to achieve a desired outcome. Therefore, it is a directive control. Directive controls are proactive controls that seek to prevent undesirable events from occurring. They include policies, standards, procedures, guidelines, training, and testing. Detective controls are reactive controls that seek to identify undesirable events that have already occurred. They include monitoring, logging, auditing, and reporting. Preventive controls are proactive controls that seek to avoid undesirable events from occurring. They include authentication, encryption, firewalls, and antivirus software. Compensating controls are alternative controls that provide a similar level of protection as the primary controls when the primary controls are not feasible or cost-effective. They include segregationof duties, manual reviews, and backup systems. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), [ISACA Glossary of Terms]

The primary focus of the IS auditor reviewing the first year of the project should be regression testing. Regression testing is a type of testing that ensures that the existing functionality of the system is not affected by the changes or upgrades made to the system. Since the project involves upgrading the ERP system hosting the general ledger, which is a critical and complex component of the finance department, it is important to verify that the upgrade does not introduce any errors or defects that could compromise the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of the financial data and reports. Regression testing can help identify and resolve any issues before they affect the users and the business processes.

Unit testing, network performance, and user acceptance testing (UAT) are also important aspects of the project, but they are not the primary focus of the IS auditor in the first year. Unit testing is a type of testing that verifies that each individual module or component of the system works as expected. Network performance is a measure of how well the system can communicate and exchange data with other systems and devices over a network. User acceptance testing (UAT) is a type of testing that validates that the system meets the user requirements and expectations. These aspects are more relevant in later stages of the project, when the system is more developed and ready for deployment.

References:

ERP Upgrade: The Path to Modernization | SAP

ERP System Validation: Your Guide To Successfully Validating ERP Systems

The role of internal auditors in ERP‐based organizations

What is Regression Testing? Definition, Tools & Examples

What is Unit Testing? Definition, Tools & Examples

What is Network Performance? Definition, Metrics & Examples

What is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)? Definition, Process & Examples

 The use of control totals satisfies the control objective of processing integrity. Processing integrity refers to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and validity of data processing. Control totals are a method of verifying the correctness of data processing by comparing the total value or count of a batch of transactions before and after processing. For example, if a batch of 100 invoices is entered into an accounting system, the total amount and number of invoices should match before and after processing. If there is a discrepancy, it indicates an error in data entry, transmission, or processing. Control totals help to ensure that no transactions are lost, duplicated, or altered during processing.

References:

Control Objectives & Activities: Examples, Appropriateness

Levels and Types of Control | Principles ofManagement

CISA Review Manual 27th Edition, page 337

 The auditor should first escalate to audit management to discuss the audit plan. This is because the audit plan should be based on a risk assessment and aligned with the organization’s objectives and strategies. The auditor should not accept the CIO’s request without proper justification and approval from the audit management, who are responsible for ensuring the audit plan’s quality and independence. The auditor should also communicate the potential risks and implications of not conducting IS audits in the upcoming year, such as missing new or emerging threats, vulnerabilities, or compliance issues. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 2, Section 2.11

CISA Online Review Course, Domain 1, Module 1, Lesson 22

 The best process for continuous auditing for a large financial institution is validating access controls for real-time data systems. This is because access controls are critical for ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the financial data that is processed and transmitted by the real-time data systems. Real-time data systems are systems that provide timely and accurate information to support decision-making and transactions in a dynamic and complex environment. Examples of real-time data systems in the financial sector include payment systems, trading platforms, risk management systems, and fraud detection systems. Continuous auditing of access controls can help detect and prevent unauthorized access, data leakage, data manipulation, or data loss that could compromise the security, reliability, or compliance of the real-time data systems.

Testing encryption standards on the disaster recovery system is not the best process for continuous auditing for a large financial institution. Encryption standards are important for protecting the data stored or transmitted by the disaster recovery system, which is a system that provides backup and recovery capabilities in case of a disruption or disaster. However, testing encryption standards is not a continuous process, but rather a periodic or event-driven process that can be performed as part of the disaster recovery plan testing or validation.

Performing parallel testing between systems is not the best process for continuous auditing for a large financial institution. Parallel testing is a process of comparing the results of two or more systems that perform the same function or task, such as a new system and an old system, or a primary system and a backup system. Parallel testing can help verify the accuracy, consistency, and compatibility of thesystems. However, parallel testing is not a continuous process, but rather a temporary or transitional process that can be performed as part of the system implementation or migration.

Validating performance of help desk metrics is not the best process for continuous auditing for a large financial institution. Help desk metrics are indicators that measure the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of the help desk service, which is a service that provides technical support and assistance to the users of information systems and technology. Help desk metrics can include metrics such as response time, resolution time, customer satisfaction, and service level agreement (SLA) compliance. Validating performance of help desk metrics can help evaluate and improve the help desk service. However, validating performance of help desk metrics is not a continuous auditing process, but rather a continuous monitoring process that can be performed by the help desk management or quality assurance team.

References:

All eyes on: Continuous auditing - KPMG Global 1

Internal audit’s role at financial institutions: PwC 2

The Fed - Supervisory Policy and Guidance Topics - Large Banking … 3

Continuous Audit: Definition, Steps, Advantages and Disadvantages 4

The greatest concern to an IS auditor conducting an audit of an organization that recently experienced a ransomware attack is that backups were only performed within the local network. This means that the backups could have been encrypted or deleted by the ransomware, making it impossible to restore the data and systems without paying the ransom or losing the data. Backups are a critical part of the recovery process from a ransomware attack, and they should be performed frequently, securely, and off-site or in the cloud to ensure their availability and integrity.

The other options are not as concerning as option C, although they may also indicate some security weaknesses. Antivirus software was unable to prevent the attack even though it was properly updated, but this is not surprising given that ransomware variants are constantly evolving and antivirus software may not be able to detect them all. The most recent security patches were not tested prior to implementation, but this is a trade-off between security and availability that may be justified depending on the severity and urgency of the patches. Employees were not trained on cybersecurity policies and procedures, but this is a preventive measure that may not have prevented the attack if it was initiated by other means such as phishing or exploiting vulnerabilities.

References:

10: Infrastructure-as-a-Service Security Responsibilities - CloudTweaks

5: 3 steps to prevent and recover from ransomware | Microsoft Security Blog

7: How to Recover From a Ransomware Attack - eSecurityPlanet

 The answer B is correct because data minimization is the most important design consideration to mitigate the risk of exposing data through application programming interface (API) queries. An API is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software components or systems to communicate and exchange data. API queries are requests sent by users or applications to an API to retrieve or manipulate data. For example, a user may query an API to get information about a product, a service, or a location.

Data minimization is the principle of collecting, processing, and storing only the minimum amount of data that are necessary for a specific purpose. Data minimization can help to reduce the risk of exposing data through API queries by limiting the amount and type of data that are available oraccessible through the API. Data minimization can also help to protect the privacy and security of the data subjects and the data providers, as well as to comply with the relevant laws and regulations.

Some of the benefits of data minimization for API design are:

Privacy: Data minimization can enhance the privacy of the data subjects by ensuring that only the data that are relevant and essential for the API purpose are collected and processed. This can prevent unnecessary or excessive collection or disclosure of personal or sensitive data, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. Data minimization can also help to comply with the privacy laws and regulations that require data protection by design and by default, such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) or CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act).

Security: Data minimization can improve the security of the data providers by reducing the attack surface and the potential damage of a data breach. If less data are stored or transmitted through the API, there are fewer opportunities for attackers to access or compromise the data. Data minimization can also help to implement security controls such as encryption, access control, or logging more efficiently and effectively.

Performance: Data minimization can increase the performance of the API by optimizing the use of resources and bandwidth. If less data are stored or transmitted through the API, there are less storage space and network traffic required. Data minimization can also help to improve the speed and reliability of the API responses.

Some of the techniques for data minimization in API design are:

Define clear and specific purposes for the API and document them in the API specification or documentation.

Identify and classify the data that are needed for each purpose and assign them appropriate labels or levels, such as public, internal, confidential, or restricted.

Implement filters or parameters in the API queries that allow users or applications to specify or limit the data fields or attributes they want to retrieve or manipulate.

Use pagination or throttling in the API responses that limit the number or size of data items returned per request.

Use anonymization or pseudonymization techniques that remove or replace any identifying information from the data before sending them through the API.

Some examples of web resources that discuss data minimization in API design are:

Data Minimization in Web APIs - World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Adding Privacy by Design in Secure Application Development

Chung-ju/Data-Minimization: A repository of related papers. - GitHub

The greatest concern to an IS auditor reviewing an organization’s method to transport sensitive data between offices is that the method relies exclusively on the use of public key infrastructure (PKI). PKI is a set of tools and procedures that are used to create, manage, and revoke digital certificates and public keys for encryption and authentication1. PKI can provide secure and trustworthy communication over the internet, but it also has some limitations and risks that need to be considered.

One ofthe main limitations of PKI is that it depends on the trustworthiness and security of the certificate authority (CA), which is the entity that issues and verifies the digitalcertificates2. If the CA is compromised or malicious, it can issue fake or fraudulent certificates that can be used to impersonate legitimate parties or intercept sensitive data. For example, in 2011, a hacker breached the CA DigiNotar and issued hundreds of rogue certificates for domains such as Google,Yahoo, and Microsoft3. This allowed the hacker to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks and spy on the online activities of users in Iran3.

Another limitation of PKI is that it requires a complex and costly infrastructure to maintain and operate. PKI involves multiple components, such as servers, software, hardware, policies, and procedures, that need to be configured, updated, and monitored regularly1. PKI also requires a high level of technical expertise and coordination among different parties, such as users, administrators, CAs,and registration authorities (RAs)1. PKI can be vulnerable to human errors or negligence that can compromise its security or functionality. For example, in 2018, a software bug in Apple’s macOS High Sierra caused the system to accept any certificate as valid without checking its validity period. This could have allowed attackers to use expired or revoked certificates to bypass security checks.

Therefore, an IS auditor should be concerned if an organization relies exclusively on PKI for transporting sensitive data between offices. PKI can provide a high level of security and trust, but it also has some inherent risks and challenges that need to be addressed. An IS auditor should evaluate whether the organization has implemented adequate controls and measures to ensure the reliability and integrity of its PKI system. An IS auditor should also consider whether the organization has alternative or complementary methods for securing its data transmission, such as using symmetric encryption algorithms or digital signatures. Symmetric encryption algorithms use the same key for both encryption and decryption, which can offer faster performance and lower overhead than asymmetric encryptionalgorithms used by PKI4. Digital signatures use cryptographic techniques to verify the identity and authenticity of the sender and the integrity of the data5.

The most effective way for controlling visitor access to a data center is to ensure that visitors are escorted by an authorized employee, as this prevents unauthorized or malicious actions by the visitors and provides accountability and supervision. Pre-approval of entry requests, visitors signingin at the front desk upon arrival, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) are also useful measures, but they are not as effective as escorting visitors, as theydo not prevent or detect unauthorized or malicious actions bythe visitors in real time. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5: Protection of Information Assets, Section 5.1: Physical Access Controls1

The design phase of the system development life cycle (SDLC) is where an IS auditor would expect to find that controlshave been incorporated into system specifications, because this is where the system requirements are translated intodetailed design specifications that include the technical, functional, and security aspects of the system34. The implementation phase iswhere the system is deployed and tested, the development phase is where the system is codedand unit tested, and thefeasibility phase is where the system objectives and scope are defined. References: 3: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 4, Section 4.2.2 4: CISA Online Review Course, Module 4, Lesson 2

 The finding that presents the most significant risk when reviewing the deployment of a new automated system is that data from the legacy system is not migrated correctly to the new system. Data migration is a critical process that involves transferring data from one system to another, ensuring its accuracy, completeness, integrity, and usability. If data migration is not performed correctly, it can result in data loss, corruption, inconsistency, or duplication, which can affect the functionality, performance, reliability, and security of the new system. Data migration errors can also have serious business implications, such as affecting decision making, reporting, compliance, customer service, and revenue. The other findings (A, B and D) are less significant risks, as they can be mitigated by rehiring or retraining personnel, providing user training, or adapting the system to different platforms.

 A web proxy server for corporate connections to external resources reduces organizational risk by anonymizing users through changed IP addresses. A web proxy server is an intermediarybetween the web and client devices, that can provide proxy services to a client or a group of clients1. One of the main benefits of using a web proxy server is that it allows users to change their IP address andlocation, circumventing geoblocking and hiding their identity from the target website2.

Anonymizing internal IP addresses is important for online security, as it helps protect the organization from several threats. If an attacker controls a server that employees connect to, the outgoing IP address of the organization’s router is logged on the server. This IP address can be used by the attacker to launch a denial-of-service (DoS) attack or to create more targeted attacks such as phishing2. With a web proxy server, the IP shown in web logs is the web proxy’s, which means an attacker would not have access to theorganization’s router outgoing IP address2.

Anonymizing outgoing IP addresses is also important when carrying out sensitive actions online, such as law enforcement investigations or competitive intelligence. A web proxy server can help users avoid exposing their internal IP address that leads back to their organization, and instead use a third-party web proxy that provides more anonymity2.

The other options are not directly related to reducing organizational risk by using a web proxy server. Providing multi-factor authentication for additional security (option B) is a benefit of some web proxy servers, but it is not the main purpose of using a web proxy server3. Providing faster response than direct access(option C) is a benefit of some web proxy servers that cache content forbetter data transfer speeds and less bandwidth usage, but it is not directly related to reducing organizational risk1. Load balancing traffic to optimize data pathways (option D) is a benefit of some web proxy servers that distribute traffic across multiple servers, but it is not directly related to reducing organizational risk4.

References: 1: Proxy servers and tunneling 2: Multi-factor authentication: How to enable 2FA and boost your security 3: What Is Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) Security? 4: How it works: Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication

A vendor requires privileged access to a key business application. The best recommendation to reduce the risk of data leakage is to implement real-time activity monitoring for privileged roles. This isbecause real-time activity monitoring can provide visibility and accountability for the actions performed by the vendor with privileged access, such as creating, modifying, deleting, or copying data. Real-time activity monitoring can also enable timely detection and response to any unauthorized or suspicious activities that may indicate data leakage. Including the right-to-audit in the vendor contract is a good practice, but it may not be sufficient to prevent or detect data leakage in a timely manner, as audits are usually performed periodically or on-demand. Performing a review of privileged roles and responsibilities is also a good practice, but it may not address the specific risk of data leakage by the vendor with privileged access. Requiring the vendor to implement job rotation for privileged roles may reduce the risk of collusion or fraud, but it may not prevent or detect data leakage by any individual with privileged access. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), [ISACA Privacy Principles and Program Management Guide]

 The greatest benefit of adopting an international IT governance framework rather than establishing a new framework based on the actual situation of a specific organization is wide acceptance by different business and support units with IT governance objectives. An international IT governance framework, such as COBIT, provides a common language and understanding for IT governance among various stakeholders, such as management, users, auditors and regulators. This facilitates alignment, communication and collaboration among them. Readily available resources, comprehensive coverage and fewer resources expended are also benefits of adopting an international IT governance framework, but they are not the greatest benefit. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) , Chapter 1, Section 1.3.1.

 Resilience is the ability of an organization to continue to operate effectively during or after a disruptive event. A business impact analysis (BIA) is a key process to identify the critical systems and processes that support the organization’s objectives and determine the impact of their disruption. Without a BIA, the organization may not be able to prioritize the recovery of the most important systems and processes, which poses the greatest risk to its resilience. The other options are not as significant as a BIA, as they relate to data quality, system monitoring, and user acceptance testing, which are important but not essential for resilience. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Domain 4: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience, Section 4.2 Business Continuity Planning1

A test plan for the BCP is essential to ensure that the plan is effective, updated and aligned with the current business needs and objectives. A change in organizational structure with significant impact to business processes may require a revision of the BCP and a new test plan to validate its adequacy. The lack of a test plan for the BCP for two years indicates a high risk of failure in the event ofa disaster or disruption. Therefore, this should be the auditor’s greatest concern among the given options. References:

ISACA, IT Control Objectives for Sarbanes-Oxley, 4th Edition, section 5.3.21

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, chapter 5, section 5.42

Information systems governance is the set of policies, processes, structures, and practices that ensure the alignment of IT with business objectives, the delivery of value from IT investments, the management of IT risks, and the optimization of IT resources1. Information systems governance is a strategic and high-level function that covers the entire organization and its IT portfolio. Therefore, an IS auditor should review the aspects of information systems governance that are relevant to the organization’s vision, mission, goals, and strategies.

One of the aspects that an IS auditor should review when evaluating information systems governance for a large organization is the approval processes for new system implementations. This is because newsystem implementations are significant IT investments that require careful planning, analysis, design,development, testing, deployment, and evaluation to ensure that they meet the business requirements, deliver the expected benefits, comply with the relevant standards and regulations, and minimize the potential risks2. The approval processes fornew system implementations should involve the appropriate stakeholders, such as senior management, business owners, IT managers,project managers, users, and auditors, who have the authority and responsibility to approve or reject the proposed system implementations based on predefined criteria and metrics3. The approval processes for new system implementations should also be documented, transparent, consistent, and timely to ensure accountability and traceability4. Therefore, an IS auditor should review the approval processes for new system implementations to assess whether they are aligned with the information systems governance framework and objectives.

The other possible options are:

Procedures for adding a new user to the invoice processing system: This is an operational task that involves granting access rights and permissions to a specific user for a specific system based on the principle of least privilege. This is not a strategic or high-level function that falls under information systems governance. Therefore, an IS auditor should not review this aspect when evaluating information systems governance for a large organization.

Approval processes for updating the corporate website: This is a tactical task that involves making changes or enhancements to the content or design of the corporate website based on the business needs and feedback. This is not a strategic or high-level function that falls under information systems governance. Therefore, an IS auditor should not review this aspect when evaluating information systems governance for a large organization.

Procedures for regression testing system changes: This is a technical task that involves verifying that existing system functionalities are not adversely affected by new system changes or updates. This is not a strategic or high-level function that falls under information systems governance. Therefore, an IS auditor should not review this aspect when evaluating information systems governance for a large organization. References: 1: What is IT Governance? - Definition from Techopedia 2: System Implementation - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics 3: Project Approval Process - Project Management Knowledge 4: 5 Best Practices For A Successful Project Approval Process | Kissflow Project : Principle of Least Privilege (POLP) | Imperva : How to Update Your Website Content - 7 Step Guide | HostGator Blog : What Is Regression Testing? Definition & Best Practices | BrowserStack

The best way to determine whether unauthorized changes have been made to production programs is to use source code comparison software to compare the current version of the programs with the previous version or the approved version. This will identify any changes that have been made without proper authorization or documentation. Tracing PCRs to logs or vice versa will only verify that the authorized changes have been recorded, but not detect any unauthorized changes. References: Standards, Guidelines, Tools and Techniques - ISACA, section “IS Audit and Assurance Tools and Techniques”

The first step when conducting an IT risk assessment is to identify assets to be protected, which include hardware, software, data, processes, people, and facilities that support the business objectives and operations of an organization. Identifying assets to be protected helps to establish the scope and boundaries of the risk assessment, as well as the value and criticality of each asset. Identifying potential threats, assessing vulnerabilities, and evaluating controls in place are subsequent steps in the risk assessment process that depend on the identification of assets to be protected. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 2: Governance & Management of IT, Section 2.3: IT Risk Management

The answer B is correct because Software as a Service (SaaS) provider is the most efficient solution for a multi-location healthcare organization that wants to be able to access patient data wherever patients present themselves for care. SaaS is a cloud computing model that allows users to access software applications over the internet, without having to install, maintain, or update them on their own devices or servers. SaaS providers host and manage the software applications and the underlying infrastructure, and handle any issues such as security, availability, and performance.

SaaS can offer several benefits for a multi-location healthcare organization, such as:

Accessibility: SaaS applications can be accessed from any device and location that has an internet connection, which enables the healthcare organization to access patient data across different facilities and regions, and provide seamless and coordinated care to the patients.

Scalability: SaaS applications can scale up or down according to the demand and usage of the healthcare organization, which allows the organization to accommodate fluctuations in patient volume, data volume, or service requirements.

Cost-effectiveness: SaaS applications are usually offered on a subscription or pay-per-use basis, which reduces the upfront and ongoing costs of purchasing, installing, and maintaining software licenses, hardware, and IT staff.

Security: SaaS providers are responsible for ensuring the security and privacy of the software applications and the data they store, which can help the healthcare organization comply with the relevant regulations and standards, such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) or GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

Some examples of SaaS providers that offer solutions for healthcare organizations are:

Epic: Epic is a leading provider of electronic health record (EHR) systems that enable healthcare organizations to store, manage, and share patient data across different settingsand specialties. Epic also offers cloud-based solutions that allow healthcare organizations to access Epic’s software applications over the internet, without having to host them on their own servers.

Salesforce Health Cloud: Salesforce Health Cloud is a cloud-based platform that helps healthcare organizations connect with patients, providers, payers, and partners. Salesforce Health Cloud enables healthcare organizations to manage patient relationships, coordinate care teams, engage patients through personalized journeys, and leverage data and analytics to improve outcomes and efficiency.

DocuSign: DocuSign is a cloud-based platform that enables users to sign, send, and manage documents electronically. DocuSign can help healthcare organizations streamline workflows, reduce errors, and enhance compliance by automating the process of obtaining signatures for consent forms, contracts, prescriptions, referrals, and other documents.

The other options are not as efficient as option B. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provider (option A) is a cloud computing model that provides users with access to computing resources such as servers, storage, network, and operating systems over the internet. IaaS can offer some benefits such as flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness for a multi-location healthcare organization, but it also requires more technical expertise and management from the organization than SaaS. The organization would still need to install, configure, update, and secure the software applications that run on the IaaS infrastructure. Network segmentation (option C) is a technique that divides a network into smaller subnetworks based on criteria such as function, location, or security level. Network segmentation can improve the performance, security, and manageability of a network by reducing congestion, isolating threats, and enforcing policies. However, network segmentation alone does not enable a multi-location healthcare organization to access patient data wherever patients present themselves for care. The organization would still need a software solution that can store, manage, and share patient data across different segments of the network. Dynamic localization (option D) is a process that adapts the content and functionality of a software application to suit the preferences and needs of users in different locations or regions. Dynamic localization can enhance the user experience and satisfaction by providing relevant information in local languages, currencies, formats, and regulations. However, dynamic localization does not address the core issue of accessing patient data wherever patients present themselves for care. The organization would still need a software solution that can store, manage, and share patient data across different locations or regions.

References:

Epic

Salesforce Health Cloud

DocuSign

The data retention policy for a global organization with regional offices in multiple countries should align with local laws and regulations, as they may vary significantly from one country to another and may impose different requirements and penalties for non-compliance. The policy should also consider the corporate policies and practices, the global best practices, and the business goals and objectives, but these are secondary to the legal compliance. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5: Protection of InformationAssets, Section 5.3: Data Classification and Protection

 The IS auditor’s best course of action when reviewing the use of an outsourcer for disposal of storage media is to determine exposure to the business. Storage media, such as hard disks, tapes, flash drives, or CDs, may contain sensitive or confidential information that needs to be protected from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. The IS auditor should verify that the outsourcer has a process that appropriately sanitizes the media before disposal, such as wiping, degaussing, shredding, or incinerating, and that the process is effective and compliant with the organization’s policies and standards. The IS auditor should also assess the potential impact and risk to the business if the storage media is not properly sanitized or disposed of, such as data breaches, reputational damage, legal or regulatory penalties, or loss of competitive advantage. The other options are not the best course of action, because they either do not address the root cause of the problem,or they are reactive rather than proactive measures. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)1, Chapter 5, Section 5.2.7

 Sampling risk is the risk that the auditor’s conclusion based on a sample may be different from the conclusion that would be reached if the entire population was tested using the same audit procedure. Sampling risk can lead to either incorrect rejection or incorrect acceptance of the audit objective. The best way to minimize sampling risk is to perform statistical sampling. Statistical sampling is a method of selecting and evaluating a sample using probability theory and mathematical calculations. Statistical sampling allows auditors to measure and control the sampling risk by determining the appropriate sample size and selection method, and evaluating the results using confidence levels and precision intervals. Statistical sampling can also provide more objective and consistent results than judgmental sampling, which relies on the auditor’s professional judgment and experience.

References:

6: Sampling Risks: Definition, Example, and Explanation - Wikiaccounting

7: Sampling Risk in Audit | Sampling vs non sampling risk - Accountinguide

9: Audit sampling | ACCA Qualification | Students | ACCA Global

 The best recommendation for an organization that does not have a process to identify and correct records that do not get transferred to the receiving system is to implement software to perform automatic reconciliations of data between systems. This will ensure that the data integrity and completeness are maintained and that any errors or discrepancies are detected and resolved in a timely manner. Enabling encryption, decryption, and electronic signing of data files may enhance the data security and authenticity, but not the data accuracy or consistency. Having coders perform manual reconciliation of data between systems may be prone to human errors and inefficiencies. Automating the transfer of data between systems as much as feasible may reduce the chances of data loss or corruption, but not eliminate them completely. References: ISAudit and Assurance Standards, section “Standard 1202: Risk Assessment in Planning”

The major advantage of automating internal controls is to efficiently test large volumes of data, because automated controls can perform repetitive tasks faster, more accurately, and more consistently than manual controls. Automated controls can also provide audit trails and exception reports that facilitate the monitoring and evaluationof the control effectiveness12. Reviewing large value transactions, identifying transactions with no segregation of duties, and performing analytical reviews are possible benefits of automating internal controls, but not the major advantage. References: 1: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5, Section 5.2.2 2: CISA Online Review Course, Module 5, Lesson 2

Validation of rules by the business is the most helpful in establishing a baseline for measuring data quality because it ensures that the rules reflect the business needs and expectations. Validation of rules by the business also helps to identify and resolve any inconsistencies or conflicts among different data sources or stakeholders. Input from customers, industry standard business definitions and built-in data error prevention application controlsare useful for improving data quality, but they are not sufficient for establishing a baseline. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) 1, Chapter 5, Section 5.4.1

 The best method to reduce the risk associated with the transition to a new system using technologies that are not compatible with the old system is parallel changeover. Parallel changeover is a method of system conversion that involves running both the old and the new systems simultaneously for a period of time, until the new system is verified to be working correctly and completely. Parallel changeover can help reduce the risk of data loss, errors, or disruptions that may occur due to the incompatibility of the technologies, as well as provide a backup option in case of failure or malfunction of the new system. Parallel changeover can also help users compare and validate the results of both systems, and facilitate their training and adaptation to the new system.

Modular changeover is a method of system conversion that involves replacing one module or component of the old system with a corresponding module or component of the new system at a time, until the entire system is replaced. Modular changeover can help reduce the complexity and scope ofthe conversion, as well as minimize the impact on the users and operations. However, modular changeover may not be feasible or effective when the technologies of the old and new systems are not compatible, as it may create integration or interoperability issues among the modules.

Phased operation is a method of system conversion that involves implementing the new system in stages or increments, each with a subset of functions or features, until the entire system is operational. Phased operation can help reduce the risk and cost of implementing a large and complex system, as well as allow for testing and feedback at each stage. However, phased operation may not be suitable or efficient when the technologies of the old and new systems are not compatible, as it may require extensive modifications or adaptations to enable partial functionality.

Pilot operation is a method of system conversion that involves implementing the new system in a limited or controlled environment, such as a department or a location, before rolling it out to the entire organization. Pilot operation can help test and evaluate the performance and usability of the new system, as well as identify and resolve any issues or problems before full-scale implementation. However, pilot operation may not be relevant or reliable when the technologies of the old and new systems are not compatible, as it may not reflect the actual conditions or challenges of operating both systems concurrently.

References:

TRANSITION TO THE NEW SYSTEM - O’Reilly Media 1

10 Challenges To Think About When Upgrading From Legacy Systems - Forbes 

 Regular scanning of hard drives is the most effective way to detect installation of unauthorized software packages by employees because it can identify any software that is not approved by the organization and may pose a security risk or violate the software policy. Communicating the policy to employees is important, but it may not prevent or detect unauthorized software installation. Logging of activity on the network can monitor network traffic, but it may not capture all software installation events. Maintaining current antivirus software can protect the system from malicious software, but it may not detect all unauthorized software packages. References:

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2020, p. 2381

ISACA, CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

Unauthorized code deployment presents acritical security and operational risk.

Option A (Incorrect):Whiledocumentation issuescan cause confusion, they do not directlyjeopardizesecurity or system stability.

Option B (Correct):Deploying code without authorizationbypasseschange management controls, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities, system failures, or compliance violations. This is thegreatest risk.

Option C (Incorrect):Overwriting files can cause issues but isless severethan unauthorized deployment, which may introducemalware or untested features.

Option D (Incorrect):An unresolved bug may causeperformance issues, butunauthorized deploymentposes a higher security and compliance risk.

Granting access on a need-to-know basis ensures that a service provider only has the permissions necessary to perform their specific tasks. This principle minimizes the risk of unauthorized access oraccidental misuse of the system by restricting access to essential areas only. It aligns with the least privilege principle, a cornerstone of effective access control.

Limited Administrator Access with Expiration (Option A):This is helpful but does not ensure that the access granted aligns with the specific job requirements.

Deleting User IDs After Completion (Option C):This is a good practice but applies after the task, not during access.

Access Corresponding to the SLA (Option D):While important, this focuses on timeframes and does not restrict permissions effectively.

AWeb Application Firewall (WAF) (A) is the best control to mitigate SQL injection attacks because it can detect and block malicious SQL queries before they reach the application.WAFs analyze incoming requests, filter SQL injection attempts, and provide an additional layer of security for web applications.

Other options:

SQL server hardening (B)improves security but does not specifically address SQL injection.

Patch management (C)is necessary but does not provide immediate protection against new SQL injection attacks.

Physical controls (D)are unrelated to application-layer threats like SQL injection.

Answer: B

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

Aligning IT with business strategy ensures that IT investments provide value and support business objectives.

Option A (Incorrect):While senior management involvement is essential, it is abyproductof alignment rather than the primary goal.

Option B (Correct):Themain purposeof alignment is tooptimize IT investmentsby ensuring that IT initiatives directly support business needs, reducing waste and improving ROI.

Option C (Incorrect):Risk awareness is important but is not theprimaryreason for IT-business alignment.

Option D (Incorrect):Monitoring IT effectiveness is part of governance but not the main objective of IT-business alignment.

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

White box testingis the most effective foridentifying hidden errorsand optimizingsource code quality.

Option A (Incorrect):UAT focuses on functionalityfrom anend-user perspective, not source code errors.

Option B (Incorrect):Black box testingexamines software behaviorwithout reviewing code, making it less effective for code-level optimization.

Option C (Correct):White box testing(also known asclear box or structural testing)analyzes source codefor vulnerabilities, logic errors, and optimization opportunities.

Option D (Incorrect):Penetration testingidentifiessecurity weaknesses, but it does notfocus on code efficiency.

Theprimary purpose of a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) is to prioritize the restoration of systems and applications (D)based on their criticality to business operations. A BIA assesses the impact of disruptions, identifies critical processes, and determines recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).

Other options:

Identifying legal obligations (A)is an aspect of compliance but not the primary benefit of a BIA.

Providing updates on disaster risk levels (B)falls under risk management rather than BIA objectives.

Delineating employee responsibilities (C)is part of business continuity planning (BCP), not the BIA’s main goal.

Control self-assessment (CSA) is a process that allows business units to evaluate the effectiveness of internal controls. It is primarily used toestablish baselines(Option B) for measuring control effectiveness and risk management.

ISACA CISA Reference:CSA is a recognized internal control mechanism that supports risk assessment and control improvement.

Risk Implication:If CSAs are not conducted properly, organizations may lack visibility into weak controls, increasing exposure to risks.

Alternative Choices:

Option A:CSA does not focus on asset valuation.

Option C:Strategic business goals are assessed separately through governance processes.

Option D:CSA complements, but does not replace, formal audits.

Benford’s law analysis is a powerful technique for identifying irregularities or anomalies in numerical datasets, such as financial transactions. It detects deviations from expected frequency distributions, which may indicate fraud.

Control Self-Assessments (CSAs) (Option A):Useful for control evaluation but not for fraud detection.

Interviews with Control Owners (Option B):Provide insights but are not efficient for identifying fraudulent patterns.

Regression Analysis (Option C):Effective for predictive modeling but less so for detecting fraud in transactional data.

The business impact analysis (BIA) is a critical component of an organization's business continuity planning (BCP) process. The most concerning issue is when system criticality information is provided only by the IT manager (Option B). This presents a risk of bias or incomplete analysis, as business units must also provide input to ensure a comprehensive assessment.

ISACA CISA Reference:According to ISACA’s BCP and DRP guidelines, BIA should involve input from multiple business functions, including finance, operations, and risk management, rather than relying solely on IT.

Risk Implication:Without broader business input, the criticality of systems may be misclassified, leading to incorrect recovery priorities and potential business disruption.

Alternative Choices:

Option A:While a risk assessment is important, a BIA can still be completed without it and later validated.

Option C:The use of questionnaires is a valid method if responses are verified.

Option D:Lack of executive sign-off is concerning but does not directly impact the accuracy of system criticality assessment.

After migrating infrastructure to the cloud, it's imperative to test the disaster recovery plan (DRP) to ensure its effectiveness in the new environment. Without evidence of DRP testing post-migration, the organization cannot be certain that it can recover and continue operations during a disaster. While updating the DRP and configuring redundancy are essential steps, their effectiveness can only be validated through rigorous testing. Retaining previous infrastructure is less relevant if the cloud environment is properly configured and tested for disaster recovery.

References:

ISACA CISA Review Manual, 28th Edition, Chapter 4: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience.

The IS auditor should be most concerned if completeness testing has not been performed on the log data, as this could indicate that some logs are missing, corrupted, or tampered with, and that the log aggregation system is not reliable or accurate12. Completeness testing is a process of verifying that all the logs generated by the source systems are successfully collected, transferred, and stored by the log aggregation system, and that there are no gaps or inconsistencies in the log data34. Completeness testing is essential for ensuring the integrity and validity of the log data, and for supporting the risk management practices of the organization.

References

1: Log Aggregation: How it Works, Methods, and Tools - Exabeam2 2: Log Aggregation & Monitoring Relation in Cybersecurity4 3: Log Aggregation: What It Is & How It Works | Datadog3 4: Data Flow Testing - GeeksforGeeks1

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

Thebiggest concernwhen implementing aglobal data privacy policyis thatlocal regulations may contradictthe global policy, leading tolegal and compliance risks.

Local Regulations May Contradict the Policy (Correct Answer – B)

Different countries havevarying data privacy laws(e.g.,GDPR in Europe,CCPA in California,PDPA in Singapore).

A global policy mayconflict with stricter local laws, making compliancechallenging.

Example:GDPR requiresexplicit consentfor data processing, but other jurisdictions may allowimplied consent.

Requirements May Become Unreasonable (Incorrect – A)

Not a primary risk; compliance is more critical.

Conflicts with Application Requirements (Incorrect – C)

Applications shouldadapt to regulations, not the other way around.

Local Management Resistance (Incorrect – D)

Management acceptance is important but can beaddressed through training.

References:

ISACA CISA Review Manual

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

ISO 27701 (Privacy Information Management System)

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

Ensuring data integrity iscritical, even when handling publicly available information.

Option A (Incorrect):While tracking system interfaces is useful formonitoring, it is not thegreatest concernif the data being transferred is publicly available.

Option B (Incorrect):Encryption isimportant, but if the data is alreadypublic, therisk impact is lowercompared to data integrity issues.

Option C (Incorrect):Data interception may not be a critical issue forpublicdata unless it leads to modification or exploitation.

Option D (Correct):If thedata from the originating system differsfrom the downloaded data, it indicates adata integrity failure. This could result from system errors, transmission faults, or tampering, making it thehighest riskfor an IS auditor to address.

A data loss prevention (DLP) tool implemented in monitor mode only observes and logs potential data leakage but does not actively prevent it. This leaves the organization vulnerable to data breaches, making it the most critical concern in a pre-implementation review.

Crawlers for Sensitive Data (Option B):While crawlers may pose a performance impact, they are essential for discovering sensitive data.

Deep Packet Inspection (Option C):Though it introduces privacy considerations, it is a standard DLP functionality for inspecting data in transit.

Encryption Key Management (Option D):While important for security, improper management does not immediately prevent DLP functionality.

A Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) provider is responsible for system recovery procedures, including restoring systems and services in a disaster scenario. This is the core functionality of DRaaS.

Stakeholder Communications (Option B):This is typically managed internally by the organization to ensure alignment with its crisis management plan.

Validation of Recovered Data (Option C):The organization must verify data integrity to meet business requirements.

Maintaining Currency of Data (Option D):While DRaaS may handle data backups, the organization retains responsibility for ensuring the relevance of the data being backed up.

Access to production source and object programs is the best way to ensure that effective change management is in place in an IS environment, as it prevents unauthorized or accidental changes to the production code that could affect the functionality, performance, or security of the system. Access to production source and object programs should be restricted to authorized personnel only, and any changes should follow a formal change management process that includes documentation, approval, testing, and review.

References

ISACA CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 254

Change Management Best Practices for the Engineering and …

Change Management - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

The most appropriate testing approach when auditing a daily data flow between two systems via an automated interface is to perform data reconciliation between the two systems for a sample of 25 days. Data reconciliation is a process of verifying that the data transferred from one system to another is complete and accurate, and that there are no discrepancies or errors in the data flow1. Data reconciliation can be performed by using generalized audit software, which is a type of computer-assisted audit technique (CAAT) that allows the IS auditor to perform various audit tasks on the data stored in different file formats and databases2. By performing data reconciliation for a sample of 25 days, the IS auditor can test the reliability and consistency of the data flow over a reasonable period of time, and identify any potential issues or anomalies that could affect the quality of the data or the functionality of the systems.

References

1: Data Flow Testing - GeeksforGeeks 2: Generalized Audit Software (GAS) - ISACA

The success of a DLP implementation relies heavily on accurately defining and configuring the policies and rule sets. These configurations ensure that the DLP tool effectively monitors and controls the movement of sensitive data within the organization, thereby preventing data loss.

References

ISACA CISA Review Manual 27th Edition, Page 301-302 (Data Loss Prevention)

Disabling operational logging compromises critical functions such as security monitoring, troubleshooting, and compliance reporting. Logs are essential for tracking system activities, identifying anomalies, and conducting forensic investigations in case of incidents. Enhancing processing speed and saving storage should not come at the cost of reducing logging, as this increases security risks and weakens the organization's ability to detect and respond to threats.

Adopting a Peer-Inspired Service Delivery Model (Option B):This might pose risks if not customized for the organization's context, but it is not as critical as the loss of operational logging.

Delegating Business Decisions to the CRO (Option C):While unconventional, this does not inherently introduce risks to IT service delivery unless operational control issues arise.

Eliminating Reports and KPIs (Option D):This could hinder performance tracking but does not compromise operational security as severely as disabling logging.

Operational logging is foundational to maintaining security, reliability, and accountability in IT environments.

The stakeholder’s role in automating data extraction and validation is to indicate which data elements are necessary to make informed decisions. The stakeholder is the person who has a vested interest in the outcome of the data analytics process and can provide the business context and requirements for the analysis. The stakeholder can help the data analyst to identify the relevant data sources, the key performance indicators (KPIs), and the expected results of the analysis.

References

What Is the Data Analysis Process? 5 Key Steps to Follow - G2

What’s the Best Approach to Data Analytics? - Harvard Business Review

Weekly challenge 1 - GitHub: Let’s build from here

 Ongoing monitoring of the audit activities is the most important activity to include as part of the quality assurance (QA) program requirements for an internal audit department. An IS auditor should perform regular reviews and evaluations of the audit processes, methods, standards, and outcomes to ensure that they comply with the QA program objectives and criteria. This will help to maintain and improve the quality and consistency of the audit services and deliverables. The other options are less important activities to include as part of the QA program requirements, as they may involve long-term resource planning, user satisfaction reports, or feedback from internal audit staff. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 2, Section2.61

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID 224

Recent third-party IS audit reports would be most helpful in determining the effectiveness of the IT governance framework of the target company. IT governance is a framework that defines the roles, responsibilities, and processes for aligning IT strategy with business strategy. A third-party IS audit is an independent and objective examination of an organization’s IT governance framework by an external auditor. Recent third-party IS audit reports can provide reliable and unbiased evidence of the strengths, weaknesses, and maturity of the IT governance framework of the target company. The other options are not as helpful as recent third-party IS audit reports, as they may not be as comprehensive, accurate, or current as external audits. References: CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 94

 Restricting program functionality according to user security profiles is the best control for ensuring appropriate segregation of duties within an accounts payable department. An IS auditor should verify that the access rights and permissions of the accounts payable staff are based on their roles and responsibilities, and that they are not able to perform incompatible or conflicting functions such as creating, approving, or paying invoices. This will help to prevent fraud, errors, or abuse of authority within the accounts payable process. The other options are less effective controls for ensuring segregation of duties, as they may involve audit trails, access restrictions, or user identification. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 6, Section 6.31

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database,Question ID 223

The best audit procedure to determine whether a firewall is configured in compliance with the organization’s security policy is reviewing the parameter settings. Parameter settings are values or options that define how a firewall operates and functions, such as rules, filters, ports, protocols, etc. By reviewing the parameter settings of a firewall, an IS auditor can verify whether they match with the organization’s security policy, which is a document that outlines the security objectives, requirements, and guidelines for an organization’s information systems and resources. Reviewing the system log is a possible audit procedure to determine whether a firewall is configured in compliance with the organization’s security policy, but it is not the best one, as a system log records events or activities thatoccur on a firewall, such as connections, requests, responses, errors, alerts, etc., and may not indicate whether they comply with the organization’s security policy. Interviewing the firewall administrator is a possible audit procedure to determine whether a firewall is configured in compliance with the organization’s security policy, but it is not the best one, as a firewall administrator may not provide accurate or reliable information about the firewall configuration, and may have conflicts of interest or ulterior motives. Reviewing the actual procedures is a possibleaudit procedure to determine whether a firewall is configured in compliance with the organization’s security policy, but it is not the best one, as actual procedures describe how a firewall is configured and maintained, such as installation, testing, updating, etc., and may not reflect whether they comply with the organization’s security policy. 

 The auditor’s best course of action after a security breach in which a hacker exploited a well-known vulnerability in the domain controller is to determine if the logs were monitored. Log monitoring is an essential control for detecting and responding to security incidents, especially when known vulnerabilities exist in the system. The auditor should assess if the logs were properly configured, collected, reviewed, analyzed, and acted upon by the responsible parties. Updating patches, monitoring network traffic, and classifying domain controllers for high availability are also important controls, but they are not directly related to the detection and response of the security breach. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), page 301

CISA Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, question ID 3340

 The chain of custody has not been documented is a finding that should be of greatest concern for an IS auditor reviewing a forensic analysis process of an organization that has suffered a cyber attack. The chain of custody is a record of who handled, accessed, or modified the evidence during a forensic investigation. Documenting the chain of custody is essential to preserve the integrity, authenticity, and admissibility of the evidence in a court of law. The other options are less concerning findings that may not affect the validity or reliability of the forensic analysis process. References:

CISAReview Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 7, Section 7.51

CISA Review Questions, Answers &Explanations Database, Question ID 220

 The IS auditor’s primary concern when auditing the proposed acquisition of new computer hardware is that a clear business case has been established. A business case is a document that justifies the need, feasibility, and benefits of a proposed project or investment. A clear business case can help to ensure that the acquisition of new computer hardware is aligned with the organization’s goals, objectives, and requirements, and that it provides value for money and return on investment. The other options are not as important as establishing a clear business case, as they do not address the rationale or justification for acquiring new computer hardware. References: CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 467

 Ensuring that the facts presented in the report are correct is the most important thing for an IS auditor to do during an exit meeting with an auditee. An IS auditor should confirm that the audit findings and observations are accurate, complete, and supported by sufficient evidence, as well as that the auditee understands and agrees with them. This will help to avoid any misunderstandings or disputes later on, as well as to enhance the credibility and quality of the audit report. The other options are less important things for an IS auditor to do during an exit meeting, as they may involve communicating the recommendations to senior management, specifying implementation dates for the recommendations, or requesting input in determining corrective action. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 2, Section 2.5.21

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID 222

Source code for the software must be placed in escrow is the most important requirement to include in the vendor contract to ensure continuity. Source code is the original code of a software program that can be modified or enhanced by programmers. Placing source code in escrow means depositing it with a trusted third party who can release it to the customer under certain conditions, such as vendor bankruptcy, breach of contract, or failure to provide support. This can help to ensure continuity of the software product and its maintenance in case of vendor unavailability or dispute. The other options are less important requirements to include in the vendor contract, as they may involve support availability, disaster recovery plan, or staff training. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5, Section 5.51

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID228

A firewall is a device or software that monitors and controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined rules. A firewall can help protect an organization’s network and information systems from unauthorized or malicious access, by filtering or blocking unwanted or harmful packets. The most important thing for an IS auditor to verify when evaluating an organization’s firewall is that the logs are being collected in a separate protected host. Logs are records of events or activities that occur on a system or network, such as connections, requests, responses, errors, and alerts. Logs can provide valuable information for auditing, monitoring, troubleshooting, and investigating security incidents. However, logs can also be tampered with, deleted, or corrupted by attackers or insiders who want to hide their tracks or evidence of their actions. Therefore, it is essential that logs are stored in a separate host that is isolated and secured from the network and the firewall itself, to prevent unauthorized access or modification of the logs. Automated alerts are being sent when a risk is detected is a good practice for enhancing the security and efficiency of a firewall, but it is not the most important thing for an IS auditor to verify, as alerts may not always be accurate, timely, or actionable. Insider attacks are being controlled is a desirable outcome for a firewall, but it is not the most important thing for an IS auditor to verify, as insider attacks may involve other factors or methods that bypass or compromise the firewall, such as social engineering, credential theft, or physical access. Access to configuration files is restricted is a critical control for ensuring the security and integrity of a firewall, but it is not the most important thing for an IS auditor to verify, as configuration files may not reflect the actual state or performance of the firewall. 

 The most important reason to classify a disaster recovery plan (DRP) as confidential is to reduce the risk of data leakage that could lead to an attack. A DRP contains sensitive information about the organization’s IT infrastructure, systems, processes, and procedures for recovering from a disaster. If this information falls into the wrong hands, it could be exploited by malicious actors to launch targeted attacks, sabotage recovery efforts, or extort ransom. Therefore, a DRP should be protected from unauthorized access, disclosure, modification, or destruction.

The other options are not as important as reducing the risk of data leakage that could lead to an attack:

Ensuring compliance with the data classification policy is a good practice, but it is not a sufficient reason to classify a DRP as confidential. The data classification policy should reflect the level of risk and impact associated with each type of data, and a DRP should be classified as confidential based on its potential harm if compromised.

Protecting the plan from unauthorized alteration is a valid concern, but it is not a primary reason to classify a DRP as confidential. A DRP should be protected from unauthorized alteration by implementing access controls, audit trails, version control, and change management processes.Classifying a DRP as confidential may deter some unauthorized alterations, but it does not prevent them.

Complying with business continuity best practice is a desirable goal, but it is not a compelling reason to classify a DRP as confidential. Business continuity best practice may recommend classifying a DRP as confidential, but it does not mandate it. The decision to classify a DRP as confidential should be based on a risk assessment and a cost-benefit analysis.

The most critical finding when reviewing an organization’s information security management is no periodic assessments to identify threats and vulnerabilities. Periodic assessments are essential for ensuring that the organization’s information security policies, procedures, standards, and controls are aligned with the current and emerging risks and threats that may affect its information assets. Without periodic assessments, the organization may not be aware of its actual security posture, gaps, or weaknesses, and may not be able to take appropriate measures to mitigate or prevent potential security incidents. No dedicated security officer, no official charter for the information security management system, and no employee awareness training and education program are also findings that may indicate some deficiencies in the organization’s information security management, but they are not as critical as no periodic assessments to identify threats and vulnerabilities. References: ISACA CISA Review Manual 27th Edition, page 343.

 Identifying business processes associated with personal data exchange with the affected jurisdiction is the most helpful activity in making an assessment of the organization’s level of exposure in the affected country. An IS auditor should understand how the organization’s business operations and functions rely on or involve the cross-border transfer of personal data, as well as the potentialimpacts and risks of the new regulation on the business continuity and compliance. The other options are less helpful activities that may provide additional information or context for the assessment, but not its primary focus. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 7, Section 7.4.21

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID 221

 A nondisclosure agreement (NDA) is the best way to protect an organization’s proprietary code during a joint-development activity involving a third party. An NDA is a legal contract that binds the parties involved in a joint-development activity to keep confidential any information, data or materials that are shared or exchanged during the activity. An NDA specifies what constitutes confidential information, how it can be used, disclosed or protected, how long it remains confidential, what are the exceptions and remedies for breach of confidentiality, and other terms and conditions. An NDA can help to protect an organization’s proprietary code from being copied, modified, distributed or exploited by unauthorized parties without its consent or knowledge. The other options are not as effective as option B, as they do not address confidentiality issues specifically. A statement of work (SOW) is a document that defines the scope, objectives, deliverables, tasks, roles, responsibilities, timelines and costs of a joint-development activity, but it does not cover confidentiality issues explicitly. A service level agreement (SLA) is a document that defines the quality, performance and availability standards and metrics for a service provided by one party to another party in a joint-development activity, but it does not cover confidentiality issues explicitly. A privacy agreement is a document that defines howpersonal information collected from customers or users is collected, used, disclosed and protected by one party or both parties in a joint-development activity, but it does not cover confidentiality issues related to proprietary code. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) , Chapter 3: Information Systems Acquisition, Development & Implementation, Section 3.2: Project Management Practices.

For an organization that has plans to implement web-based trading, it would be most important for an IS auditor to verify that the organization’s information security plan includes security requirements for the new application. Security requirements are statements that define what security features and functions are needed to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the web-based trading application and its data. Security requirements should be identified and documented during the planning phase of the application development life cycle, before any design or coding activities take place. Attributes for system passwords, security training prior to implementation, and firewall configuration for the web server are also important aspects of information security, but they are not as essential as security requirements for ensuring that the web-based trading application meets its security objectives.

The most assurance over the completeness and accuracy of loan application processing with respect to the implementation of a new system can be obtained by running historical transactions through the new system. Historical transactions are transactions that have been processed and recorded by the old system in the past. Running historical transactions through the new system can provide the most assurance over the completeness and accuracy of loan application processing, bycomparing the results and outputs of the new system with those of the old system, and verifying whether they match or differ. This can help identify and resolve any errors or issues that may arise from the new system, such as data conversion, functionality, compatibility, etc. Comparing code between old and new systems is a possible way to obtain some assurance over the completeness and accuracy of loan application processing with respect to the implementation of a new system, but it is not the most effective one. Code is a set of instructions or commands that define how a system operates or functions. Comparing code between old and new systems can provide some assurance over the completeness and accuracy of loan application processing, by checking whether the logic, algorithms, or functions of the new system are consistent or equivalent with those of the old system. However, this may not be sufficient or reliable, as code may not reflect the actual performance or outcomes of the system, and may not detect any errors or issues that may occur at the data or user level. Reviewing quality assurance (QA) procedures is a possible way to obtain some assurance over the completeness and accuracy of loan application processing with respect to the implementation of a new system, but it is not the most effective one. QA procedures are steps or activities that ensure that a system meets its quality standards and requirements, such as testing, verification, validation, etc. Reviewing QA procedures can provide some assurance over the completeness and accuracy of loan application processing, by evaluating whether the new system has been properly tested and verified before implementation. However, this may not be adequate or accurate, as QA procedures may not cover all aspects or scenarios of loan application processing, and may not reveal any errors or issues that may arise after implementation. Loading balance and transaction data to the new system is a possible way to obtain some assurance over the completeness and accuracy of loan application processing with respect to the implementation of a new system, but it is not the most effective one. Balance and transaction data are data that reflect the status and history of loan applications in a system, such as amounts, dates, payments, etc. Loading balance and transaction data to the new system can provide some assurance over the completeness andaccuracy of loan application processing, by transferring data from the old system to the new system and ensuring that they are consistent and correct. However, this may not be enough or valid, as balance and transaction data may not represent all aspects or features of loan application processing, and may not indicate any errors or issues that may arise

 Requiring documentation that the finding will be addressed within the new system is the best course of action for a follow-up audit. An IS auditor should obtain evidence that the complex security vulnerability of low risk will be resolved in the new system and that there is a reasonable timeline for its implementation. The other options are not appropriate courses of action, as they may be too costly, time-consuming, or impractical for a low-risk finding. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 2, Section 2.5.31

CISA Review Questions, Answers& Explanations Database, Question ID 209

 The auditor’s next course of action should be to evaluate the appropriateness of the remedial action taken by the auditee. The auditor should assess whether the alternative approach taken by the auditee is effective, efficient, and aligned with the audit objectives and recommendations. The auditor should also consider the impact of the change on the audit scope, criteria, and risk assessment. Conducting a risk analysis incorporating the change, reporting results of the follow-up to the audit committee, and informing senior management of the change in approach are possible subsequent actions that the auditor may take after evaluating the appropriateness of the remedial action taken. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version): Chapter 1 - Information Systems Auditing Process

The greatest concern for an IS auditor in this scenario is that the user department will manage access rights to the new accounting system. This could pose a significant risk of unauthorized access, segregation of duties violations, data tampering and fraud. The IS auditor should ensure that access rights are defined, approved and monitored by an independent function, such as IT security or internal audit. The other options are not as concerning as option C, as they can be mitigated by other controls or procedures. Data migration is an important part of the system replacement project, but it can be performed by another party or verified by the IS auditor. The timing of the replacement near year-end reporting is a challenge, but it can be managed by proper planning, testing and contingency plans. Testing performed by the third-party consultant is acceptable, as long as it is reviewed and validated by the IS auditor or another independent party. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) 1, Chapter 3: Information Systems Acquisition, Development & Implementation, Section 3.4: System Implementation.

 Root cause is the most important thing for an IS auditor to determine and understand to develop meaningful recommendations for findings. A root cause is the underlying factor or condition that leads to a problem or issue. A finding is a statement that describes a problem or issue identified during an audit. A recommendation is a suggestion or advice that aims to address or resolve a finding. To develop meaningful recommendations for findings, an IS auditor should determine and understand the root cause of each finding, as this can help to identify the most effective and appropriate actions to prevent or correct the problem or issue. The other options are not as important as determining and understanding the root cause, as they do not directly address or resolve the finding. References: CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 434

Determining accountability of data owners is the most important activity in the data classification process. Data classification is a process that assigns categories or labels to data based on their value, sensitivity, criticality and risk to the organization. Data classification helps to determine the appropriate level of protection, access and retention for data. Determining accountability of data owners is an activity that identifies and assigns roles and responsibilities for data classification, protection and management to individuals or functions within the organization. Data owners are individuals or functions who have authority and responsibility for defining, classifying, protecting and managing data throughout their lifecycle. Determining accountability of data owners is essential for ensuring that data are classified correctly and consistently, and that data classification policies and procedures are followed and enforced. The other options are not as important as option C, as they are dependent on or derived from the accountability of data owners. Labeling the data appropriately is an activity that applies the categories or labels assigned by data owners to data based on their classification criteria. Identifying risk associated with the data is an activity that assesses the potential impact and likelihood of loss, disclosure, modification or destruction of data based on their classification level. Determining the adequacy of privacy controls is an activity that evaluates whether the controls implemented to protect personal or sensitive data are sufficient and effective based on their classification level. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) , Chapter 5: Protection of Information Assets, Section 5.3: Data Classification.

The best indicator of the effectiveness of an organization’s incident response program is the financial impact per security event. This metric measures the direct and indirect costs associated with security incidents, such as loss of revenue, reputation damage, legal fees, recovery expenses, and fines. By reducing the financial impact per security event, the organization can demonstrate that its incident response program is effective in mitigating the consequences of security breaches and restoring normal operations as quickly as possible. Number of successful penetration tests, percentage of protected business applications, and number of security vulnerability patches are indicators of the security posture of the organization, but they do not reflect the effectiveness of the incident response program. References: ISACA Journal Article: Measuring Incident Response Effectiveness

The greatest concern for an IS auditor when an international organization intends to roll out a global data privacy policy is that local regulations may contradict the policy. Data privacy regulations vary across different countries and regions, and they may impose different or conflicting requirements on how personal data can be collected, processed, stored, transferred, and disclosed. The organization should ensure that its global data privacy policy complies with the applicable local regulations in each jurisdiction where it operates, or risk facing legal sanctions or reputational damage. Requirements may become unreasonable, but this is not a major concern for an IS auditor, as it is a business decision that should be based on a cost-benefit analysis. The policy may conflict with existing application requirements, but this is not a serious concern for an IS auditor, as it can be resolved by modifying or updating the applications to align with the policy. Local management may not accept the policy, but this is not a critical concern for an IS auditor, as it can be mitigated by providing adequate training and awareness on the policy and its benefits. References:

CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, pages 406-4071

CISA Review Questions, Answers & ExplanationsDatabase, Question ID: 2592

 Including the data warehouse in the impact analysis for any changes in the source system is the best way to prevent data quality issues caused by changes from a source system. A data warehouse is a centralized repository of integrated data from one or more source systems. An impact analysis is a technique of assessing the potential effects and consequences of a change on the existing system or environment. Including the data warehouse in the impact analysis can help to identify and mitigate any data quality issues that may arise from changes in the source system, such as data inconsistency, incompleteness, or inaccuracy. The other options are less effective ways to prevent data quality issues, as they may involve data quality alerts, approval for changes, or access restrictions. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5, Section 5.41

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID 226

This must be in place before an IS auditor initiates audit follow-up activities, because it indicates that management has acknowledged and accepted the audit findings and recommendations, and has agreed to take corrective actions within a specified timeframe. Audit follow-up activities are the processes and procedures that the IS auditor performs to verify that management has implemented the agreed-upon actions effectively and in a timely manner, and that the audit findings have been resolved or mitigated.

The other options are not required to be in place before an IS auditor initiates audit follow-up activities:

Available resources for the activities included in the action plan. This is a factor that may affect the feasibility and success of the action plan, but it is not a prerequisite for the audit follow-up activities. The IS auditor should assess the availability and adequacy of the resources for the action plan during the audit planning and execution phases, and provide recommendations accordingly. However, the IS auditor does not need to wait for the resources to be available before initiating the audit follow-up activities.

A heat map with the gaps and recommendations displayed in terms of risk. This is a tool that may help the IS auditor prioritize and communicate the gaps and recommendations, but it is not a requirement for the audit follow-up activities. A heat map is a graphical representation of data that uses colors to indicate the level of risk or impact of each gap or recommendation. The IS auditor may use a heat map to support the audit report or presentation, but it does not replace the need for a management response with a committed implementation date.

Supporting evidence for the gaps and recommendations mentioned in the audit report. This is a component that should be included in the audit report, but it is not a condition for the audit follow-up activities. Supporting evidence is the information or data that supports or substantiates the audit findings and recommendations. The IS auditor should collect and document sufficient, reliable, relevant, and useful evidence during the audit execution phase, and present it in the audit report. However, the IS auditor does not need to have supporting evidence in place before initiating the audit follow-up activities.

 To ensure that management concerns are addressed, internal audit should recommend that the data quality team review the data reported to the regulatory body first. This is because this data set is the most relevant and critical to the issue that triggered the enhancement of the data quality program. The data reported to the regulatory body should be accurate, complete, consistent, and timely, as any discrepancies could result in fines, penalties, or reputational damage for the organization.Data with customer personal information is important for data quality, but it is not directly related to the regulatory reporting issue. Data supporting financial statements is important for data quality, but it may not be the same as the data reported to the regulatory body. Data impacting business objectives is important for data quality, but it may not be as urgent or sensitive as the data reported to the regulatory body. References:

CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, pages 404-4051

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID: 262

Mapping IT processes to roles is an activity that provides an IS auditor with the most insight regarding potential single person dependencies that might exist within the organization. Single person dependencies occur when only one person has the knowledge, skills, or access rights to perform a critical IT function. Mapping IT processes to roles can help to identify such dependencies and assess their impact on the continuity and security of IT operations. The other activities do not provide as much insight into single person dependencies, as they do not show the relationship between IT processes and roles. References: CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 94

 Providing security certification for a new system should include an evaluation of the configuration management practices prior to the system’s implementation. Configuration management is a process that ensures that the system’s components are identified, controlled, and tracked throughout the system’s lifecycle. Configuration management helps to maintain the security and integrity of the system by preventing unauthorized or unintended changes. End-user authorization to use the system in production is not part of security certification, but rather a post-implementation activity that grants access rights to authorized users. External audit sign-off on financial controls is not part of security certification, but rather a verification activity that ensures that the system complies with financial reporting standards. Testing of the system within the production environment is not part of securitycertification, but rather a validation activity that ensures that the system meets the functional and performance requirements. References:

CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, pages 449-4501

CISA Review Questions, Answers& Explanations Database, Question ID: 2572

The observation that should be of most concern to the auditor when reviewing security controls related to collaboration tools for a business unit responsible for intellectual property and patents is that employees can share files with users outside the company through collaboration tools. Collaboration tools are software or hardware devices that enable users to communicate, cooperate, and coordinate with each other on a common task or project. Collaboration tools can facilitate information sharing and knowledge exchange among users, but they can also pose security risks if not properly controlled or managed. Employees can share files with users outside the company through collaboration tools, as this can compromise the security and confidentiality of intellectual property and patents, which are valuable and sensitive assets of the organization. Employees may share files with unauthorized or untrusted users who may misuse or disclose the intellectual property and patents, either intentionally or unintentionally. This can cause harm or damage to the organization, such as loss of competitive advantage, reputation, revenue, or legal rights. Training was not provided to the department that handles intellectual property and patents is a possible observation that could indicate a security issue related to collaboration tools for a business unit responsible for intellectual property and patents, but it is not the most concerning one. Training is anactivity that educates and instructs users on how to use collaboration tools effectively and securely, such as how to access, share, store, and protect information using collaboration tools. Training was not provided to the department that handles intellectual property and patents, as this can affect the awareness and competence of users on collaboration tools, and increase the likelihood of errors or mistakes that may compromise the security or quality of information. However, this observation may not be directly related to collaboration tools, as it may apply to any information system or resource used by the department. Logging and monitoring for content filtering is not enabled is a possible observation that could indicate a security issue related to collaboration tools for a business unit responsible for intellectual property and patents, but it is not the most concerning one. Logging and monitoring are processes that record and analyze the events or activities that occur on an information system or network, such as user actions, system operations, data changes, errors, alerts, etc. Content filtering is a technique that blocks or allows access to certain types of information based on predefined criteria or rules, such as keywords, categories, sources, etc. Logging and monitoring for content filtering is not enabled, as this can affect the auditability, accountability, and visibility of collaboration tools, and prevent detection or investigation of security incidents or violations related to information sharing using collaboration tools. However, this observation may not be specific to collaboration tools, as it may affect any information system or network that uses content filtering. The collaboration tool is hosted and can only be accessed via anInternet browser is a possible observation that could indicate a security issue related to collaboration tools for a business unit responsible for intellectual property and patents, but it is not the most concerning one. A hosted collaboration tool is a type of cloud-based service that provides collaboration functionality over the Internet without requiring installation or maintenance on local devices. An Internet browser is a software application that enables users to access and interact with web-based content or services. The collaboration tool is hosted and can only be accessed via an Internet browser, as this can affect the availability and reliability of collaboration tools, and introduce security or privacy risks for information sharing using collaboration tools. However, this observation may not be unique to collaboration tools, as it may apply to any cloud-based service that uses an Internet browser. 

The best source of information for an IS auditor to use when determining whether an organization’s information security policy is adequate is the risk assessment results. The risk assessment results provide the auditor with an overview of the organization’s risk profile, including the identification, analysis, and evaluation of the risks that affect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information assets. The auditor can use the risk assessment results to compare the organization’s information security policy with the risk appetite, risk tolerance, and risk treatment strategies of the organization. The auditor can also use the risk assessment results to evaluate if the information security policy is aligned with the organization’s objectives, requirements, and regulations.

Some of the web sources that support this answer are:

Performance Measurement Guide for Information Security

ISO 27001 Annex A.5 - Information Security Policies

[CISA Certified Information Systems Auditor – Question0551]

 The audit charter is the document that defines the purpose, authority and responsibility of the IS audit function. It provides IS audit professionals with the best source of direction for performing audit functions, as it establishes the scope, objectives, reporting lines, independence, accountability and resources of the IS audit function. The IT steering committee is a governance body that oversees the strategic alignment, prioritization and direction of IT initiatives, but it does not provide specific guidance for IS audit functions. The information security policy is a document that defines the rules and principles for protecting information assets in the organization, but it does not cover all aspects of IS audit functions. Audit best practices are general guidelines and recommendations for conducting effective and efficient audits, but they are not binding or authoritative sources of direction for IS audit functions. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) 1, Chapter 1: Information Systems Auditing Process, Section 1.1: Audit Charter.

 A service level agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the expected level of performance, risks, and capabilities of an IT infrastructure. An IS auditor can use an SLA to measure how well the IT infrastructure meets the business needs and objectives, as well as to identify any gaps or issues that need to be addressed. The other options are not directly related to measuring the performance, risks, and capabilities of an IT infrastructure. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 5, Section 5.2.11

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID 203

Access to the spreadsheet is given only to those who require access is the most important control for maintaining the security of data in the spreadsheet. An IS auditor should ensure that the principle of least privilege is applied to limit the access to sensitive financial data and prevent unauthorized disclosure, modification, or deletion. The other options are less important controls that may enhance the accuracy, availability, or integrity of data in the spreadsheet, but not its security. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 6, Section 6.31

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID 210

The greatest concern for an IS auditor when reviewing IT policies and procedures that are not regularly reviewed and updated is that policies and procedures might not reflect current practices. Policies are documents that define the goals, objectives, and guidelines for an organization’s information systems and resources. Procedures are documents that describe the steps, tasks, or activities for implementing or executing policies. Policies and procedures should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that they are relevant, accurate, consistent, and effective for the organization’s information systems and resources. Policies and procedures that are not regularly reviewed and updated might not reflect current practices, as they might be outdated, obsolete, or incompatible with the current state or needs of the organization’s information systems and resources. This can cause confusion, inconsistency, inefficiency, or noncompliance among users or stakeholders who rely on policies and procedures for guidance or direction. Policies and procedures might not include new systems and corresponding process changes is a possible concern for an IS auditor when reviewing IT policies and procedures that are not regularly reviewed and updated, but it is not the greatest one. Policies and procedures might not include new systems and corresponding process changes, as they might be unaware of or unresponsive to the introduction or modification of information systems or resources within the organization. This can cause gaps, overlaps, or conflicts among policies and procedures that affect different information systems or resources. 

 Developing the CSA questionnaire is an activity that would allow an IS auditor to maintain independence while facilitating a control self-assessment (CSA). An IS auditor can design and provide a CSA questionnaire to help the business units or process owners to evaluate their own controls and identify any issues or improvement opportunities. This will enable an IS auditor to support and guide the CSA process without compromising their objectivity or independence. The other options are activities that would impair an IS auditor’s independence while facilitating a CSA, as they involve implementing, completing, or developing remediation actions for control issues. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 2, Section 2.41

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID 215

 Changes to the job scheduler application’s parameters are not approved and reviewed by an operations supervisor. This is a serious control weakness that could compromise the integrity, availability, and security of the IT operations. An IS auditor should be concerned about the lack of oversight and accountability for such changes, which could result in unauthorized, erroneous, or malicious modifications that affect the processing environment. The other options are less critical issues that may not have a significant impact on the IT operations. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 4, Section 4.2.3.11

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID 202

This is the most effective way for the organization to improve its data classification processes and procedures, because data owners are the ones who are responsible for assigning the appropriate level of classification to the data they create, collect, or manage. Data owners should be aware of the data classification policy, the criteria for each level of classification, and the implications of misclassification. IT security staff can provide tailored training for data owners based on their roles, functions, and types of data they handle.

The other options are not as effective as having IT security staff conduct targeted training for data owners:

Use automatic document classification based on content. This is a possible option, but it may not be feasible or accurate for a small organization. Automatic document classification is a process that uses artificial intelligence or machine learning to analyze the content of a document and assign a class label based on predefined rules or models. However, this process may requirea lot of resources, expertise, and maintenance, and it may not capture all the nuances and context of the data. The IS auditor should also verify the reliability and validity of the automatic document classification system.

Publish the data classification policy on the corporate web portal. This is a good practice, but it is not enough to improve the data classification situation. Publishing the data classification policy on the corporate web portal can increase the visibility and accessibility of the policy, but it does not ensure that data owners will read, understand, and follow it. The IS auditor should also monitor and enforce the compliance with the policy.

Conduct awareness presentations and seminars for information classification policies. This is a useful measure, but it is not the most effective one. Conducting awareness presentations and seminars can raise the general awareness and knowledge of information classification policies among all employees, but it may not address the specific needs and challenges of data owners. The IS auditor should also provide more in-depth and practical training for data owners.

The best way to determine whether programmers have permission to alter data in the production environment is by reviewing the access rights that have been granted. Access rights are permissions or privileges that define what actions or operations a user can perform on an information system or resource. By reviewing the access rights that have been granted to programmers, an IS auditor can verify whether they have been authorized to modify data in the production environment, which is where live data and applications are stored and executed. The access control system’s log settings are parameters that define what events or activities are recorded by the access control system, which is a system that enforces the access rights and policies of an information system or resource. The access control system’s log settings are not the best way to determine whether programmers have permission to alter data in the production environment, as they do not indicate what permissions or privileges have been granted to programmers. How the latest system changes were implemented is a process thatdescribes how software updates or modifications are deployed to the production environment. How the latest system changes were implemented is not the best way to determine whether programmers have permission to alter data in the production environment, as it does not indicate what permissions or privileges have been granted to programmers. The access control system’s configuration is a set of rules or parameters that define how the access control system operates and functions. The access control system’s configuration is not the best way to determine whether programmers have permission to alter data in the production environment, as it does not indicate what permissions or privileges have been granted to programmers. 

 The main purpose of an information security management system (ISMS) is to reduce the frequency and impact of information security incidents. An ISMS is a systematic approach to managing information security risks, policies, procedures, and controls within an organization. An ISMS aims to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets, as well as to comply with relevant laws and regulations. The other options are not the main purpose of an ISMS, but rather some of its possible benefits or components. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 7, Section 7.11

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID 205

 This should be the IS auditor’s greatest concern, because it means that the organization has not considered the potential impact of the cloud document storage solution on its ability to continue its operations in the event of a disruption or disaster. A BCP is a document that outlines the procedures and actions to be taken in order to maintain or resume critical business functions during and after a crisis. A BCP should be updated whenever there is a significant change in the organization’s IT infrastructure, systems, processes, or dependencies, such as implementing a cloud document storage solution. The IS auditor should verify that the BCP reflects the current state of the organization’s IT environment, and that it addresses the risks, challenges, and opportunities associated with the cloud document storage solution.

The other options are not as concerning as the BCP not being updated:

Users are not required to sign updated acceptable use agreements. This is a minor concern, but it does not pose a major threat to the organization’s business continuity. Acceptable use agreements are documents that define the rules and guidelines for using IT resources, such as the cloud document storage solution. Users should sign updated acceptable use agreements to acknowledge their responsibilities and obligations, and to comply with the organization’spolicies and standards. However, this does not affect the organization’s ability to continue its operations in a crisis.

Users have not been trained on the new system. This is a moderate concern, but it does not jeopardize the organization’s business continuity. Training users on the new system is important to ensure that they can use it effectively and efficiently, and to avoid errors or misuse that could compromise the security or performance of the system. However, this does not prevent the organization from accessing or restoring its data in a crisis.

Mobile devices are not encrypted. This is a serious concern, but it does not directly impact the organization’s business continuity. Encrypting mobile devices is a security measure thatprotects the data stored on them from unauthorized access or disclosure in case of loss or theft. However, this does not affect the availability or integrity of the data stored in the cloud document storage solution, which should have its own encryption mechanisms.

This should be the first thing that an IS auditor considers when evaluating firewall rules, because it defines the objectives, standards, and guidelines for securing the organization’s network andinformation assets. The firewall rules should be aligned with the organization’s security policy, and reflect the level of risk and protection required for each type of network traffic, system, or data. The IS auditor should compare the firewall rules with the security policy, and identify any discrepancies, gaps, or conflicts that could compromise the security or performance of the network.

The other options are not as important as the organization’s security policy when evaluating firewall rules:

The number of remote nodes. This is a factor that may affect the complexity and scalability of the firewall rules, but it is not a primary consideration for the IS auditor. Remote nodes are devices or systems that connect to the network from outside locations, such as teleworkers, mobile users, or branch offices. The IS auditor should ensure that the firewall rules provide adequate security and access control for remote nodes, but this depends on the organization’s security policy and business needs.

The firewalls’ default settings. These are the predefined configurations that come with the firewall devices or software, and that determine how they handle network traffic by default. The IS auditor should review the firewalls’ default settings, and verify that they are appropriate and secure for the organization’s network environment. However, the firewalls’ default settings may not match the organization’s security policy or specific requirements, and may need to be customized or overridden by firewall rules.

The physical location of the firewalls. This is a factor that may affect the placement and design of the firewall rules, but it is not a critical consideration for the IS auditor. The physical location of the firewalls refers to where they are installed or deployed in relation to the network topology, such as at the network perimeter, between network segments, or on individual hosts. The IS auditor should ensure that the firewall rules are consistent and coordinated across different locations, but this depends on the organization’s security policy and network architecture.

The best source of information for an IS auditor to use as a baseline to assess the adequacy of an organization’s privacy policy is the local privacy standards and regulations. Privacy standards and regulations are legal requirements that specify how personal data should be collected, processed, stored, shared, and disposed of by organizations. By using local privacy standards and regulations as a baseline, the IS auditor can ensure that the organization’s privacy policy complies with the applicable laws and protects the rights and interests of data subjects. Historical privacy breaches and related root causes, globally accepted privacy best practices, and benchmark studies of similar organizations are useful sources of information for improving an organization’s privacy policy, but they are not as authoritative and relevant as local privacy standards and regulations. References: CISAReview Manual (Digital Version): Chapter 2 - Governance and Management of Information Technology

Understanding the specific agile methodology that will be followed is the first step that an IS auditor should do to ensure the effectiveness of the project audit. An IS auditor should familiarize themselves with the agile approach, principles, practices, and tools that will be used by the project team, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the project stakeholders. This will help the IS auditor to identify and assess the relevant risks and controls for the project audit. The other options are not the first steps that an IS auditor should do, but rather possible subsequent actions that may depend on the specific agile methodology. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 4, Section 4.3.21

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, Question ID 211

When auditing the alignment of IT to the business strategy, it is most important for the IS auditor to evaluate deliverables of new IT initiatives against planned business services. This can help the IS auditor to assess whether the IT initiatives are meeting the business needs and expectations, delivering value and benefits, and supporting the business objectives and goals. Comparing the organization’s strategic plan against industry best practice is a possible technique for auditing the alignment of IT to the business strategy, but it is not the most important thing for the IS auditor to do, as industry best practice may not be applicable or relevant to the specific context or situation of the organization. Interviewing senior managers for their opinion of the IT function is a possible technique for auditing the alignment of IT to the business strategy, but it is not the most important thing for the IS auditor to do, as senior managers’ opinions may be subjective or biased, and may not reflect the actual performance or outcomes of the IT function. Ensuring an IT steering committee is appointed to monitor new IT projects is a possible control for ensuring the alignment of IT to the business strategy, but it is not the most important thing for the IS auditor to do, as an IT steering committee may not be effective or efficient in monitoring new IT projects, and may not have sufficient authority or influence over the IT function. 

 Risk assessment is a mandatory part of the annual audit planning process, as it helps to identify and prioritize the areas that pose the highest risk to the organization’s objectives and operations. Risk assessment involves analyzing the internal and external factors that affect the organization’s risk profile, evaluating the likelihood and impact of potential events or scenarios, assessing the existing controls and mitigation strategies, and determining the residual risk level. Based on the risk assessment results, the IS auditor can allocate resources and schedule audits accordingly. A business impact analysis (BIA) is a process that identifies and evaluates the critical business functions and processes that could be disrupted by a disaster or incident, and estimates the potential impact on the organization’s operations, reputation and finances. A BIA is not a mandatory part of the annual audit planning process, but it can be used as an input for risk assessment or as a subject for audit. Fieldwork is the phase of an audit where the IS auditor collects evidence to support the audit objectives andconclusions. Fieldwork is not part of the annual audit planning process, but it is part of each individual audit engagement. A risk control matrix is a tool that maps the risks identified in a risk assessment to the controls that mitigate them. A risk control matrix is not a mandatory part of the annual audit planning process, but it can be used as an output of risk assessment or as a tool for audit testing. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) 1, Chapter 1: Information Systems Auditing Process, Section 1.2: Audit Planning.

In a RAO model, which stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, the accountable role must be assigned to only one individual. The accountable role is the person who has the ultimate authority and responsibility for the outcome of the project or task, and who approves or rejects the work done by the responsible role. The accountable role cannot be delegated or shared, as it is essential to have a clear and single point of accountability for each project or task.

The other roles can be assigned to more than one individual:

Responsible. This is the person who does the work or performs the task. There can be multiple responsible roles for different aspects or phases of a project or task, as long as they are coordinated and supervised by the accountable role.

Informed. This is the person who needs to be notified or updated about the progress or results of the project or task. There can be multiple informed roles who have an interest or stake in the project or task, but who do not need to be consulted or involved in the decision-making process.

Consulted. This is the person who provides input, feedback, or advice on the project or task. There can be multiple consulted roles who have expertise or experience relevant to the project or task, but who do not have the authority or responsibility to approve or reject the work done by the responsible role.

 The organizational policies and procedures are the first source of guidance for an IS auditor when planning a customer data privacy audit. They provide the framework and objectives for ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, customer agreements and data classification. The IS auditor should review them first to understand the scope, roles and responsibilities, standards and controls related to customer data privacy in the organization. The other options are also important, but they are secondary sources of information thatshould be reviewed after the organizational policies and procedures. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) 1, Chapter 2: Governance and Management of Information Technology, Section 2.5: Privacy Principles and Policies.

 The auditor’s best course of action when senior management disagrees with some of the facts presented in the draft audit report is to gather evidence to analyze senior management’s objections. The auditor should not revise the assessment, escalate the issue, or finalize the report without changes until they have evaluated the validity and relevance of senior management’s objections and resolved any discrepancies or misunderstandings. The auditor should maintain a professional and objective attitude and seek to present a fair and accurate audit report based on sufficient and appropriate evidence. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), page 372

CISA Questions,Answers & Explanations Database, question ID 3338

Reviewing the last compile date of production programs is the most efficient way to detect unauthorized changes to production programs, as it can quickly identify any discrepancies between the expected and actual dates of program modification. The last compile date is a timestamp that indicates when a program was last compiled or translated from source code to executable code. Any changes to the source code would require a recompilation, which would update the last compile date. The IS auditor can compare the last compile date of production programs with the authorizedchange requests and reports to verify that only approved changes were implemented. The other options are not as efficient as option A, as they are more time-consuming, labor-intensive or error-prone. Manually comparing code in production programs to controlled copies is a method of verifying that the code in production matches the code in a secure repository or library, but it requires access to both versions of code and a tool or technique to compare them line by line. Periodically running and reviewing test data against production programs is a method of verifying that the programs produce the expected outputs and results, but it requires designing, executing and evaluating test cases for each program. Verifying user management approval of modifications is a method of verifying that the changes to production programs were authorized and documented, but it does not ensure that the changes were implemented correctly or accurately. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) , Chapter 4: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience, Section 4.3: Change Management Practices.

 A staging environment is a replica of the production environment that is used to test and verify software before deploying it to production. A staging environment is most likely to have the same software version as production, as it mimics the real-world conditions and configurations that will be encountered in production. A testing environment is a separate environment that is used to perform various types of testing on software, such as functional testing, performance testing, security testing, etc. A testing environment may not have the same software version as production, as it may undergo frequent changes or updates based on testing results or feedback. An integration environment is a separate environment that is used to combine and test software components or modules from different developers or sources, to ensure that they work together as expected. An integration environment may not have the same software version as production, as it may involve different versions or branches of software from different sources. A development environment is a separate environment that is used by developers to create and modify software code. A development environment may not have the same software version as production, as it may contain unfinished or untested code that has not been released yet.

 Requiring written authorization for all payment transactions is the IS auditor’s best recommendation for a compensating control in an environment where segregation of duties (SoD) cannot be enforced in an accounts payable system. SoD is a principle that requires different individuals or functions to perform different tasks or roles in a business process, such as initiating, approving, recording and reconciling transactions. SoD reduces the risk of errors, fraud and misuse of resources by preventingany single person or function from having excessive or conflicting authority or responsibility. A compensating control is a control that mitigates or reduces the risk associated with the absence or weakness of another control. Requiring written authorization for all payment transactions is a compensating control that provides an independent verification and approval of each transaction before it is processed by the accounts payable system. This control can help to detect and prevent unauthorized, duplicate or erroneous payments, and to ensure compliance with policies and procedures. The other options are not as effective as option A, as they do not provide an independent verification or approval of payment transactions. Restricting payment authorization to senior staff members is a control that limits the number of people who can authorize payments, but it does not prevent them from initiating or processing payments themselves, which could violate SoD. Reconciling payment transactions with invoices is a control that verifies that the payments match the invoices, but it does not prevent unauthorized, duplicate or erroneous payments from being processed by the accounts payable system. Reviewing payment transaction history is a control that monitors and analyzes thepayment transactions after they have been processed by the accounts payable system, but it does not prevent unauthorized, duplicate or erroneous payments from occurring in the first place. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) , Chapter 5: Protection of Information Assets, Section 5.2: Logical Access.

 The best way to ensure payment transaction data is restricted to the appropriate users is implementing role-based access at the application level. Role-based access is a method of access control that assigns permissions or privileges to users based on their roles or functions within an organization or system. Role-based access can help ensure that payment transaction data is restricted to the appropriate users, by allowing only authorized users who have a legitimate need orpurpose to access or use the payment transaction data, and preventing unauthorized or unnecessary access or use by other users. Implementing two-factor authentication is a possible way to enhance the security and verification of user identities, but it is not the best way to ensure payment transaction data is restricted to theappropriate users, as it does not define what permissions or privileges users have on the payment transaction data. Restricting access to transactions using network security software is a possible way to protect the network communication and transmission of payment transaction data, but it is not the best way to ensure payment transaction data is restricted to the appropriate users, as it does not specify what actions or operations users can perform on the payment transaction data. Using a single menu for sensitive application transactions is a possible way to simplify the user interface and navigation of payment transaction data, but it is not the best way to ensure payment transaction data is restricted to the appropriate users, as it does not limit what users can access or use the payment transaction data. 

 The most significant concern for an IS auditor when reviewing an industrial control system (ICS) that uses older unsupported technology in the scope of an upcoming audit is that there is a greater risk of system exploitation. System exploitation is an attack that occurs when an unauthorized entity or individual takes advantage of a vulnerability or weakness in a system to compromise its security or functionality. System exploitation can cause harm or damage to the system or its users, such as data loss, corruption, theft, manipulation, denial of service (DoS), etc. An ICS that uses older unsupported technology poses a high risk of system exploitation, as older technology may have known or unknown vulnerabilities or defects that have not been patched or fixed by the vendor or manufacturer, and unsupported technology may not receive any updates or support from the vendor or manufacturer in case of issues or incidents. Attack vectors are evolving for industrial control systems is a possible concern for an IS auditor when reviewing an ICS that uses older unsupported technology in the scope of an upcoming audit, but it is not the most significant one. Attack vectors are methods or pathways that attackers use to gain access to or attack a system. Attack vectors are evolving for industrial control systems, as attackers are developing new techniques or tools to target ICSs that are increasingly connected and complex. However, this concern may not be specific to older unsupported technology, as it may affect any ICS regardless of its technology level. Disaster recovery plans (DRPs) are not in place is a possible concern for an IS auditor when reviewing an ICS that uses older unsupported technology in the scope of an upcoming audit, but it is not the most significant one. DRPs are documents that outline the technical and operational steps for restoring the IT systems and infrastructure that support critical functions or processes in the event of a disruption or disaster. DRPs are not in place, as they may affect the availability and continuity of the ICS and its functions or processes in case of a failure or incident. However, this concern may not be related to older unsupported technology, as it may apply to any ICS regardless of its technology level. Technical specifications are not documented is a possible concern for an IS auditor when reviewing an ICS that uses older unsupported technology in the scope of an upcoming audit, but it is not the most significant one. Technical specifications are documents that describe the technical characteristics or requirements of a system or component, such as functionality, performance, design, etc. Technical specifications are not documented, as they may affect the understanding, maintenance, and improvement of the ICS and its components. However, this concern may not beassociated with older unsupported technology, as it may affect any ICS regardless of its technology level. 

The best source of information for IT management to estimate resource requirements for future projects is the records of actual time spent on projects. This data can provide a realistic and reliable basis for forecasting future resource needs based on historical trends and patterns. The records of actual time spent on projects can also help IT management to identify any gaps or inefficiencies in resource allocation and utilization. The human resources (HR) sourcing strategy is not a good source of information for estimating resource requirements for future projects, as it may not reflect the actual demand and availability of IT resources. The peer organization staffing benchmarks are not a good source of information for estimating resource requirements for future projects, as they may not account for the specific characteristics and needs of each organization. The budgeted forecast for the next financial year is not a good source of information for estimating resource requirements for future projects, as it may not be based on accurate or realistic assumptions. References:

CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, pages 465-4661

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database,Question ID: 263

 The IS auditor should be most concerned about the lack of follow-up education for staff members who failed the phishing simulation test. Phishing simulation tests are designed to assess the level of awareness and susceptibility of staff members to phishing attacks, and to provide feedback and training to improve their security behavior. If staff members who failed the test do not receive follow-up education, they will not learn from their mistakes and may continue to fall victim to real phishing attacks, which could compromise the security of the organization.

The other options are less concerning for the IS auditor:

Test results were not communicated to staff members. This is not ideal, as staff members should receive feedback on their performance and learn from the test results. However, this does not necessarily mean that they did not receive any training or education on how to avoid phishing attacks.

Staff members were not notified about the test beforehand. This is a common practice for phishing simulation tests, as it mimics the real-world scenario where staff members do not know when they will receive a phishing email. The purpose of the test is to measure their spontaneous reaction and awareness, not their preparedness or compliance.

Security awareness training was not provided prior to the test. This is not a major concern, as the test can serve as a baseline measurement of the current level of awareness and susceptibility of staff members, and as a starting point for providing tailored training and education based on the test results.

The completeness of the vulnerability scanning process depends on the accuracy and currency of the organization’s systems inventory, which is a list of all the hardware and software assets that are owned or used by the organization. A complete and up-to-date systems inventory can help ensure that all the systems are identified and scanned for vulnerabilities, and that no system is missed or overlooked. Vulnerability scanning results are reported to the CISO is a good practice for ensuring accountability and visibility of the vulnerability management process, but it is not the most important thing to verify when determining the completeness of the vulnerability scanning process, as reporting does notguarantee that all the systems are scanned. The organization is using a cloud-hosted scanning tool for identification of vulnerabilities is a possible option for conducting vulnerability scanning, but it is not the most important thing to verify when determining the completeness of the vulnerability scanning process, as the type of scanning tool does not affect the scope or coverage of the scanning. Access to the vulnerability scanning tool is periodically reviewed is a critical control for ensuring the security and integrity of the vulnerability scanning tool, but it is not the most important thing to verify when determining the completeness of the vulnerability scanning process, as access review does not ensure that all the systems are scanned. 

The first thing that should be done before allowing users to connect personal devices to the corporate network is to implement an acceptable use policy. An acceptable use policy is a document that defines the rules and guidelines for using personal devices on the corporate network, such as security requirements, access rights, responsibilities, and consequences. An acceptable use policy can help to protect the organization from potential risks such as data leakage, malware infection, or legal liability. The other options are not as important as implementing an acceptable use policy, as they do notestablish the boundaries and expectations for using personal devices on the corporate network. References: CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 318

This should result in a finding because it violates the best practice of setting rules for groups rather than users. According to one of the web search results1, using group permissions instead of individual permissions can simplify the management and maintenance of ACLs, reduce the risk of human errors, and ensure consistency and compliance. Individual permissions can create conflicts, confusion, and security gaps in the ACLs. Therefore, the IS auditor should report this as a finding and recommend using group permissions instead.

The most helpful thing to ensure the integrity of the system throughout the change when moving from one database management system (DBMS) to another is preserving the same data structure. A DBMS is a software system that manages and manipulates data stored in a database, such as creating, updating, querying, deleting, etc. A database is a collection of structured or organized data that can be accessed or manipulated by a DBMS. A data structure is a way of organizing or arranging data in a database, such as tables, columns, rows, keys, indexes, etc. Preserving the same data structure when moving from one DBMS to another can help ensure the integrity of the system throughout the change, by maintaining the consistency and accuracy of data in the database, and avoiding any errors or issues that may arise from incompatible or inconsistent data structures between different DBMSs. Preserving the same data classifications is a possible thing to ensure the integrity of the system throughout the change when moving from one DBMS to another, but it is not the most helpful one. Data classifications are categories or labels that define the level of sensitivity or importance of data in a database, such as public, confidential, secret, etc. Data classifications can help protect the security and privacy of data in the database by applying appropriate controls or restrictions on data access or use based on their classifications. Preserving the same data classifications when moving from one DBMS to another can help ensure the integrity of the system throughout the change by preventing unauthorized or inappropriate access or use of data in the database. However, this may not be directly related to the DBMS change, as it may apply to any data migration or transfer process. Preserving the same data inputs is a possible thing to ensure the integrity of the system throughout the change when moving from one DBMS to another, but it is not the most helpful one. Data inputs are sources or methods that provide data to a database, such as user inputs, sensors, files, etc. Data inputs can affect the quality and validity of data in the database by introducing errors or inconsistencies in data entry or collection.Preserving the same data inputs when moving from one DBMS to another can help ensure the integrity of the system throughout the change by reducing errors or inconsistencies in data input or collection. 

 Incremental backups are backups that only copy the data that has changed since the last backup, whether it was a full or incremental backup. The main reason to use incremental backups is to minimize the backup time and resources, as they require less storage space and network bandwidth than full backups. Incremental backups can also improve key availability metrics, such as recovery point objective (RPO) and recovery time objective (RTO), but that is not their primary purpose. Reducing costs associated with backups and increasing backup resiliency and redundancy are possible benefits of incremental backups, but they depend on other factors, such as the backup frequency, retention policy, and media type. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version): Chapter 5 - Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience

The greatest risk associated with storing customer data on a web server is data confidentiality. Data confidentiality is the property that ensures that data are accessible only to authorized entities or individuals, and protected from unauthorized disclosure or exposure. Storing customer data on a web server poses a high risk to data confidentiality, as web servers are exposed to the internet and may be vulnerable to various types of attacks or breaches that can compromise the security and privacy of customer data, such as hacking, phishing, malware, denial of service (DoS), etc. Customer data may contain sensitive or personal information that can cause harm or damage to customers or the organization if disclosed or exposed, such as identity theft, fraud, reputation loss, legal liability, etc. Data availability is the property that ensures that data are accessible and usable by authorized entities or individuals when needed. Data availability is a risk associated with storing customer data on a web server, as web servers may experience failures or disruptions that can affect the accessibility and usability of customer data, such as hardware faults, network issues, power outages, etc. However, data availability is not the greatest risk associated with storing customer data on a web server, as it does not affect the security and privacy of customer data. Data integrity is the property that ensures that data are accurate and consistent, and protected from unauthorized modification or corruption. Data integrity is a risk associated with storing customer data on a web server, as web servers may be subject to attacks or errors that can affect the accuracy and consistency of customer data, such as injection attacks, tampering, replication issues, etc. However, data integrity is not the greatest risk associated with storing customer data on a web server, as it does not affect the security and privacy of customer data. Data redundancy is the condition of having duplicate or unnecessary data in a database or system. Data redundancy is not a risk associated with storing customer data on a web server, but rather a result of poor database design or management. 

Signature-based intrusion detection systems (IDS) are systems that compare network traffic with predefined patterns of known attacks, called signatures. The effectiveness of signature-based IDS depends on how well they can detect new or unknown attacks that are not in their signature database. Therefore, an increase in the number of detected incidents not previously identified is the best indicator of the effectiveness of signature-based IDS, as it shows that they can recognize novel or modified attacks. 

Clustering is a technique that groups multiple servers or nodes together to act as one system, providing high availability, scalability, and load balancing for applications or services. Clustering can improve system resiliency, which is the ability of a system to withstand or recover from failures or disruptions without compromising its functionality or performance. Clustering can achieve this by providing redundancy and fault tolerance for critical components or processes, enabling automatic failover and recovery in case of node failures, distributing workload among multiple nodes to avoid overloading or bottlenecks, and allowing dynamic addition or removal of nodes to meet changingdemand or capacity needs. Clustering may also decrease system response time by improving performance and efficiency through load balancing and parallel processing, but this is not its primary purpose. Clustering may facilitate faster backups by enabling concurrent backup operations across multiple nodes, but this is not its main benefit. Clustering may improve the recovery time objective (RTO), which is the maximum acceptable time for restoring a system or service after a disruption, by reducing the downtime and data loss caused by failures, but this is not the best reason for using clustering, as there may be other factors that affect the RTO, such as backup frequency, recovery procedures, and testing methods. 

The metric that would best measure the agility of an organization’s IT function is average time to turn strategic IT objectives into an agreed upon and approved initiative. IT agility is the ability of an IT function to respond quickly and effectively to changing business needs and opportunities. By measuring how fast an IT function can translate strategic IT objectives into actionable initiatives, such as projects or programs, an organization can assess how well its IT function can align with and support its business strategy. Average number of learning and training hours per IT staff member, frequency of security assessments against the most recent standards and guidelines, and percentage of staff with sufficient IT-related skills for the competency required of their roles are metrics that may indicate other aspects of IT performance, such as capability development, security maturity, and skills gap analysis, but they do not directly measure IT agility. References: ISACA Journal Article: Measuring IT Agility

The most important task for an IS auditor to perform after the merger of two organizations is to verify that access privileges have been reviewed. Access privileges are the permissions granted to users, groups, or roles to access, modify, or manage IT resources, such as systems, applications, data, or networks. After a merger, the IS auditor should ensure that the access privileges of both organizations are aligned with the new business objectives, policies, and processes, and that there are no conflicts, overlaps, or gaps in the access rights. The IS auditor should also verify that the access privileges are based on the principle of least privilege, which means that users are granted only the minimum level of access required to perform their tasks.

The other options are not as important as verifying that access privileges have been reviewed:

Investigating access rights for expiration dates is a useful task, but it is not the most important one. Expiration dates are the dates when access rights are automatically revoked or suspended after a certain period of time or after a specific event. The IS auditor should check that the expiration dates are set appropriately and enforced consistently, but this is not as critical as reviewing the access privileges themselves.

Updating the continuity plan for critical resources is a necessary task, but it is not the most urgent one. A continuity plan is a document that outlines the procedures and actions to be taken in the event of a disruption or disaster that affects the availability of IT resources. The IS auditor should update the continuity plan to reflect the changes and dependencies introduced by the merger, but this can be done after verifying that the access privileges are secure and compliant.

Updating the security policy is an essential task, but it is not the most immediate one. A security policy is a document that defines the rules and guidelines for securing IT resources and protecting information assets. The IS auditor should update the security policy to incorporate the best practices and standards of both organizations, and to address any new risks or threats posed by the merger, but this can be done after verifying that the access privileges are aligned with the policy.

 Antivirus software has been implemented on the guest operating system only is the observation that an IS auditor would consider the greatest risk when conducting an audit of a virtual server farm for potential software vulnerabilities. A virtual server farm is a collection of servers that run multiple virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical host using a software layer called a hypervisor. A guest operating system is the operating system installed on each VM. Antivirus software is a softwareprogram that detects and removes malicious software from a computer system. If antivirus software has been implemented on the guest operating system only, it means that the hypervisor and the host operating system are not protected from malware attacks, which could compromise the security and availability of all VMs running on the same host. Therefore, antivirus software should be implemented on both the guest and host operating systems as well as on the hypervisor. References: CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 378

The most important thing to determine next after concluding that an organization has a quality security policy is whether the policy is well understood by all employees. A security policy is a document that defines the objectives, scope, roles, responsibilities, and rules for information security within an organization. A quality security policy is one that is clear, concise, consistent, comprehensive, and aligned with business goals and requirements. However, a quality security policy is useless if it is not well understood by all employees who are expected to comply with it.Therefore, the IS auditor should assess the level of awareness and understanding of the security policy among employees and identify any gaps or issues that need to be addressed. The other options are not as important as ensuring that the security policy is well understood by all employees, as they do not directly affect the implementation and effectiveness of the security policy. References: CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 317

 Upon completion of audit work, an IS auditor should distribute a summary of general findings to the members of the auditing team. This is to ensure that the audit team members are aware of the audit results, have an opportunity to provide feedback, and can agree on the audit conclusions andrecommendations. Providing a report to senior management prior to discussion with the auditee, providing a report to the auditee stating the initial findings, and reviewing the working papers with the auditee are not appropriate actions for an IS auditor to take upon completion of audit work, as they may compromise the audit independence, objectivity, and quality. References: ISACA CISA Review Manual 27th Edition, page 221

 Capacity management is a process that ensures that the IT resources of an organization are sufficient to meet the current and future demands of the business. Capacity management enables organizations toidentify the extent to which components need to be upgraded, by monitoring and analyzing the performance, utilization, and availability of the IT components, such as servers, networks, storage, applications, etc., and identifying any bottlenecks, gaps, or risks that may affect the service level agreements (SLAs) or quality of service (QoS). Capacity management also helps organizations to plan and optimize the use of IT resources, by forecasting the future demand and growth of the business, and aligning the IT capacity with the business needs and objectives. Forecasting technology trends is a possible outcome of capacity management, but it is not its main purpose. Establishing the capacity of network communication links is a part of capacity management, but it is not its main goal. Determining business transaction volumes is an input for capacity management, but it is not its main objective.

 The most important thing for an IS auditor to confirm when reviewing an organization’s plans to implement robotic process automation (RPA) to automate routine business tasks is that the end-to-end process is understood and documented. This is because RPA involves the use of software robots or digital workers to mimic human actions and execute predefined rules and workflows. Therefore, it is essential that the IS auditor verifies that the organization has a clear and accurate understanding of the current state of the process, the desired state of the process, the inputs and outputs, the exceptions and errors, the roles and responsibilities, and the performance measures12. Without a properdocumentation of the end-to-end process, the organizationmay face challenges in designing, developing, testing, deploying, and monitoring the RPA solution3. References: 1: CISA ReviewManual (Digital Version), Chapter 4: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience, Section 4.2: IT Service Delivery and Support, page 211 2:CISA Online Review Course, Module 4: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience, Lesson 4.2: IT Service Delivery and Support 3: ISACA Journal Volume 5, 2019, Article: Robotic Process Automation: Benefits, Risks and Controls

 Digital watermarks are hidden marks or codes that can be embedded into digital files, such as images, videos, audio, or documents. They can be used to identify the source, owner, or authorized user of the data, as well as to track any unauthorized copying or distribution of the data. Digital watermarks can help prevent data leakage by deterring potential leakers from sharing sensitive data or by providing evidence of data leakage if it occurs.

The other options are not as effective as digital watermarks in preventing data leakage. Ensuring that paper documents are disposed securely can reduce the risk of physical data leakage, but it does not address the digital data leakage that is more prevalent in today’s environment. Implementing an intrusion detection system (IDS) can help detect and respond to cyberattacks that may cause data leakage, but it does not prevent data leakage from insiders or authorized users who have legitimate access to the data. Verifying that application logs capture any changes made can help audit and investigate data leakage incidents, but it does not prevent them from happening in the first place.

References:

What is Data Leakage?

What is Digital Watermarking?

The approach adopted by management in this scenario is risk avoidance. Risk avoidance is the elimination of a risk by discontinuing or not undertaking an activity that poses a threat to the organization3. By moving data center operations to another facility on higher ground, management is avoiding the potential flooding risk that could disrupt or damage the data center. Risk transfer, risk acceptance and risk reduction are other possible approaches for dealing with risks, but they do not apply in this case. References:

CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 641

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription

The most important consideration for an IS auditor when assessing the adequacy of an organization’s information security policy is the business objectives. An information security policy is a document that defines the organization’s approach to protecting its information assets from internal and external threats. It should align with the organization’s mission, vision, values, and goals, and support its business processes and functions1. An informationsecurity policy should also be focused on the business needs and requirements of the organization, rather than on technical details orspecific solutions2.

The other options are not as important as the business objectives, because they do not directly reflect the organization’s purpose and direction. IT steering committee minutes are records of the discussions and decisions made by a group of senior executives who oversee the IT strategy and governance of the organization. They may provide some insights into the information security policy, but they are not sufficientto evaluate its adequacy3. Alignment with the IT tactical plan is a measure of how well the information security policy supports the short-term actions and projects that implement the IT strategy. However, the IT tactical plan itself shouldbe aligned with the business objectives, and not vice versa4. Compliance with industry best practice is a desirable quality of an information security policy, but it is not a guarantee of its effectiveness or suitability for the organization. Industry best practices are general guidelines or recommendations that may not apply to every organization or situation. An information security policy should be customized and tailored to the specific context and needs of the organization. References:

The 12 Elements of an Information Security Policy | Exabeam1

11 Key Elements of an Information Security Policy | Egnyte2

What is an IT steering committee? Definition, roles & responsibilities …3

What is IT Strategy? Definition, Components & Best Practices | BMC …4

IT Security Policy: Key Components & Best Practices for Every Business 

The best approach to optimize resources when both internal and external audit teams are reviewing the same IT general controls area is to leverage the work performed by external audit for the internal audit testing. This can avoid duplication of efforts, reduce audit costs and enhance coordination between the audit teams. The internal audit team should evaluate the quality and reliability of the external audit work before relying on it. Ensuring both the internal and external auditors perform the worksimultaneously is not an efficient use of resources, as it would create redundancy and possible interference. Requesting that the external audit team leverage the internal audit work may not be feasible or acceptable, as the external audit team may have different objectives, standards and independence requirements. Rolling forward the general controls audit to the subsequent audit year is not a good practice, as it would delay the identification and remediation of any control weaknesses in a high-risk area. References: ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2018, page 247

 Problem management is an IT service management activity that is most likely to help with identifying the root cause of repeated instances of network latency. Problem management involves analyzing incidents that affect IT services and finding solutions to prevent them from recurring or minimize their impact. Change management is an IT service management activity that involves controlling and documenting any modifications to IT services or infrastructure. Incident management is an IT service management activity that involves restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible after an incident has occurred. Configuration management is an IT service management activity that involves identifying and maintaining records of IT assets and their relationships. References: ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2018, page 334

The best control to mitigate attacks that redirect Internet traffic to an unauthorized website is to perform domain name system (DNS) server security hardening. DNS servers are responsible for resolving domain names into IP addresses, and they are often targeted by attackers who want to manipulate or spoof DNS records to redirect usersto malicious websites4. By applying security best practices to DNS servers, such as encrypting DNS traffic, implementing DNSSEC, restricting access and updating patches, the organization can reduce the risk of DNS hijacking attacks. A network-based firewall, user security awareness training and a strong password policy are also important controls, but they are not as effective as DNS server security hardening in preventing this specific type of attack. References:

CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 4021

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 A differential backup scheme is the best option when storage media is limited, as it only backs up the data that has changed since the last full backup. This reduces the amount of storage space required and also simplifies the restoration process, as only the last full backup and the last differential backup are needed. A real-time backup scheme would require continuous replication of data, which would consume a lot of storage space and network bandwidth. A virtual backup scheme would create a snapshot of the data at a point in time, but it would not reduce the storage space required, as it would still need to store the changes made to the data. A full backup scheme would back up all the data every time, which would require the most storage space and also take longer to complete. References: ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2018, page 405

The best recommendation for improving IT governance within the organization is to implement key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs are measurable values that show how effectively the organization is achieving its key business objectives. KPIs can help the organization tomonitor and evaluate the performance, efficiency, and alignment of its IT processes and resources with its business goals and strategies1.

The other options are not as effective as implementing KPIs for improving IT governance. Option B, implementing annual third-party audits, is a good practice but may not be sufficient or timely to identify and address the issues or gaps in IT governance. Option C, benchmarking organizational performance against industry peers, is a useful technique but may not reflect the specific needs and expectations of the organization’s stakeholders. Option D, requiring executive management to draft IT strategy, is a necessary step but not enough to ensure that IT governance is implemented and monitored throughout the organization.

Network segmentation is the best security measure to reduce the risk of propagation when a cyberattack occurs, because it divides the network into smaller subnetworks that are isolated from each other and have different access controls and security policies. This limits the spread of malicious traffic and prevents attackers from accessing sensitive data or systems in other segments. Aperimeter firewall, a data loss prevention (DLP) system, and a web application firewall are also useful security measures,but they do not prevent propagation within the network as effectively as network segmentation does. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)1, Chapter 5, Section 5.2.3

The best course of action for an IS auditor who finds that some critical recommendations have not been implemented is to evaluate senior management’s acceptance of the risk. The IS auditor should understand the reasons why the recommendations have not been implemented and the implications for the organization’s risk exposure. The IS auditor should also verify that senior management has formally acknowledged and accepted the residual risk and has documented the rationale and justification for their decision. The IS auditor should communicate the findings and the risk acceptance to the audit committee and other relevant stakeholders. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)

CISA Questions, Answers & Explanations Database

 The best way to ensure that a backup copy is available for restoration of mission critical data after a disaster is to periodically test backups stored in a remote location. Testing backups is essential to verify that the backup copies are valid, complete, and recoverable. Testing backups also helps to identify any issues or errors that may affect the backup process or the restoration of data. Storing backups in a remote location is important to protect the backup copies from physical damage, theft, or unauthorized access that may occur at the primary site. Using an electronic vault for incremental backups, deploying a fully automated backup maintenance system, or using both tape and disk backup systems are not sufficient to ensure that a backup copy is available for restoration of mission critical data after a disaster, as they do not address the need for testing backups or storing them in a remote location. References: Backup and Recovery of Data: The Essential Guide | Veritas, The Truth About Data Backup for Mission-Critical Environments - DATAVERSITY.

 Periodically reviewing log files is the most effective way to detect intrusion attempts from outside the organization, as they can provide evidence of unauthorized access attempts, source IP addresses, timestamps and other relevant information. Using smart cards with one-time passwords or installing biometrics-based authentication can prevent unauthorized access, but not detect it. Configuring the router as a firewall can block unwanted traffic, but not log it. References: ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2018, page 361

Data disposal controls are the measures that ensure that data are securely and permanently erased or destroyed when they are no longer needed or authorized to be retained. Data disposal controls support business strategic objectives by reducing the risk of data breaches, complying with dataprivacy regulations, optimizing the use of storage resources, and enhancing the reputation and trust of the organization1.

A media sanitization policy is a document that defines the roles, responsibilities, procedures, and standards for sanitizing different types of media that contain sensitive or confidential data. Media sanitization is the process of removing or modifying data on a media device to make it unreadable or unrecoverable by any means. Media sanitization can be achieved by various methods, such as overwriting, degaussing, encryption, or physical destruction2.

A media sanitization policy would provide an IS auditor with the greatest assurance that data disposal controls support business strategic objectives because it demonstrates that the organization has a clear and consistent approach to protect its data from unauthorized access or disclosure throughout the data life cycle. Amedia sanitization policy also helps the organization to comply with various data privacy regulations, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), or the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), that require proper disposal of personal or sensitive data3.

The other options are not as effective as a media sanitization policy in providing assurance that data disposal controls support business strategic objectives. A media recycling policy is a document that defines the criteria and procedures for reusing media devices that have been sanitized or erased. A media recycling policy can help the organization to save costsand reduce environmental impact, but it does not address how the data are disposed of in the first place4. A media labeling policy is a document that defines the rules and standards for labeling media devices that contain sensitive or confidentialdata. A media labeling policy can help the organization to identify and classify its data assets, but it does not specify how the data are sanitized or destroyed when they are no longer needed. A media shredding policy is a document that defines the methods and procedures for physically destroying media devices that contain sensitive or confidential data. A media shredding policy can be a part of a media sanitization policy, but it is not sufficient to cover all types of media devices or data disposal scenarios.

References:

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2019

ISACA, CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription

Secure Data Disposal and Destruction: 6 Methods to Follow1

Why (and How to) Dispose of Digital Data2

What is Data Disposition? The Complete Guide3

Data Disposition: What is it and why should it be part of your data retention policy?

The most important thing for the company to verify when outsourcing the printing of customer statements is whether the provider’s information security controls are aligned with the company’s. This isbecause customer statements contain sensitive personal and financial information that need to be protected from unauthorized access, disclosure, modification or destruction. The provider’s information security controls should be consistent with the company’s policies, standards and regulations, and should be audited periodically to ensure compliance. The other options are also relevant, but not as critical as information security. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)1, Chapter 3, Section 3.2.2

The primary purpose of documenting audit objectives when preparing for an engagement is to identify areas with relatively high probability of material problems. Audit objectives are statements that describe what the audit intends to accomplish or verify during the engagement. Audit objectives help the IS auditor to focus on the key areas of risk or concern, to design appropriate audit procedures and tests, and to evaluate audit evidence and results. By documenting audit objectives, the IS auditor can identify areas with relatively high probability of material problems that may affect the achievement of audit goals or business objectives. Addressing the overall risk associated with the activity under review, ensuring maximum use of audit resources during the engagement and prioritizing and scheduling auditee meetings are also purposes of documenting audit objectives, but they are not as primary as identifying areas with high probability of material problems. References:

CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 1111

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 The most important thing for an IS auditor to determine during the detailed design phase of a system development project is that acceptance test criteria have been developed. Acceptance test criteria define the expected functionality, performance and quality of the system, and are used to verify that the system meets the user requirements and specifications. The IS auditor should ensure that the acceptance test criteria are clear, measurable and agreed upon by all stakeholders. Program coding standards have been followed is something that the IS auditor should check during the coding or testing phase, not the detailed design phase. Data conversion procedures have been established or the design has been approved by senior management are things that the IS auditor should verify during the implementation phase, not the detailed design phase. References: ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2018, page 323

The most conclusive audit procedure for evaluating the effectiveness of an e-commerce application system’s edit routine is to use test transactions. A test transaction is a simulated input that is processed by the system to verify its output and performance1. By using test transactions, an auditor can directly observe how the edit routine checks the validity, accuracy, and completeness of data entered by users, and how it handles incorrect or invalid data. A test transaction can also help measure the efficiency, reliability, and security of the edit routine, as well as identify any errors or weaknesses in the system.

The other options are not as conclusive as using test transactions, as they rely on indirect or secondary sources of information. Reviewing program documentation is an audit procedure that involves examining the written description of the system’s design, specifications, and functionality2. However,program documentation may not reflect the actual implementation or operation of the system, and it may not reveal any discrepancies or defects in the edit routine. Interviews with knowledgeable users is an audit procedure that involves asking questions to the people who use or manage the system3. However, interviews with knowledgeable users may not provide sufficient or objective evidence of the edit routine’s effectiveness, and they may be influenced by personal opinions or biases. Reviewing source code is an audit procedurethat involves analyzing the programming language and logic of the system4. However, reviewing source code may not be feasible or practical for complex or large systems, and it may not demonstrate how the edit routine performs in real scenarios.

The greatest risk associated with the situation of business units purchasing cloud-based applications without IT support is that the applications may not reasonably protect data. Cloud-based applications are software applications that run on the internet, rather than on a local device or network. Cloud-based applications offer manybenefits, such as scalability, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness, but they also pose many challenges and risks, especially for data security1.

Data security is the process of protecting data from unauthorized access, use, modification, disclosure, or destruction. Data security is essential for ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, as well as complying with legal and regulatory requirements. Data security is especially important for cloud-based applications, as data are stored and processed on remote servers that are owned and managed by third-party cloud service providers (CSPs)2.

When business units purchase cloud-based applications without IT support, they may not be aware of or follow the best practices and standards for data security in the cloud. They may not performadequate risk assessments, vendor evaluations, contract reviews, or audits to ensure that the CSPs and the applications meet the organization’s data security policies and expectations. They may not implementappropriate data encryption, backup, recovery, or disposal methods to protect the data in transit and at rest. They may not monitor or control the access and usage of the data by internal or external users. They may not report or respond to any data breaches or incidents that may occur3.

These actions or inactions may expose the organization’s data to various threats and vulnerabilities in the cloud, such as cyberattacks, human errors, malicious insiders, misconfigurations, or legal disputes. These threats and vulnerabilities may result in data loss, leakage, corruption, or compromise, which may have serious consequences for theorganization’s reputation, operations, performance, compliance, and liability4.

Therefore, it is essential that business units consult and collaborate with IT support before purchasing any cloud-based applications, and follow the organization’s guidelines and procedures for cloud security. IT support can help business units to select and use cloud-based applications that are suitable and secure for their needs and objectives.

References:

Top 5 Risks With Cloud Software and How to Mitigate Them4

Mitigate risksand secure your cloud-native applications3

12 Risks, Threats & Vulnerabilities in Moving to the Cloud2

Best Practices to Manage Risks in the Cloud1

Asset life cycle management is a technique of asset management where facility managers maximize the usable life of assets throughplanning, purchasing, using, maintaining, and disposing of assets1. The mainaim of assetlife cycle management is to reduce costs and increase productivity by optimizing the performance, reliability, and lifespan of assets2. Asset life cycle management can help prevent the situation of having unused applications by ensuring that the applications are aligned with the business needs, objectives, and strategies, and that they are regularly reviewed, updated, or retired as necessary3.

The other options are not as effective as asset life cycle management for preventing unused applications. A formal request for proposal (RFP) process is a method of soliciting bids from potential vendors or suppliers for a project or service. A RFP process can help select the best application for a specific requirement, but it does not ensure that the application will be used or maintained throughout its lifecycle. Business case development procedures are a set of steps that involve defining the problem, analyzing the alternatives, and proposing a solution for a project or initiative. Business case development procedures can help justify the need and value of an application, but they do not guarantee that the application will be utilized or supported after its implementation. An information asset acquisition policy is a document that outlines the rules and standards for acquiring information assets such as applications. An information asset acquisition policy can help ensure that the applications are acquired in a consistent and compliant manner, but it does not address how the applications will be managed or disposed of after their acquisition.

The greatest concern for an IS auditor reviewing an organization’s business continuity plan (BCP) is that the BCP has not been tested since it was first issued. A BCP is a document that describes how an organization will continue its critical business functions in the event of a disruption or disaster. A BCP should include information such as roles and responsibilities, recovery strategies, resources,procedures, communication plans, and backup arrangements3. Testing the BCP is a vital step in ensuring its validity, effectiveness, and readiness. Testing the BCP involves simulating various scenarios and executing the BCP to verify whether it meets its objectives and requirements. Testing the BCP can also help to identify and correct any gaps, errors, or weaknesses in the BCP before they become issues during a real incident4. Therefore, an IS auditor should be concerned if the BCP has not been tested since it was first issued, as it may indicate that the BCP is outdated, inaccurate, incomplete, or ineffective. The other options are less concerning or incorrect because:

A. The BCP’s contact information needs to be updated is not a great concern for an IS auditor reviewing an organization’s BCP, as it is a minor issue that can be easily fixed. Contact information refers to the names, phone numbers, email addresses, or other details of the people involved in the BCP execution or communication. Contact information needs to be updated regularly to reflect any changes in personnel or roles. While having outdated contact information may cause some delays or confusion during a BCP activation, it does not affect the overall validity or effectiveness of the BCP.

B. The BCP is not version controlled is not a great concern for an IS auditor reviewing an organization’s BCP, as it is a moderate issue that can be improved. Version control refers to the process of tracking and managing changes made to the BCP over time. Version control helps to ensure that only authorized changes are made to the BCP and that there is a clear record of who made what changes when and why. Version control also helps to avoid conflicts or inconsistencies among different versions of the BCP. While having no version control may cause some difficulties or risks in maintaining and updating the BCP, it does not affect the overall validity or effectiveness of the BCP.

C. The BCP has not been approved by senior management is not a great concern for an IS auditor reviewing an organization’s BCP, as it is a high-level issue that can be resolved. Approval by senior management refers to the formal endorsement and support of the BCP by the top executives or leaders of the organization. Approval by senior management helps to ensure that the BCP is aligned with the organization’s strategy, objectives, and priorities, and that it has sufficient resources and authority to be implemented. Approval by senior management also helps to increase the awareness and commitment of the organization’s stakeholders to the BCP. While having no approval by senior management may affect the credibilityand acceptance of the BCP, it does not affect the overall validity or effectiveness of the BCP. References: Working Toward a Managed, Mature Business Continuity Plan - ISACA, ISACA Introduces New Audit Programs for Business Continuity/Disaster …, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Preparedness for Cloud-based …

The mitigating factor that would most significantly minimize the impact of not renewing IT risk acceptances in a timely manner is having documented compensating controls over the business processes. Compensating controls are alternative controls that reduce or eliminate the risk when the primary control is not feasible or cost-effective. The other factors, such as previous approval by senior management, unchanged business environment, and small percentage of issues, do not mitigate the risk as effectively as compensating controls. References: ISACA CISA Review Manual 27th Edition Chapter 1

Access controls for source libraries are the features of a library control software package that would protect against unauthorized updating of source code. Access controls are the mechanisms that regulate who can access, modify, or delete the source code stored in the source libraries. Source libraries are the repositories that contain the source code files and their versions. By implementing access controls for source libraries, the library controlsoftware package can prevent unauthorized or malicious users from tampering with the source code and compromising its integrity, security, or functionality1.

The other options are not as effective as access controls for source libraries in protecting against unauthorized updating of source code. Option A, required approvals at each life cycle step, is a good practice but may not be sufficient to prevent unauthorized updates if the approval process is bypassed or compromised. Option B, date and time stamping of source and object code, is a useful feature but may not prevent unauthorized updates if the date and time stamps are altered or ignored. Option D, release-to-release comparison of source code, is a helpful feature but may not prevent unauthorized updates if the comparison results are not reviewed or acted upon.

References:

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2019

ISACA, CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription

How to protect your source code from attackers2

How to Stop Unauthorized Use of Open Source Code

The best evidence that an organization’s IT strategy is aligned to its business objectives is that the IT strategy is approved by executive management. This implies that the IT strategy has been reviewed and validated by the senior leaders of the organization, who are responsible for setting and overseeing the business objectives. The IT strategy may be modified inresponse to organizational change, based on IT operational best practices, or have significant impact on the business strategy, but these are not sufficient indicators of alignment without executive approval. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)1, Chapter 1, Section 1.2.1

 The best way to detect that a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is occurring is to use automated monitoring of logs. A DDoS attack disrupts the operations of a server, service, or network byflooding it with unwanted Internet traffic2. Automated monitoring of logs can help pinpoint potentialDDoS attacks by analyzing network traffic patterns, monitoring traffic spikes or other unusual activity, and alertingadministrators or security teams of any anomalies or malicious requests, protocols, or IP blocks3. Automated monitoring of logs can also help identify the source, type, and impact of the DDoS attack, and provide evidence for further investigation or mitigation.

The other options are not as effective as automated monitoring of logs for detecting DDoS attacks. Customer service complaints are an indirect and delayed indicator of a DDoS attack, as they rely onusers reporting problems with accessing a website or service. Customer service complaints may also be caused by other factors unrelated to DDoS attacks, such as server errors or network issues. Server crashes are an extreme and undesirable indicator of a DDoS attack, as they indicate that the server has already been overwhelmed by the attack and has stopped functioning. Server crashes may also result in data loss or corruption, service disruption, or reputational damage. Penetration testing is a proactive and preventive measure for assessing the security posture of a system or network, but it does not detect ongoing DDoS attacks. Penetration testing may involve simulating DDoS attacks to test the resilienceor vulnerability of a system or network, but it does not monitor real-time traffic or identify actual attackers.

References:

ISACA CISA Review Manual 27th Edition (2019), page 254

How to prevent DDoS attacks | Methods and tools | Cloudflare2

Understanding Denial-of-Service Attacks | CISA3

 The most efficient way to identify segregation of duties violations in a new system is to review a report of security rights in the system. Segregation of duties is a control principle that aims to prevent or detect errors, fraud, or abuse by ensuring that no single individual has the ability to perform incompatible or conflicting functions or activities within a system or process. A report of security rights in the system can provide a comprehensive and accurate overview of the roles, responsibilities, and access levels assigned to different users or groups in the system, and can help to identify any potential segregation of duties violations or risks. The other options are not as efficient as reviewing a report of security rights in the system, because they either rely on observation or testing rather than analysis, or they focus on existing rather than potential violations. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)1, Chapter 5, Section 5.2.2

Separate authorization for input of transactions. This control would have best prevented this type of fraud in a retail environment by ensuring that the warehouse employee who handles the inventory items does not have the authority to enter adjustments to the inventory system. This would create a segregation of duties that would reduce the risk of collusion and concealment of theft.

The other options are not as effective as option A in preventing this type of fraud. Option B, statistical sampling of adjustment transactions, is a detective control that may help identify fraudulent transactions after they have occurred, but it does not prevent them from happening in the first place. Option C, unscheduled audits of lost stock lines, is also a detective control that may reveal discrepancies between the physical and recorded inventory, but it does not address the root cause of the fraud. Option D, an edit check for the validity of the inventory transaction, is a preventive control that may help verify the accuracy and completeness of the transaction data, but it does not prevent unauthorized or fraudulent adjustments.

References:

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2019

ISACA, CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription

Different Types of Inventory Fraud and How to Prevent Them1

6 Ways to Prevent Inventory Fraud in Your Business2

The first task that an IS auditor should complete during the preliminary planning phase of a database security review is to determine which databases will be in scope. The scope defines the boundaries and objectives of the audit, as well as the resources, time, and budget required. The IS auditor should identify the databases that are relevant to the audit based on factors such as their criticality, risk, complexity, size, type, location, and ownership. The IS auditor should also consider the regulatory, contractual, and organizational requirements that apply to the databases. By defining the scope clearly and accurately, the IS auditor can ensure that the audit is focused, feasible, and effective. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)

CISA Questions, Answers & Explanations Database

When reviewing a data classification scheme, it is most important for an IS auditor to determine if the security criteria are clearly documented for each classification. This will help the IS auditor to evaluate if the data classification scheme is consistent, comprehensive, and aligned with the organizational objectives and regulatory requirements. The security criteria should define the level of confidentiality,integrity, and availability for each data classification, aswell as the corresponding controls such as access control, rights management, and cryptographic protection1. The other options are less important or incorrect because:

A. Each information asset is not necessarily assigned to a different classification. Data classification schemesusually have a limited number of categories, such as “Sensitive,” “Confidential,” and “Public,” and multiple information assets can belong to the same category2.

C. Senior IT managers are not necessarily identified as information owners. Information owners are typically the business units or functions that create, use, or maintain the information assets, and they may or may not be senior IT managers3.

D. The information owner is not required to approve access to the asset. The information owner is responsible for defining the access requirements and rules for the asset, but the actual approval of access requests may be delegated to other roles, such as data custodians or administrators3. References: Simplify and Contextualize Your Data Classification Efforts - ISACA, 3.7: Establish and Maintain a Data Classification Scheme, Data Classification and Practices - NIST, CISA Exam Content Outline |CISA Certification | ISACA

The necessary condition for effective risk management in IT governance is that risk evaluation is embedded in management processes. Risk evaluation is the process of comparing the results of risk analysis with risk criteria to determine whether the risk and/or its magnitude is acceptable or tolerable. Risk evaluation should be integrated into the management processes of planning, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing the IT activities and resources. This will ensure that risk management is aligned with the business objectives, strategies, and values, and that risk responses are timely, appropriate, and effective. References:

CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)

CISA Questions, Answers & ExplanationsDatabase

The greatest concern that the IS auditor should have when reviewing an organization’s security information and event management (SIEM) solution is that the SIEM is decentralized. This is because a decentralized SIEM can pose challenges for collecting, correlating, analyzing and reporting on security events and incidents from multiple sources and locations. A decentralized SIEM can also increase the complexity and cost of maintaining and updating the SIEM components, as well as the risk of inconsistent or incomplete security monitoring and response. The IS auditor should recommend that the organization adopts a centralized or hybrid SIEM architecture that can provide a holistic and integrated view of the security posture and activities across the organization. The other findings are not as concerning as a decentralized SIEM, because they can be addressedby implementing best practices and standards for SIEM reporting and configuration. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)1, Chapter 5, Section 5.2.4

The finding that should be ranked as the highest risk is that network penetration tests are not performed. Network penetration tests are simulated cyberattacks that aim to identify and exploit the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the network security controls, such as firewalls, routers, switches, servers, and devices. Network penetration tests are essential for assessing the effectiveness and resilience of the network security posture, and for providing recommendations for improvement and remediation. If network penetration tests are not performed, the organization may not be aware of the existing or potential threats and risks to its network, and may not be able to prevent or respond to real cyberattacks, which can result in data breaches, service disruptions, financial losses, reputational damage, and legal or regulatory penalties. The other findings are also important, butnot as risky as the lack of network penetration tests, because they either do not directly affect the networksecurity controls, or they can be addressed by documentation or approval processes. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)1, Chapter 5, Section 5.2.4

The greatest concern for an IS auditor reviewing a network printer disposal process is that evidence is not available to verify printer hard drives have been sanitized prior to disposal. This can expose sensitive data to unauthorized parties and cause data breaches. Disposal policies and procedures not being consistently implemented or business units being allowed to dispose printers directly to vendors are compliance issues, but not as critical as data protection. Inoperable printers being stored in an unsecured area is a physical security issue, but not as severe as data leakage. References: ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2018, page 387

The primary role of a control self-assessment (CSA) facilitator is to focus the team on internal controls. A CSA facilitator is a person who guides the CSA process and helps the participants to identify, assess, and improve their internal controls. The facilitator does not conduct interviews, report on weaknesses, or provide solutions, as these are the responsibilities of the participants themselves1.

The other options are incorrect because they are not the primary role of a CSA facilitator. Option A, conduct interviews to gain background information, is a preliminary step that may be done by the facilitator or the participants before the CSA session, but it is not the main purpose of the facilitator. Option C, report on the internal control weaknesses, is an outcome of the CSA process that should be done by the participants who own and operate the controls. Option D, provide solutions for control weaknesses, is also an outcome of the CSA process that should be done by the participants who are in charge of implementing the improvements.

References:

ISACA, CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, 2019, page 2822

ISACA, CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription, QID 1066693

PwC, Control Self Assessments4

Workiva, 4factors of an effective control self-assessment (CSA) program5

The most helpful tool in matching demand for projects and services with available resources in a way that supports business objectives is portfolio management. Portfolio management is the process of selecting, prioritizing, balancing and aligning IT projects and services with the strategic goals and value proposition of the organization3. Portfolio management helps the IT organization to allocate resources efficiently and effectively, to deliver value to the business units, and to align IT initiatives with business strategies. Project management, risk assessment results and IT governance framework are also important tools, but they are not as helpful as portfolio management in matching demand and supply of IT projects and services. References:

CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 721

CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription

The best way to ensure that business continuity plans (BCPs) will work effectively in the event of a major disaster is to involve staff at all levels in periodic paper walk-through exercises. This means that the BCPs are tested and validated by the people who will execute them in a real situation, and any gaps, errors, or inconsistencies can be identified and corrected. Paper walk-through exercises are also a good way to raise awareness and train staff on their roles and responsibilities in a BCP scenario, as well as to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the recovery strategies1.

The other options are not the best ways to ensure that BCPs will work effectively, because they do not involve testing or validating the plans. Preparing detailed plans for each business function is important, but it does not guarantee that the plans are realistic, practical, or aligned with the overall business objectives and priorities2. Regularly updating business impact assessments is also essential, but it does not ensure that the BCPs are aligned with the current business environment and risks2. Making senior managers responsible for their plan sections is a good way to assign accountability and authority, but it does not ensure that the plansections are coordinated and integrated with each other2. References:

Best Practice Guide: Business Continuity Planning (BCP)3

Best Practices for Creating a Business Continuity Plan1

Business Continuity Plan Best Practices

An appropriate role of internal audit in helping to establish an organization’s privacy program is analyzing risks posed by new regulations. A privacy program is a set of policies, procedures, and controls that aim to protect the personal data of individuals from unauthorized or unlawful collection, use, disclosure, or disposal. A privacy program should comply with the applicable laws and regulations that govern the privacy rights and obligations of individuals and organizations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). New regulations may introduce new requirements or changes that affect the organization’s privacy program and expose it to potential compliance risks or penalties. Therefore, internal audit can help to establish an organization’s privacy program by analyzing the risks posed by new regulations and providingassurance, advice, or recommendations on how to address them1. The other options are less appropriate or incorrect because:

B. Developing procedures to monitor the use of personal data is not an appropriate role of internal audit in helping to establish an organization’s privacy program, as it is more of a management or operational role. Internal audit should not be involved in designing or implementing the organization’s privacy program, as it would compromise its independence and objectivity. Internal audit should provide assurance on the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization’s privacy program, but not create or execute it2.

C. Defining roles within the organization related to privacy is not an appropriate role of internal audit in helping to establish an organization’s privacy program, as it is more of a governance or strategic role. Internal audit should not be involved in setting or approving the organization’s privacy strategy, objectives, or policies, as it would compromise its independence and objectivity. Internal audit should provide assurance on the alignment and compliance ofthe organization’s privacy program with its strategy, objectives, and policies, but not define or approve them2.

D. Designing controls to protect personal data is not an appropriate role of internal audit in helping to establish an organization’s privacy program, as it is more of a management or operational role. Internal audit should not be involved in designing or implementing the organization’s privacy program, as it would compromise its independence and objectivity. Internal audit should provide assurance on the adequacy and effectiveness of the organization’s privacy program, but not design or implement it2. References: ISACA Introduces New Audit Programs for Business Continuity/Disaster …, Best Practices for Privacy Audits - ISACA, ISACA Produces New Audit and Assurance Programs for Data Privacy and …

The most useful metric for management to consider when reviewing a project portfolio is the net present value (NPV) of the portfolio. NPV is a measure of the profitability and value of a project or a portfolio of projects, taking into account the time value of money and the expected cash flows. NPV compares the present value of the future cash inflows with the present value of the initial investment and shows how much value is created or lost by undertaking a project or a portfolio of projects1. A positive NPV indicates that the project or portfolio is worth more than its cost and will generate a positive return on investment. A negative NPV indicates that the project or portfolio is worth less than its cost and will result in a loss. Therefore, NPV helps management to prioritize andselect the most profitable and valuable projects or portfolios that align with the organizational strategy and objectives2. The other options are less useful or incorrect because:

A. Cost of projects divided by total IT cost is not a useful metric for reviewing a project portfolio, as it does not reflect the benefits, value, or return of the projects. It only shows the proportion of IT budget allocated to the projects, which may not be indicative oftheir strategic importance or alignment3.

B. Expected return divided by total project cost is not a useful metric for reviewing a project portfolio, as it does not account for the time value of money and the timing of cash flows. It only shows the average return per unit of cost, which may not be comparable across different projects or portfolios with differentdurations, risks, and cash flow patterns4.

D. Total cost of each project is not a useful metric for reviewing a project portfolio, as it does not reflect the benefits, value, or return of the projects. It only shows theinitial investment required for eachproject, which may not be indicative of their profitability or viability5. References: Portfolio, Program and Project Management Using COBIT 5 - ISACA, Project PortfolioManagement - ISACA, CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Standards, Guidelines, Tools and Techniques

The best recommendation for an IS auditor when finding that a third-party IT service provider hosts the organization’s HR system in a foreign country is to conduct a privacy impact analysis. A privacy impact analysis is a systematic process that identifies and evaluates the potential risks and impacts of collecting, using, disclosing, and storing personal information. A privacy impact analysis will help the IS auditor to assess the legal, regulatory, contractual, and ethical obligations of the organization and the service provider regarding the protection of personal information. A privacy impact analysis will also help to identify and mitigate any privacy risks and gaps in the service level agreement. References:

CISA Certification | CertifiedInformation Systems Auditor | ISACA

CISA Questions, Answers & Explanations Database

 The greatest concern for an IS auditor when a post-implementation review was conducted by issuing a survey to users is that the survey questions did not address the scope of the business case. A post-implementation review is a process of evaluating the outcomes and benefits of a project after it has been completed and implemented. A post-implementation review can help to assess whether the project met its objectives, delivered its expected value, and satisfied its stakeholders1. A survey is a method of collecting feedback and opinions from users or other stakeholders about their experience and satisfaction with the project. Asurvey can help to measure the user acceptance, usability, and functionality of the project deliverables2. A business case is a document that justifies the need for a project based on its expected benefits, costs, risks, and alternatives. A business case defines the scope,objectives, and requirements of the project and provides a basis for its approval and initiation3. Therefore, an IS auditor should be concerned if the survey questions did not address the scope of the business case, as it may indicate that the post-implementation review was not comprehensive, relevant, or aligned with the project goals. The other options are less concerning or incorrect because:

A. The survey results were not presented in detail to management is not a great concern for an IS auditor when a post-implementation review was conducted by issuing a survey to users, as it is more of a communication or reporting issue than an audit issue. While presenting the survey results in detail to management may help to inform them about the project performance and outcomes, it does not affect the validity or quality of the post-implementation review itself.

C. The survey form template did not allow additional feedback to be provided is not a great concern for an IS auditor when a post-implementation review was conducted by issuing a survey to users, as it is more of a design or format issue than an audit issue. While allowing additional feedback to be provided may help to capture more insights or suggestions from users, it does not affect the validity or quality of the post-implementation review itself.

D. The survey was issued to employees a month after implementation is not a great concern for an IS auditor when a post-implementation review was conducted by issuing a survey to users, as it is more of a timing or scheduling issue than an audit issue. While issuing the survey to employees sooner after implementation may help to collect more accurate and timely feedback from users, it does not affect the validity or quality of the post-implementation reviewitself. References: Post ImplementationReview - ISACA, Survey - ISACA, Business Case - ISACA

The major concern with the situation where security incidents are resolved and closed, but root causes are not investigated, is that vulnerabilities have not been properly addressed. Vulnerabilities are weaknesses or gaps in the security posture of an organization that can be exploited by threat actors to compromise its systems, data, or operations. If root causes are not investigated, vulnerabilities may remain undetected or unresolved, allowing attackers to exploit them again or use them asentry points for further attacks. This can result in repeated or escalated security incidents that can cause more damage or disruption to the organization.

The other options are not as major as the concern about vulnerabilities, but rather secondary or related issues that may arise from the lack of root cause analysis. Abuses by employees have not been reported is a concern that may indicate a lack of awareness, accountability, or monitoring of insider threats. Lessons learned have not been properly documented is a concern that may indicate a lack of improvement, learning, or feedback from security incidents. Security incident policies are out of date is a concern that may indicate a lack of alignment, review, or update of security incident processes.

References:

ISACA CISA Review Manual 27th Edition (2019), page 254

Why Root Cause Analysis is Crucial to Incident Response (IR) - Avertium3

Root Cause Analysis Steps and How it Helps Incident Response …