Isaca Certified Information Security Manager CISM Exam Questions

Answer : A

During due diligence, performing a risk assessment is critical to understanding the potential impact of integrating the new organization into the acquiring company. This includes evaluating inherited risks, compliance gaps, and technical vulnerabilities.

''As part of due diligence during mergers and acquisitions, it is crucial to assess risks associated with the target organization to ensure proper integration and continuity.''

--- CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2: Risk Management, Section: Due Diligence

ISACA's CISM practice database reinforces that identifying and quantifying risks early helps ensure appropriate controls are in place before the integration, making risk assessment the most critical activity.

Answer : D

The best course of action for an information security manager when a threat intelligence report indicates a large number of ransomware attacks targeting the industry is to assess the risk to the organization. This means evaluating the likelihood and impact of a potential ransomware attack on the organization's assets, operations, and reputation, based on the current threat landscape, the organization's security posture, and the effectiveness of the existing security controls. A risk assessment can help the information security manager prioritize the most critical assets and processes, identify the gaps and weaknesses in the security architecture, and determine the appropriate risk response strategies, such as avoidance, mitigation, transfer, or acceptance. A risk assessment can also provide a business case for requesting additional resources or support from senior management to improve the organization's security resilience and readiness. The other options are not the best course of action because they are either too reactive or too narrow in scope. Increasing the frequency of system backups (A) is a good practice to ensure data availability and recovery in case of a ransomware attack, but it does not address the prevention or detection of the attack, nor does it consider the potential data breach or extortion that may accompany the attack. Reviewing the mitigating security controls (B) is a part of the risk assessment process, but it is not sufficient by itself. The information security manager should also consider the threat sources, the vulnerabilities, the impact, and the risk appetite of the organization. Notifying staff members of the threat is a useful awareness and education measure, but it should be done after the risk assessment and in conjunction with other security policies and procedures. Staff members should be informed of the potential risks, the indicators of compromise, the reporting mechanisms, and the best practices to avoid or respond to a ransomware attack.Reference=CISM Review Manual 2022, pages 77-78, 81-82, 316;CISM Item Development Guide 2022, page 9;#StopRansomware Guide | CISA; [The Human Consequences of Ransomware Attacks - ISACA]; [Ransomware Response, Safeguards and Countermeasures - ISACA]

Answer : D

The organizational risk register is the most useful for an information security manager when determining the need to escalate an incident to senior management because it contains a list of identified risks to the organization, their likelihood and impact, and their predefined risk thresholds or targets, which can help the information security manager assess the severity and urgency of the incident and decide whether it requires senior management's attention or action. Incident management procedures are not very useful for this purpose because they do not provide any specific criteria or guidance on when to escalate an incident to senior management. Incident management policy is not very useful for this purpose because it does not provide any specific criteria or guidance on when to escalate an incident to senior management. System risk assessment is not very useful for this purpose because it does not reflect the current risk exposure or status of the organization as a whole. Reference: https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2016/volume-6/how-to-measure-the-effectiveness-of-information-security-using-iso-27004 https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2017/volume-5/incident-response-lessons-learned

Answer : C

Automated enforcement of password syntax rules is the best method to ensure compliance with password standards. Password syntax rules define the minimum and maximum length, character types, and construction of passwords. By enforcing these rules automatically, the system can prevent users from creating or using weak or insecure passwords that do not meet the standards. According to NIST, password syntax rules should allow at least 8 characters and up to 64 characters, accept all printable ASCII characters and Unicode characters, and encourage the use of long passphrases1. The other options are not methods to ensure compliance with password standards, but rather methods to verify or improve password security. Implementing password-synchronization software can help users manage multiple passwords across different systems, but it does not ensure that the passwords comply with the standards2. Using password-cracking software can help test the strength of passwords and identify weak or compromised ones, but it does not ensure that users follow the standards3. A user-awareness program can help educate users about the importance of password security and the best practices for creating and using passwords, but it does not ensure that users comply with the standards. Reference: 1: NIST Password Guidelines and Best Practices for 2020 - Auth0 2: Password synchronization - Wikipedia 3:

Answer : A

The Recovery Time Objective (RTO) specifies the maximum acceptable downtime before operations must resume. A 30-minute requirement directly defines the RTO for those systems.

''RTO defines the duration within which systems must be restored following an outage to prevent unacceptable business impact.''

--- CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 3: Business Continuity Planning, Section: Continuity Metrics*

Answer : D

Standards are detailed statements of the minimum requirements for hardware, software, or security configurations. They are used to define the minimum security controls required for user workstations.Reference= CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 69.

Answer : B

Frequent system backups (B) are the most effective means of recovery from ransomware or malware attacks. CISM emphasizes resilience and recoverability as critical aspects of incident management. While incident response plans (A), antivirus updates (C), and awareness training (D) help prevent or manage incidents, they do not guarantee restoration of data or systems. Reliable, tested backups allow organizations to restore operations without paying ransoms or suffering permanent data loss.