PECB ISO-IEC-27005-Risk-Manager Exam Questions Instant Access

Question 1

Scenario 7: Adstry is a business growth agency that specializes in digital marketing strategies. Adstry helps organizations redefine the relationships with their customers through innovative solutions. Adstry is headquartered in San Francisco and recently opened two new offices in New York. The structure of the company is organized into teams which are led by project managers. The project manager has the full power in any decision related to projects. The team members, on the other hand, report the project's progress to project managers.

Considering that data breaches and ad fraud are common threats in the current business environment, managing risks is essential for Adstry. When planning new projects, each project manager is responsible for ensuring that risks related to a particular project have been identified, assessed, and mitigated. This means that project managers have also the role of the risk manager in Adstry. Taking into account that Adstry heavily relies on technology to complete their projects, their risk assessment certainly involves identification of risks associated with the use of information technology. At the earliest stages of each project, the project manager communicates the risk assessment results to its team members.

Adstry uses a risk management software which helps the project team to detect new potential risks during each phase of the project. This way, team members are informed in a timely manner for the new potential risks and are able to respond to them accordingly. The project managers are responsible for ensuring that the information provided to the team members is communicated using an appropriate language so it can be understood by all of them.

In addition, the project manager may include external interested parties affected by the project in the risk communication. If the project manager decides to include interested parties, the risk communication is thoroughly prepared. The project manager firstly identifies the interested parties that should be informed and takes into account their concerns and possible conflicts that may arise due to risk communication. The risks are communicated to the identified interested parties while taking into consideration the confidentiality of Adstry's information and determining the level of detail that should be included in the risk communication. The project managers use the same risk management software for risk communication with external interested parties since it provides a consistent view of risks. For each project, the project manager arranges regular meetings with relevant interested parties of the project, they discuss the detected risks, their prioritization, and determine appropriate treatment solutions. The information taken from the risk management software and the results of these meetings are documented and are used for decision-making processes. In addition, the company uses a computerized documented information management system for the acquisition, classification, storage, and archiving of its documents.

Based on scenario 7, Adstry's project managers hold regular meetings with interested parties to discuss risks and risk treatment solutions. According to the guidelines of ISO/IEC 27005, is this in compliance with best practices?

AYes, the coordination between project managers and relevant interested parties can be achieved by discussions upon risks and appropriate treatment solutions

BYes, risks can be communicated to and discussed with relevant interested parties only if the project manager decides that it is appropriate to do so

CNo, risk owners should not communicate or discuss risk treatment options with external interested parties

Answer : A

According to ISO/IEC 27005, effective risk management includes communication and consultation with relevant interested parties. Holding regular meetings to discuss risks, their prioritization, and appropriate treatment solutions is a good practice for ensuring that all parties are aware of the risks and involved in the decision-making process for risk treatment. This approach fosters coordination and collaboration, which is essential for managing risks effectively. Therefore, the practice of discussing risks and treatment options with relevant interested parties aligns with best practices, making option A the correct answer.

ISO/IEC 27005:2018, Clause 7, 'Communication and Consultation,' which emphasizes the importance of communicating risks and consulting with relevant interested parties.

Question 2

An organization decided to use nonnumerical categories, i.e., low, medium, and high for describing consequence and probability. Which risk analysis methodology is the organization using?

AQuantitative

BSemi-quantitative

CQualitative

Answer : C

A qualitative risk analysis method uses nonnumerical categories such as low, medium, and high to describe the consequences and probability of risks. This method involves subjective judgment based on expertise, experience, and intuition rather than mathematical calculations. Qualitative methods are often used when it is challenging to obtain accurate numerical data, and they provide a general understanding of risks to prioritize them for further action. Option C is correct because the use of nonnumerical categories aligns with the qualitative risk analysis methodology. Option A (Quantitative) is incorrect as it involves numerical values and statistical methods, while Option B (Semi-quantitative) is a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, usually involving ranges of numerical values.

Question 3

Scenario 8: Biotide is a pharmaceutical company that produces medication for treating different kinds of diseases. The company was founded in 1997, and since then it has contributed in solving some of the most challenging healthcare issues.

As a pharmaceutical company, Biotide operates in an environment associated with complex risks. As such, the company focuses on risk management strategies that ensure the effective management of risks to develop high-quality medication. With the large amount of sensitive information generated from the company, managing information security risks is certainly an important part of the overall risk management process. Biotide utilizes a publicly available methodology for conducting risk assessment related to information assets. This methodology helps Biotide to perform risk assessment by taking into account its objectives and mission. Following this method, the risk management process is organized into four activity areas, each of them involving a set of activities, as provided below.

1. Activity area 1: The organization determines the criteria against which the effects of a risk occurring can be evaluated. In addition, the impacts of risks are also defined.

2. Activity area 2: The purpose of the second activity area is to create information asset profiles. The organization identifies critical information assets, their owners, as well as the security requirements for those assets. After determining the security requirements, the organization prioritizes them. In addition, the organization identifies the systems that store, transmit, or process information.

3. Activity area 3: The organization identifies the areas of concern which initiates the risk identification process. In addition, the organization analyzes and determines the probability of the occurrence of possible threat scenarios.

4. Activity area 4: The organization identifies and evaluates the risks. In addition, the criteria specified in activity area 1 is reviewed and the consequences of the areas of concerns are evaluated. Lastly, the level of identified risks is determined.

The table below provides an example of how Biotide assesses the risks related to its information assets following this methodology:

Based on scenario 8, how should Biotide use the criteria defined in the activity area 1?

ATo evaluate the potential impact of the risk on Biotide's objectives

BTo identify the assets on which information is stored

CTo determine the probability of threat scenarios

Answer : A

According to ISO/IEC 27005, which provides guidelines for information security risk management, the criteria defined in Activity Area 1 are used to establish the foundation for evaluating the effects of a risk event on an organization's objectives. This is the first step in the risk management process, where the organization must identify its risk evaluation criteria, including the impact levels and their corresponding definitions.

In the context of Biotide, Activity Area 1 involves determining the criteria against which the effects of a risk occurring can be evaluated and defining the impacts of those risks. This directly aligns with ISO/IEC 27005 guidance, where the purpose of setting criteria is to ensure that the potential impact of any risk on the organization's objectives, such as reputation, customer confidence, and legal implications, is comprehensively understood and appropriately managed.

Option A, 'To evaluate the potential impact of the risk on Biotide's objectives,' is correct because it accurately describes the purpose of defining such criteria: to provide a consistent basis for assessing how various risk scenarios might affect the organization's ability to meet its strategic and operational goals.

Options B and C, which focus on identifying assets or determining the probability of threats, are related to later stages in the risk management process (specifically, Activities 2 and 3), where information assets are profiled and potential threat scenarios are analyzed. Therefore, these do not correspond to the initial criteria definition purpose outlined in Activity Area 1.

Question 4

Which of the following risk assessment methods provides an information security risk assessment methodology and involves three phases build asset-based threat profiles, identify infrastructure vulnerabilities, and develop security strategy and plans?

AOCTAVE-S

BMEHARI

CTRA

Answer : A

OCTAVE-S (Operationally Critical Threat, Asset, and Vulnerability Evaluation for Small Organizations) is a risk assessment methodology tailored for small organizations. It provides a structured approach for identifying and managing information security risks. The OCTAVE-S method involves three main phases:

Building asset-based threat profiles, where critical assets and their associated threats are identified.

Identifying infrastructure vulnerabilities by assessing the organization's technological infrastructure for weaknesses that could be exploited by threats.

Developing security strategy and plans to address the identified risks and improve the overall security posture.

The OCTAVE-S method aligns with the description provided in the question, making it the correct answer. MEHARI and TRA are other risk assessment methods, but they do not specifically follow the three phases outlined above.

Question 5

What are opportunities?

AOccurrence or change of a particular set of circumstances

BCombination of circumstances expected to be favorable to objectives

COutcome of an event affecting objectives

Answer : B

Opportunities, according to ISO standards such as ISO 31000, are situations or conditions that have the potential to provide a favorable impact on achieving objectives. They represent circumstances that, when leveraged, can lead to beneficial outcomes for the organization, such as competitive advantage, growth, or improved performance. Option B is correct as it accurately describes opportunities as circumstances expected to be favorable to achieving objectives. Option A (Occurrence or change of a particular set of circumstances) is a more general definition that could apply to both risks and opportunities, while Option C (Outcome of an event affecting objectives) is more aligned with the concept of risk.

Question 6

According to ISO 31000, which of the following is a principle of risk management?

ADynamic

BQualitative

CReliability

Answer : A

According to ISO 31000, a principle of risk management is that it should be dynamic. This means that risk management practices should be flexible and able to adapt to changes in the internal and external environment of the organization. Risks are constantly evolving due to changes in technology, regulatory requirements, market conditions, and other factors, and risk management must be capable of responding to these changes. Option A is correct because it aligns with this principle. Option B (Qualitative) refers to a method for assessing risk rather than a principle of risk management, and Option C (Reliability) is not listed as a principle in ISO 31000.

Question 7

Scenario 4: In 2017, seeing that millions of people turned to online shopping, Ed and James Cordon founded the online marketplace for footwear called Poshoe. In the past, purchasing pre-owned designer shoes online was not a pleasant experience because of unattractive pictures and an inability to ascertain the products' authenticity. However, after Poshoe's establishment, each product was well advertised and certified as authentic before being offered to clients. This increased the customers' confidence and trust in Poshoe's products and services. Poshoe has approximately four million users and its mission is to dominate the second-hand sneaker market and become a multi-billion dollar company.

Due to the significant increase of daily online buyers, Poshoe's top management decided to adopt a big data analytics tool that could help the company effectively handle, store, and analyze dat

a. Before initiating the implementation process, they decided to conduct a risk assessment. Initially, the company identified its assets, threats, and vulnerabilities associated with its information systems. In terms of assets, the company identified the information that was vital to the achievement of the organization's mission and objectives. During this phase, the company also detected a rootkit in their software, through which an attacker could remotely access Poshoe's systems and acquire sensitive data.

The company discovered that the rootkit had been installed by an attacker who had gained administrator access. As a result, the attacker was able to obtain the customers' personal data after they purchased a product from Poshoe. Luckily, the company was able to execute some scans from the target device and gain greater visibility into their software's settings in order to identify the vulnerability of the system.

The company initially used the qualitative risk analysis technique to assess the consequences and the likelihood and to determine the level of risk. The company defined the likelihood of risk as ''a few times in two years with the probability of 1 to 3 times per year.'' Later, it was decided that they would use a quantitative risk analysis methodology since it would provide additional information on this major risk. Lastly, the top management decided to treat the risk immediately as it could expose the company to other issues. In addition, it was communicated to their employees that they should update, secure, and back up Poshoe's software in order to protect customers' personal information and prevent unauthorized access from attackers.

Based on scenario 4, which scanning tool did Poshoe use to detect the vulnerability in their software?

ANetwork-based scanning tool

BHost-based scanning tool

CPenetration testing tool

Answer : B

Poshoe used scans from the target device to gain greater visibility into their software's settings and identify vulnerabilities, which indicates the use of a host-based scanning tool. Host-based scanning tools are used to examine the internal state of a system, such as installed software, configurations, and files, to detect vulnerabilities or malicious software like rootkits. Option A (Network-based scanning tool) would be used to scan network traffic and identify vulnerabilities in network devices, which does not match the context. Option C (Penetration testing tool) involves simulating an attack to test system defenses, which is more intrusive than the scanning described in the scenario.

PECB Certified ISO/IEC 27005 Risk Manager ISO-IEC-27005-Risk-Manager Exam Questions