CISM ILT 4D PA SampleExamAnswersJustifications
CISM ILT 4D PA SampleExamAnswersJustifications
2. Which of the following is MOST likely to remain constant over time? An information security:
A. policy.
B. standard.
C. strategy.
D. procedure.
C is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Policies do not change as frequently as procedures and standards; however, security policies
do change to adjust to new regulations or laws, to respond to organizational changes, or to
address emerging technology trends. These changes do not typically require adjustments to the
information security strategy.
B. Standards change more frequently because they must often be adjusted to allow for changes
in technology and business processes.
C. Of the choices provided, the information security strategy is the least likely to change.
An information security strategy is a reflection of high-level objectives and the direction
of the security program, as dictated by business leadership. Information security
policies, standards and procedures are derived from the information security strategy.
D. Procedures change more frequently because they must often be adjusted to allow for
changes in technology and business processes.
4. When performing a business impact analysis, which of the following should calculate the
recovery time and cost estimates?
A. Business continuity coordinator
B. Information security manager
C. Business process owners
D. IT management
C is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. The business continuity coordinator will not be able to provide the correct level of detailed
knowledge.
B. The information security manager will not have the level of detailed knowledge needed.
C. Business process owners are in the best position to understand the true impact on the
business that a system outage would create.
D. IT management would not be able to provide the required level of detailed knowledge.
6. Which of the following choices should be assessed after the likelihood of a loss event has
been determined?
A. The magnitude of impact
B. Risk tolerance
C. The replacement cost of assets
D. The book value of assets
A is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Disaster recovery is driven by risk, which is a combination of likelihood and
consequences. Once likelihood has been determined, the next step is to determine the
magnitude of impact.
B. Risk tolerance is the acceptable deviation from acceptable risk. This is taken into account
once risk has been quantified, which is dependent on determining the magnitude of impact.
C. Replacement cost is needed only when replacement is required.
D. Book value does not represent actual asset value and cannot be used to measure magnitude
of impact.
8. Which of the following is the BEST method for ensuring that temporary employees do not
receive excessive access rights?
A. Mandatory access controls
B. Discretionary access controls
C. Lattice-based access controls
D. Role-based access controls
D is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Mandatory access controls require users to have a clearance at or above the level of asset
classification, but providing clearances for temporary employees is time-consuming and
expensive.
B. Discretionary access control allows delegation based on the individual but requires
administrative action to grant and remove access.
C. Lattice-based access control is a mandatory access model based on the interaction between
any combination of objects (such as resources, computers and applications) and subjects.
D. Role-based access controls will grant temporary employee access based on the job
function to be performed. This provides a better means of ensuring that the access is not
more or less than what is required, and removing access requires less effort.
10. To BEST improve the alignment of the information security objectives in an enterprise, the
chief information security officer should:
A. revise the information security program.
B. evaluate a business balanced scorecard.
C. conduct regular user awareness sessions.
D. perform penetration tests.
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Revising the information security program may be a solution, but it is not the best solution to
improve alignment of the information security objectives.
B. The business balanced scorecard (BSC) can track how effectively an enterprise
executes it information security strategy and determine areas of improvement.
C. User awareness is just one of the areas the enterprise must track through the business BSC.
D. Performing penetration tests does not affect alignment with information security objectives.
12. Management decided that the enterprise will not achieve compliance with a recently issued
set of regulations. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason for the decision?
A. The regulations are ambiguous and difficult to interpret.
B. Management has a low level of risk tolerance.
C. The cost of compliance exceeds the cost of possible sanctions.
D. The regulations are inconsistent with the organizational strategy.
C is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Management should address ambiguous regulations by requesting clarification from the
issuer or the legal department.
B. Management decisions on compliance should be based on a cost-benefit analysis.
C. Management may decide it is less expensive to deal with possible sanctions than to
attempt to comply.
D. The fact that the regulations are inconsistent with the organizational strategy is not a major
factor in deciding not to comply.
16. Which of the following should be determined FIRST when establishing a business continuity
program?
A. Cost to rebuild information processing facilities
B. Incremental daily cost of the unavailability of systems
C. Location and cost of offsite recovery facilities
D. Composition and mission of individual recovery teams
18. What is the BEST way to ensure that security settings on each platform are in compliance
with information security policies and procedures?
A. Perform penetration testing.
B. Establish security baselines.
C. Implement vendor default settings.
D. Link policies to an independent standard.
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Penetration testing will not be the most effective and can only be performed periodically.
B. Security baselines will provide the best assurance that each platform meets minimum
security criteria.
C. Vendor default settings will not necessarily meet the criteria set by the security policies.
D. Linking policies to an independent standard will not provide assurance that the platforms
meet the relevant security levels.
20. Addressing the root cause of an incident is one aspect of which of the following incident
management processes?
A. Eradication
B. Recovery
C. Lessons learned
D. Containment
A is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Determining the root cause of an incident and eliminating it are key activities that
occur as part of the eradication process.
B. Recovery focuses on restoring systems or services to conditions specified in service delivery
objectives (SDOs) or business continuity plans (BCPs).
C. Lessons learned are documented at the end of the incident response process, after the root
cause has been identified and remediated.
D. Containment focuses on preventing the spread of damage associated with an incident,
typically while the root cause either is still unknown or is known but cannot yet be remediated.
22. Which of the following is MOST important when collecting evidence for forensic analysis?
A. Ensure the assignment of qualified personnel.
B. Request the IT department do an image copy.
C. Disconnect from the network and isolate the affected devices.
D. Ensure law enforcement personnel are present before the forensic analysis commences.
A is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Without the initial assignment of forensic expertise, the required levels of evidence
may not be preserved properly.
B. The IT department is unlikely to have the necessary level of expertise and should, therefore,
be prevented from taking action.
C. Disconnecting from the network may be a prudent step prior to collecting evidence but does
not eliminate the requirement for properly qualified forensic personnel.
D. Notifying law enforcement will likely occur after the forensic analysis has been completed.
24. Which of the following has the highest priority when defining an emergency response plan?
A. Critical data
B. Critical infrastructure
C. Safety of personnel
D. Vital records
C is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Critical data are secondary to safety of personnel.
B. Critical infrastructure is secondary to safety of personnel.
C. The safety of an enterprise’s employees should be the most important consideration
given human safety laws. Human safety is considered first in any process or
management practice.
D. Vital records are secondary to safety of personnel.
26. Which of the following do security policies need to be MOST closely aligned with?
A. Industry good practices
B. Organizational needs
C. Generally accepted standards
D. Local laws and regulations
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Good practices are generally a substitute for a clear understanding of what exactly is needed
in a specific enterprise and may be too much or too little.
B. Policies must support the needs of the enterprise.
C. Generally accepted standards do not exist; they are always tailored to the requirements of
the enterprise.
D. Local law and regulation compliance may be identified in policies but would only be a small
part of overall policies that must support the needs of the enterprise.
30. An enterprise has verified that its customer information was recently exposed. Which of the
following is the FIRST step a security manager should take in this situation?
A. Inform senior management.
B. Determine the extent of the compromise.
C. Report the incident to the authorities.
D. Communicate with the affected customers.
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Before reporting to senior management, the extent of the exposure needs to be assessed.
B. Before reporting to senior management, affected customers or the authorities, the
extent of the exposure needs to be assessed.
C. Reporting the incident to authorities is a management decision and not up to the security
manager.
D. Communication with affected customers is a management task and is not the responsibility of
the security manager.
32. Which of the following steps should be FIRST in developing an information security plan?
A. Perform a technical vulnerabilities assessment.
B. Analyze the current business strategy.
C. Perform a business impact analysis.
D. Assess the current levels of security awareness.
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Technical vulnerabilities as a component of risk will be most relevant in the context of threats
to achieving the business objectives defined in the business strategy.
B. An information security manager needs to first gain an understanding of the current
business strategy and direction to understand the enterprise’s objectives and the impact
of the other answers on achieving those objectives.
C. A business impact analysis should be performed prior to developing a business continuity
plan, but this would not be an appropriate first step in developing an information security plan
because it focuses on impact due to non-availability, which is also primarily relevant in terms of
the business objectives that are the basis of the strategy.
D. Assessment of the current level of awareness is not the appropriate first step in developing
an information security plan because awareness is a component of the plan itself.
34. What mechanism should be used to identify deficiencies that would provide attackers with
an opportunity to compromise a computer system?
A. Business impact analysis
B. Security gap analysis
C. System performance metrics
D. Incident response processes
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. A business impact analysis does not identify vulnerabilities.
B. Security gap analysis is a process that measures all security controls in place against
control objectives, which will identify gaps.
C. System performance metrics may indicate security weaknesses, but that is not their primary
purpose.
D. Incident response processes exist for cases in which security weaknesses are exploited.
36. Which of the following provides the BEST confirmation that the business continuity
plan/disaster recovery plan (BCP/DRP) objectives have been achieved?
A. The recovery time objective was not exceeded during testing.
B. Objective testing of the BCP/DRP has been carried out consistently.
C. The recovery point objective was proved inadequate by DRP testing.
D. Information assets have been valued and assigned to owners according to the BCP/DRP.
A is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Consistent achievement of recovery time objectives during testing provides the most
objective evidence that business continuity plan/disaster recovery plan (BCP/DRP)
objectives have been achieved.
B. Objective testing of the BCP/DRP will not serve as a basis for evaluating the alignment of the
risk management process in business continuity/disaster recovery planning.
C. If the recovery point objective is inadequate, the objectives of BCPs have not been achieved.
D. Mere valuation and assignment of information assets to owners (according to the BCP/DRP)
will not serve as a basis for evaluating the alignment of the risk management process in
business continuity/disaster recovery planning.
38. Which of the following would BEST prepare an information security manager for regulatory
reviews?
A. Assign an information security administrator as regulatory liaison.
B. Perform self-assessments using regulatory guidelines and reports.
C. Assess previous regulatory reports with process owner’s input.
D. Ensure all regulatory inquiries are sanctioned by the legal department.
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Directing regulators to a specific person or department is not a method for being prepared for
a regulatory review as this will only serve as an action for facilitation of the review.
B. Self-assessments provide the best feedback on level of compliance or readiness and
permit identification of items requiring remediation.
C. Assessing previous regulatory reports is not as effective as performing self-assessments
because conditions may have changed.
D. The legal department should review all formal inquiries, but that would not help prepare for a
regulatory review.
40. Which of the following techniques MOST clearly indicates whether specific risk-reduction
controls should be implemented?
A. Cost-benefit analysis
B. Penetration testing
C. Frequent risk assessment programs
D. Annual loss expectancy calculation
A is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. In a cost-benefit analysis, the annual cost of safeguards is compared with the
expected cost of loss. This comparison can then be used to justify a specific control
measure.
B. Penetration testing may indicate the extent of a weakness but, by itself, will not establish the
cost-benefit of a control.
C. Frequent risk assessment programs will certainly establish what risk exists but will not
determine the cost of controls.
D. Annual loss expectancy is a measure that will contribute to the potential cost associated with
the risk but does not address the benefit of a control.
42. Which of the following choices is the BEST indicator of the state of information security
governance?
A. A defined maturity level
B. A developed security strategy
C. Complete policies and standards
D. Low numbers of incidents
A is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. A defined maturity level is the best overall indicator of the state of information security
governance. The maturity level indicates how mature a process is on a scale from 0
(incomplete process) to 5 (optimized process).
B. A developed security strategy is an important first step, but it must be implemented properly
to be effective; by itself, it is not an indication of the state of information security governance.
C. Complete policies and standards are required for effective governance but are only one part
of the requirement. By themselves, they are not an indicator of the effectiveness of information
security governance.
D. The number of incidents is relatively unconnected to the effectiveness of information security
governance. Trends in incidents would be a better indicator.
44. The MOST useful way to describe the objectives in the information security strategy is
through:
A. attributes and characteristics of the desired state.
B. overall control objectives of the security program.
C. mapping the IT systems to key business processes.
D. calculation of annual loss expectations.
A is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. The security strategy will typically cover a wide variety of issues, processes,
technologies and outcomes that can best be described by a set of desired characteristics
and attributes.
B. Control objectives are a function of acceptable risk determination and one part of strategy
development, but the desired state of the information security function is a better tool.
45. Quantifying the level of acceptable risk can BEST be indicated by which of the following
choices?
A. Surveying business process owners and senior managers
B. Determining the percentage of the IT budget allocated to security
C. Determining the ratio of business interruption insurance to its cost
D. Determining the number and severity of incidents impacting the enterprise
C is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Surveying management typically provides a widely varying perspective on acceptable risk.
B. The amount spent on security is an indicator but does not quantify acceptable levels of risk.
C. The amount of business interruption insurance carried and the cost specifies a
directly quantifiable level of risk that the enterprise will accept, and at what cost.
D. The history of incidents will show what risk was not addressed and elicit comments about
acceptability but will not indicate what the enterprise is willing to spend on mitigation.
50. Which of the following will MOST likely reduce the chances of an unauthorized individual
gaining access to computing resources by pretending to be an authorized individual needing to
have their password reset?
A. Performing reviews of password resets
B. Conducting security awareness programs
C. Increasing the frequency of password changes
D. Implementing automatic password syntax checking
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Performing reviews of password resets may be desirable but will not be effective in reducing
the likelihood of a social engineering attack.
B. Social engineering can be mitigated best through periodic security awareness training
for staff members who may be the target of such an attempt.
C. Changing the frequency of password changes may be desirable but will not reduce the
likelihood of a social engineering attack.
D. Strengthening passwords is desirable but will not reduce the likelihood of a social
engineering attack.
52. When outsourcing, to ensure that third-party service providers comply with an enterprise
security policy, which of the following should occur?
A. A predefined meeting schedule
B. A periodic security audit
C. Inclusion in the contract of a list of individuals to be called in the event of an incident (call
tree)
D. Inclusion in the contract of a confidentiality clause
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. A predefined meeting schedule is a contributor to, but does not ensure, compliance.
B. A periodic security audit is a formal and documented way to determine compliance
level.
C. A call tree is useful for dealing with incidents but does nothing to ensure compliance.
D. Inclusion of a confidentiality clause does not ensure compliance.
54. The BEST process for assessing an existing risk level is:
A. an impact analysis.
B. a security review.
C. a vulnerability assessment.
D. a threat analysis.
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. An impact analysis is used to determine potential impact in the event of the loss of a
resource.
B. A security review is used to determine the current state of security for various
program components.
C. While vulnerability assessments help identify and classify weakness in the design,
implementation, operation or internal control of a process, they are only one aspect of a security
review.
D. A threat analysis is not normally a part of a security review. Threat assessments evaluate the
type, scope and nature of events or actions that can result in adverse consequences;
identification is made of the threats that exist against enterprise assets.
56. Which of the following poses the GREATEST challenge to an enterprise seeking to prioritize
risk management activities?
A. An incomplete catalog of information assets
B. A threat assessment that is not comprehensive
C. A vulnerability assessment that is outdated
D. An inaccurate valuation of information assets
D is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Enterprises are only able to prioritize items they know to exist. An incomplete catalog of
information assets introduces the possibility that prioritization is overlooking assets that may
have substantial value, unintentionally resulting in the implicit acceptance of risk that may
exceed the risk appetite and tolerance. However, inaccurate valuation of known assets has a
greater negative impact on prioritization than the possibility of certain high-value assets not
being properly taken into account.
B. Evaluating the threat environment is the most challenging aspect of risk assessment, and it is
nearly always the case that a threat assessment excludes one or more threats. As a result, any
prioritization effort must assume that the threat assessment is not comprehensive.
C. It is common for a vulnerability assessment to be outdated at the start of each cycle of a risk
management program prior to the start of risk management activities, but the influence of
outdated vulnerability information is less a concern than inaccurate valuation of assets.
D. Although prioritization on the basis of risk requires knowledge of threat, vulnerability
and potential consequence, it is this last factor expressed in terms of value that is most
57. Which of the following is the MOST serious exposure of automatically updating virus
signature files on every desktop each Friday at 11:00 p.m. (2300 hours)?
A. Most new viruses’ signatures are identified over weekends.
B. Technical personnel are not available to support the operation.
C. Systems are vulnerable to new viruses during the intervening week.
D. The update’s success or failure is not known until Monday.
C is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. The fact that most new viruses’ signatures are identified over weekends is secondary to
leaving systems vulnerable during the intervening week.
B. The fact that technical personnel are not available is secondary to leaving systems
vulnerable during the intervening week.
C. Updating virus signature files on a weekly basis carries the risk that the systems will
be vulnerable to viruses released during the week; far more frequent updating is
essential.
D. The fact that success or failure is not known until Monday is secondary to leaving systems
vulnerable during the intervening week.
58. The factor that is MOST likely to result in identification of security incidents is:
A. effective communication and reporting processes.
B. clear policies detailing incident severity levels.
C. intrusion detection system capabilities.
D. security awareness training.
D is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Timely communication and reporting is only useful after identification of an incident has
occurred.
B. Understanding how to establish severity levels is important, but it is not the essential element
for ensuring that the information security manager is aware of anomalous events that might
signal an incident.
C. Intrusion detection systems are useful for detecting IT-related incidents but are not useful for
identifying other types of incidents such as social engineering or physical intrusion.
D. Ensuring that employees have the knowledge to recognize and report a suspected
incident is most likely to result in identification of security incidents.
60. What is the BEST way to determine if an anomaly-based intrusion detection system (IDS) is
properly installed?
A. Simulate an attack and review IDS performance.
B. Use a honeypot to check for unusual activity.
C. Audit the configuration of the IDS.
D. Benchmark the IDS against a peer site.
A is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Simulating an attack on the network demonstrates whether the intrusion detection
system (IDS) is properly tuned.
B. A honeypot would be a poor test to see if the IDS is working properly because attacking it is
discretionary and not representative of all attacks.
C. Reviewing the configuration may or may not reveal weaknesses because an anomaly-based
system uses trends to identify potential attacks.
D. Benchmarking against a peer site would generally not be practical or useful.
64. From an information security perspective, which of the following will have the GREATEST
impact on a financial enterprise with offices in various countries and involved in transborder
transactions?
A. Current and future technologies
B. Evolving data protection regulations
C. Economizing the costs of network bandwidth
D. Economizing the costs of network bandwidth would be considered as part of business costs;
however, this is not a relevant consideration for information security.
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Current and future technologies would be considered but will not generally be affected by
operational regions or countries.
B. Information security laws vary from country to country. An enterprise must be aware
of and comply with the applicable laws from each country, as noncompliance may have a
great impact on local operations.
C. Economizing the costs of network bandwidth is a part of business costs; however, this is not
a relevant consideration for information security.
D. Centralization of information security is a business decision and is not a significant factor in
multinational operations to impact security operations.
66. The MOST effective way to limit actual and potential impacts of e-discovery in the event of
litigation is to:
A. implement strong encryption of all sensitive documentation.
B. ensure segregation of duties and limited access to sensitive data.
C. enforce a policy of not writing or storing potentially sensitive information.
D. develop and enforce comprehensive retention policies.
D is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Encryption will not prevent the legal requirements to produce documents in the event of legal
conflicts.
B. Limiting access to sensitive information based on the need to know may limit which
personnel can testify during legal proceedings but will not limit the requirement to produce
existing documents.
C. While some enterprises have practiced a policy of not committing to writing issues of dubious
legality, it is not a sound practice and may violate a variety of laws.
D. Compliance with legally acceptable defined retention policies will limit exposure to the
often difficult and costly demands for documentation during legal proceedings such as
lawsuits.
68. Which of the following choices is the BEST input for the definition of escalation guidelines?
A. Risk management issues
B. A risk and impact analysis
C. Assurance review reports
D. The effectiveness of resources
B is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Risk management deals primarily with controls and is not a viable basis for the definition of
escalation guidelines.
B. A risk and impact analysis will be a basis for determining what authority levels are
needed to respond to particular incidents.
C. Assurance review reports and results, such as the description of reporting effectiveness, are
primarily suited for the monitoring of stakeholder communications.
D. The effectiveness of resources belongs to the description of reporting and communication
and is not a viable basis for the definition of escalation guidelines.
70. Information security managers should use risk assessment techniques to:
A. justify selection of risk mitigation strategies.
B. maximize the return on investment.
C. provide documentation for auditors and regulators.
D. quantify risk that would otherwise be subjective.
A is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Information security managers should use risk assessment techniques as one of the
main bases to justify and implement a risk mitigation strategy as efficiently as possible.
B. Risk assessment is only one part of determining return on investment.
C. Providing documentation for auditors and regulators is a secondary aspect of using risk
assessment techniques.
D. If assessed risk is subjective, risk assessment techniques will not meaningfully quantify them.
72. When a large enterprise discovers that it is the subject of a network probe, which of the
following actions should be taken?
A. Reboot the router connecting the demilitarized zone (DMZ) to the firewall.
B. Power down all servers located on the DMZ segment.
C. Monitor the probe and isolate the affected segment.
D. Enable server trace logging on the affected segment.
C is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. Rebooting the router is not warranted.
B. Powering down the demilitarized zone servers is not warranted.
C. In the case of a probe, the situation should be monitored and the affected network
segment isolated.
D. Enabling server trace routing is not warranted.
74. An enterprise’s board of directors is concerned about recent fraud attempts that originated
over the Internet. What action should the board take to address this concern?
A. Direct information security operations regarding specific solutions that are needed to address
the risk.
B. Research solutions to determine appropriate actions for the enterprise.
C. Take no action; information security does not report to the board.
D. Direct executive management to assess the risk and to report the results to the board.
D is the correct answer.
Justification:
A. The board does not direct security operations, which are delegated to executive
management.
B. The board would not research solutions but might direct executive management to do so.
C. Taking no action would not be a responsible course of action.
D. The board would typically direct executive management to assess the risk and report
results to enable informed decision-making.