Isaca CISA Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

Isaca CISA Online Questions & Answers

• Question 1441:

  An IS auditor is involved in the user testing phase of a development project. The developers wish to use a copy of a peak volume transaction file from the production process to show that the development can cope with the required volume. What is the auditor's PRIMARY concern?

  A. Sensitive production data may be read by unauthorized persons.
  B. The error-handling and credibility checks may not be fully proven.
  C. Users may not wish for production data to be made available for testing.
  D. All functionality of the new process may not be tested.
  A. Sensitive production data may be read by unauthorized persons.

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  Explanation

• Question 1442:

  An organization has recently become aware of a pervasive chip-level security vulnerability that affects all of its processors. Which of the following is the BEST way to prevent this vulnerability from being exploited?

  A. Implement security awareness training.
  B. Install vendor patches
  C. Review hardware vendor contracts.
  D. Review security log incidents.
  B. Install vendor patches

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  Explanation

  The best way to prevent a chip-level security vulnerability from being exploited is to install vendor patches. A chip-level security vulnerability is a flaw in the design or implementation of a processor that allows an attacker to bypass the normal security mechanisms and access privileged information or execute malicious code. A vendor patch is a software update provided by the manufacturer of the processor that fixes or mitigates the vulnerability. Installing vendor patches can help to protect the system from known exploits and reduce the risk of data leakage or compromise. Security awareness training, reviewing hardware vendor contracts, and reviewing security log incidents are not as effective as installing vendor patches for preventing a chip-level security vulnerability from being exploited. Security awareness training is an educational program that teaches users about the importance of security and how to avoid common threats. Reviewing hardware vendor contracts is a legal process that evaluates the terms and conditions of the agreement between the organization and the processor supplier. Reviewing security log incidents is an analytical process that examines the records of security events and activities on the system. These methods may be useful for other security purposes, but they do not directly address the root cause of the chip-level vulnerability or prevent its exploitation.

  References: Protecting your device against chip- related security vulnerabilities, New `Downfall' Flaw Exposes Valuable Data in Generations of Intel Chips

• Question 1443:

  The process of applying a hash function to a message and obtaining and ciphering a digest refers to:

  A. digital certificates.
  B. digital signatures.
  C. public key infrastructure (PKI).
  D. authentication.
  B. digital signatures.

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  Explanation

• Question 1444:

  A previously agreed-upon recommendation was not implemented because the auditee no longer agrees with the original findings. The IS auditor's FIRST course of action should be to:

  A. exclude the finding in the follow-up audit report.
  B. escalate the disagreement to the audit committee.
  C. assess the reason for the disagreement.
  D. require implementation of the original recommendation.
  C. assess the reason for the disagreement.

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  Explanation

• Question 1445:

  An IS auditor reviewing security incident processes realizes incidents are resolved and closed, but root causes are not investigated. Which of the following should be the MAJOR concern with this situation?

  A. Abuses by employees have not been reported.
  B. Lessons learned have not been properly documented
  C. vulnerabilities have not been properly addressed
  D. Security incident policies are out of date.
  C. vulnerabilities have not been properly addressed

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  Explanation

  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 as entry 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 ...

• Question 1446:

  A bank wants to outsource a system to a cloud provider residing in another country. Which of the following would be the MOST appropriate IS audit recommendation?

  A. Find an alternative provider in the bank's home country.
  B. Ensure the provider's internal control system meets bank requirements.
  C. Proceed as intended, as the provider has to observe all laws of the clients' countries.
  D. Ensure the provider has disaster recovery capability.
  C. Proceed as intended, as the provider has to observe all laws of the clients' countries.

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  Explanation

  A post-implementation review (PIR) is a process to evaluate whether the objectives of the project were met, determine how effectively this was achieved, learn lessons for the future, and ensure that the organisation gets the most benefit from the implementation of projects1. A PIR is an important tool for assessing the success and value of a project, as well as identifying the areas for improvement and best practices for future projects. One of the key elements of a PIR is to measure the benefits of the project against the expected outcomes and benefits that were defined at the beginning of the project. Measurable benefits are the quantifiable and verifiable results or outcomes that the project delivers to the organisation or its stakeholders, such as increased revenue, reduced costs, improved quality, enhanced customer satisfaction, or compliance with regulations2. Measurable benefits should be aligned with the organisation's strategy, vision, and goals, and should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). The finding that measurable benefits were not defined is of greatest significance among the four findings, because it implies that: The project did not have a clear and agreed-upon purpose, scope, objectives, and deliverables The project did not have a valid and realistic business case or justification for its initiation and implementation The project did not have a robust and effective monitoring and evaluation mechanism to track its progress, performance, and impact The project did not have a reliable and transparent way to demonstrate its value proposition and return on investment to the organisation or its stakeholders The project did not have a meaningful and actionable way to learn from its achievements and challenges, and to improve its processes and practices Therefore, an IS auditor should recommend that measurable benefits are defined for any project before its implementation, and that they are reviewed and reported regularly during and after the project's completion. The other possible findings are: A lessons-learned session was never conducted: This is a significant finding, but not as significant as the lack of measurable benefits. A lessons-learned session is a process of capturing and documenting the knowledge, experience, and feedback gained from a project, both positive and negative. A lessons-learned session helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the project management process, as well as the best practices and lessons for future projects. A lessons-learned session should be conducted at the end of each project phase or milestone, as well as at the end of the project. However, even without a formal lessons-learned session, some learning may still occur informally or implicitly among the project team members or stakeholders. The projects 10% budget overrun was not reported to senior management: This is a significant finding, but not as significant as the lack of measurable benefits. A budget overrun is a situation where the actual cost of a project exceeds its planned or estimated cost. A budget overrun may indicate poor planning, estimation, or control of the project resources, or unexpected changes or risks that occurred during the project implementation. A budget overrun should be reported to senior management as soon as possible, along with the reasons for it and the corrective actions taken or proposed. However, a budget overrun may not necessarily affect the quality or value of the project deliverables or outcomes if they are still within acceptable standards or expectations. Monthly dashboards did not always contain deliverables: This is a significant finding, but not as significant as the lack of measurable benefits. A dashboard is a visual tool that displays key performance indicators (KPIs) or metrics related to a project's progress, status, or results. A dashboard helps to monitor and communicate the performance of a project to various stakeholders in a concise and clear manner. A dashboard should include deliverables as one of its components, along with other elements such as schedule, budget, quality, risks, issues, or benefits. However, even without deliverables in monthly dashboards, some information about them may still be available from other sources such as reports or documents.

  References: 1: The role and importance of the Post Implementation Review 2: What is Post- Implementation Review in Project Management?

• Question 1447:

  In an environment where data virtualization is used, which of the following provides the BEST disaster recovery solution?

  A. Onsite disk-based backup systems
  B. Tape-based backup systems
  C. Virtual tape library
  D. Redundant array of independent disks (RAID)
  C. Virtual tape library

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  Explanation

  A virtual tape library (VTL) is a disk-based backup system that emulates a tape library. It provides faster backup and recovery than traditional tape systems, and it can be integrated with data deduplication and replication technologies to enhance disaster recovery. A VTL can also be replicated to an offsite location for additional protection. A VTL is the best disaster recovery solution for an environment where data virtualization is used, because it can handle large volumes of data, support multiple backup applications, and provide consistent performance. Onsite disk-based backup systems (A) are not the best disaster recovery solution, because they are vulnerable to the same risks as the primary data center, such as fire, flood, power outage, or sabotage. Tape-based backup systems (B) are not the best disaster recovery solution, because they are slow, prone to errors, and require manual intervention. Redundant array of independent disks (RAID) (D) is not a backup system, but a storage technology that improves performance and fault tolerance by distributing data across multiple disks. RAID does not protect against data corruption, human error, or malicious attacks.

  References: Virtualization Disaster Recovery Overview: Definitions and Guides Disaster Recovery Virtualization - VMware What is Virtual Disaster Recovery? - Definition from Techopedia How Does Virtualization Help With A Disaster Recovery Plan

• Question 1448:

  Which of the following is MOST important to consider when scheduling follow-up audits?

  A. The efforts required for independent verification with new auditors
  B. The impact if corrective actions are not taken
  C. The amount of time the auditee has agreed to spend with auditors
  D. Controls and detection risks related to the observations
  B. The impact if corrective actions are not taken

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  Explanation

  The impact if corrective actions are not taken is the most important factor to consider when scheduling follow-up audits. An IS auditor should prioritize the follow-up audits based on the risk and potential consequences of not addressing the audit findings and recommendations. The other options are less important factors that may affect the timing and scope of the follow-up audits, but not their necessity or urgency.

  References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 2, Section 2.5.31 CISA Review Questions, Answers and Explanations Database, Question ID 207

• Question 1449:

  In a typical SDLC, which group is PRIMARILY responsible for confirming compliance with requirements?

  A. Steering committee
  B. Risk management
  C. Quality assurance
  D. Internal audit
  C. Quality assurance

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  Explanation

• Question 1450:

  An IS auditor submitted audit reports and scheduled a follow-up audit engagement with a client. The client has requested to engage the services of the same auditor to develop enhanced controls. What is the GREATEST concern with this request?

  A. It would require the approval of the audit manager.
  B. It would be beyond the original audit scope.
  C. It would a possible conflict of interest.
  D. It would require a change to the audit plan.
  C. It would a possible conflict of interest.

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  Explanation