CISM Practice B Topic 1 Flashcards
Which of the following should be the FIRST step in developing an information security plan?
Perform a technical vulnerabilities assessment
Analyze the current business strategy
Perform a business impact analysis
Assess the current levels of security awareness
Analyze the current business strategy
Senior management commitment and support for information security can BEST be obtained through presentations that:
use illustrative examples of successful attacks.
explain the technical risks to the organization.
evaluate the organization against best security practices.
tie security risks to key business objectives.
tie security risks to key business objectives.
The MOST appropriate role for senior management in supporting information security is the:
evaluation of vendors offering security products.
assessment of risks to the organization.
approval of policy statements and funding.
monitoring adherence to regulatory requirements.
approval of policy statements and funding.
Which of the following would BEST ensure the success of information security governance within an organization?
Steering committees approve security projects
Security policy training provided to all managers
Security training available to all employees on the intranet
Steering committees enforce compliance with laws and regulations
Steering committees approve security projects
Information security governance is PRIMARILY driven by:
technology constraints.
regulatory requirements.
litigation potential.
business strategy.
business strategy.
Which of the following represents the MAJOR focus of privacy regulations?
Unrestricted data mining
Identity theft
Human rights protection
Identifiable personal data
Identifiable personal data
Investments in information security technologies should be based on:
vulnerability assessments.
value analysis.
business climate.
audit recommendations.
value analysis.
Retention of business records should PRIMARILY be based on:
business strategy and direction.
regulatory and legal requirements.
storage capacity and longevity.
business case and value analysis.
regulatory and legal requirements.
Which of the following is characteristic of centralized information security management?
More expensive to administer
Better adherence to policies
More aligned with business unit needs
Faster turnaround of requests
Better adherence to policies
Successful implementation of information security governance will FIRST require:
security awareness training.
updated security policies.
a computer incident management team.
a security architecture.
updated security policies.
Which of the following individuals would be in the BEST position to sponsor the creation of an information security steering group?
Information security manager
Chief operating officer (COO)
Internal auditor
Legal counsel
Chief operating officer (COO)
The MOST important component of a privacy policy is:
notifications.
warranties.
liabilities.
geographic coverage.
notifications.
The cost of implementing a security control should not exceed the:
annualized loss expectancy.
cost of an incident.
asset value.
implementation opportunity costs
asset value.
When a security standard conflicts with a business objective, the situation should be resolved by:
changing the security standard.
changing the business objective.
performing a risk analysis.
authorizing a risk acceptance.
performing a risk analysis.
Minimum standards for securing the technical infrastructure should be defined in a security:
strategy.
guidelines.
model.
architecture.
architecture.
Which of the following is MOST appropriate for inclusion in an information security strategy?
Business controls designated as key controls
Security processes, methods, tools and techniques
Firewall rule sets, network defaults and intrusion detection system (IDS) settings
Budget estimates to acquire specific security tools
Security processes, methods, tools and techniques
Senior management commitment and support for information security will BEST be attained by an information security manager by emphasizing:
organizational risk.
organization wide metrics.
security needs.
the responsibilities of organizational units.
organizational risk.
Which of the following roles would represent a conflict of interest for an information security manager?
Evaluation of third parties requesting connectivity
Assessment of the adequacy of disaster recovery plans
Final approval of information security policies
Monitoring adherence to physical security controls
Final approval of information security policies
Which of the following situations must be corrected FIRST to ensure successful information security governance within an organization?
The information security department has difficulty filling vacancies.
The chief information officer (CIO) approves security policy changes.
The information security oversight committee only meets quarterly.
The data center manager has final signoff on all security projects.
The data center manager has final signoff on all security projects.
Which of the following requirements would have the lowest level of priority in information security?
Technical
Regulatory
Privacy
Business
Technical
When an organization hires a new information security manager, which of the following goals should this individual pursue FIRST?
Develop a security architecture
Establish good communication with steering committee members
Assemble an experienced staff
Benchmark peer organizations
Establish good communication with steering committee members
It is MOST important that information security architecture be aligned with which of the following?
Industry best practices
Information technology plans
Information security best practices
Business objectives and goals
Business objectives and goals
Which of the following is MOST likely to be discretionary?
Policies
Procedures
Guidelines
Standards
Guidelines
Security technologies should be selected PRIMARILY on the basis of their:
ability to mitigate business risks.
evaluations in trade publications.
use of new and emerging technologies.
benefits in comparison to their costs.
ability to mitigate business risks.
Which of the following are seldom changed in response to technological changes?
Standards
Procedures
Policies
Guidelines
Policies
The MOST important factor in planning for the long-term retention of electronically stored business records is to take into account potential changes in:
storage capacity and shelf life.
regulatory and legal requirements.
business strategy and direction.
application systems and media.
application systems and media.
Which of the following is characteristic of decentralized information security management across a geographically dispersed organization?
More uniformity in quality of service
Better adherence to policies
Better alignment to business unit needs
More savings in total operating costs
Better alignment to business unit needs
Which of the following is the MOST appropriate position to sponsor the design and implementation of a new security infrastructure in a large global enterprise?
Chief security officer (CSO)
Chief operating officer (COO)
Chief privacy officer (CPO)
Chief legal counsel (CLC)
Chief operating officer (COO)
Which of the following would be the MOST important goal of an information security governance program?
Review of internal control mechanisms
Effective involvement in business decision making
Total elimination of risk factors
Ensuring trust in data
Ensuring trust in data
Relationships among security technologies are BEST defined through which of the following?
Security metrics
Network topology
Security architecture
Process improvement models
Security architecture
A business unit intends to deploy a new technology in a manner that places it in violation of existing information security standards. What immediate action should an information security manager take?
Enforce the existing security standard
Change the standard to permit the deployment
Perform a risk analysis to quantify the risk
Perform research to propose use of a better technology
Perform a risk analysis to quantify the risk
Acceptable levels of information security risk should be determined by:
legal counsel.
security management.
external auditors.
the steering committee.
the steering committee.
The PRIMARY goal in developing an information security strategy is to:
- establish security metrics and performance monitoring.
- educate business process owners regarding their duties.
- ensure that legal and regulatory requirements are met
- support the business objectives of the organization.
support the business objectives of the organization.
Senior management commitment and support for information security can BEST be enhanced through:
a formal security policy sponsored by the chief executive officer (CEO).
regular security awareness training for employees.
periodic review of alignment with business management goals.
senior management signoff on the information security strategy.
periodic review of alignment with business management goals.
When identifying legal and regulatory issues affecting information security, which of the following would represent the BEST approach to developing information security policies?
Create separate policies to address each regulation
Develop policies that meet all mandated requirements
Incorporate policy statements provided by regulators
Develop a compliance risk assessment
Develop policies that meet all mandated requirements
Which of the following MOST commonly falls within the scope of an information security governance steering committee?
Interviewing candidates for information security specialist positions
Developing content for security awareness programs
Prioritizing information security initiatives
Approving access to critical financial systems
Prioritizing information security initiatives
Which of the following is the MOST important factor when designing information security architecture?
Technical platform interfaces
Scalability of the network
Development methodologies
Stakeholder requirements
Stakeholder requirements
Which of the following characteristics is MOST important when looking at prospective candidates for the role of chief information security officer (CISO)?
Knowledge of information technology platforms, networks and development methodologies
Ability to understand and map organizational needs to security technologies
Knowledge of the regulatory environment and project management techniques
Ability to manage a diverse group of individuals and resources across an organization
Ability to understand and map organizational needs to security technologies
Which of the following are likely to be updated MOST frequently?
Procedures for hardening database servers
Standards for password length and complexity
Policies addressing information security governance
Standards for document retention and destruction
Procedures for hardening database servers
Who should be responsible for enforcing access rights to application data?
Data owners
Business process owners
The security steering committee
Security administrators
Security administrators
The chief information security officer (CISO) should ideally have a direct reporting relationship to the:
head of internal audit.
chief operations officer (COO).
chief technology officer (CTO).
legal counsel.
chief operations officer (COO).
Which of the following is the MOST essential task for a chief information security officer (CISO) to perform?
Update platform-level security settings
Conduct disaster recovery test exercises
Approve access to critical financial systems
Develop an information security strategy paper
Develop an information security strategy paper
Developing a successful business case for the acquisition of information security software products can BEST be assisted by:
assessing the frequency of incidents.
quantifying the cost of control failures.
calculating return on investment (ROI) projections.
comparing spending against similar organizations.
calculating return on investment (ROI) projections.
When an information security manager is developing a strategic plan for information security, the timeline for the plan should be:
aligned with the IT strategic plan.
based on the current rate of technological change.
three-to-five years for both hardware and software.
aligned with the business strategy.
aligned with the business strategy.
Which of the following is the MOST important information to include in a strategic plan for information security?
Information security staffing requirements
Current state and desired future state
IT capital investment requirements
Information security mission statement
Current state and desired future state
Information security projects should be prioritized on the basis of:
time required for implementation.
impact on the organization.
total cost for implementation.
mix of resources required.
impact on the organization.
Which of the following is the MOST important information to include in an information security standard?
Creation date
Author name
Initial draft approval date
Last review date
Last review date
Which of the following would BEST prepare an information security manager for regulatory reviews?
Assign an information security administrator as regulatory liaison
Perform self-assessments using regulatory guidelines and reports
Assess previous regulatory reports with process owners input
Ensure all regulatory inquiries are sanctioned by the legal department
Perform self-assessments using regulatory guidelines and reports
An information security manager at a global organization that is subject to regulation by multiple governmental jurisdictions with differing requirements should:
- bring all locations into conformity with the aggregate requirements of all governmental jurisdictions.
- establish baseline standards for all locations and add supplemental standards as required.
- bring all locations into conformity with a generally accepted set of industry best practices.
- establish a baseline standard incorporating those requirements that all jurisdictions have in common.
establish baseline standards for all locations and add supplemental standards as required.
Which of the following BEST describes an information security manager’s role in a multidisciplinary team that will address a new regulatory requirement regarding operational risk?
Ensure that all IT risks are identified
Evaluate the impact of information security risks
Demonstrate that IT mitigating controls are in place
Suggest new IT controls to mitigate operational risk
Evaluate the impact of information security risks
From an information security manager perspective, what is the immediate benefit of clearly defined roles and responsibilities?
Enhanced policy compliance
Improved procedure flows
Segregation of duties
Better accountability
Better accountability
An internal audit has identified major weaknesses over IT processing. Which of the following should an information security manager use to BEST convey a sense of urgency to management?
Security metrics reports
Risk assessment reports
Business impact analysis (BIA)
Return on security investment report
Risk assessment reports
Reviewing which of the following would BEST ensure that security controls are effective?
Risk assessment policies
Return on security investment
Security metrics
User access rights
Security metrics
Which of the following is responsible for legal and regulatory liability?
Chief security officer (CSO)
Chief legal counsel (CLC)
Board and senior management
Information security steering group
Board and senior management
While implementing information security governance an organization should FIRST:
adopt security standards.
determine security baselines.
define the security strategy.
establish security policies.
define the security strategy.
Information security policy enforcement is the responsibility of the:
security steering committee.
chief information officer (CIO).
chief information security officer (CISO).
chief compliance officer (CCO).
chief information security officer (CISO).