Isaca CISA Practice Test 11
Question 100
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A completed software project is archived without documenting incidents and change causes from the first operating month. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- The project closure record includes validated benefits, outstanding risks and lessons implemented.
- Production access samples match steady-state roles and exception closure is evidenced.
- Released features and controls map to current approved requirements and tests.
- The patch is traceable, interfaces pass smoke tests and rollback can be executed safely.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:The project closure record includes validated benefits, outstanding risks and lessons implemented. It addresses post-implementation review. Underlying audit concern: Lessons learned and operational handoff should feed governance and future improvements.
Incorrect Answers
B:Production access samples match steady-state roles and exception closure is evidenced. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: After a new billing platform launches, unresolved temporary broad administrator permissions are treated as permanent. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: The project closure record includes validated benefits, outstanding risks and lessons implemented. The governing distinction is: Lessons learned and operational handoff should feed governance and future improvements.
C:Released features and controls map to current approved requirements and tests. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A waterfall project signs off design once, then production requirements change without design traceability. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: The project closure record includes validated benefits, outstanding risks and lessons implemented. The governing distinction is: Lessons learned and operational handoff should feed governance and future improvements.
D:The patch is traceable, interfaces pass smoke tests and rollback can be executed safely. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An emergency patch goes live without a rollback plan or verification of required interfaces. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: The project closure record includes validated benefits, outstanding risks and lessons implemented. The governing distinction is: Lessons learned and operational handoff should feed governance and future improvements.
Question 101
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A monitoring alert is generated for suspicious transfers, but no owner is assigned to investigate or close it. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- The audit conclusion cites verifiable settings effective during the scope period.
- The issued report contains an evidence-grounded assessment and documented management response.
- A test change cannot bypass approval, and independent exception review still operates.
- Sample alerts have timely decisions, documented resolution and escalation when overdue.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Sample alerts have timely decisions, documented resolution and escalation when overdue. It addresses types of controls and considerations. Underlying audit concern: A detective control must include timely response and accountability to reduce exposure.
Incorrect Answers
A:The audit conclusion cites verifiable settings effective during the scope period. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Auditors receive conflicting statements from administrators about whether an encryption setting was enabled during the test period. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Sample alerts have timely decisions, documented resolution and escalation when overdue. The governing distinction is: A detective control must include timely response and accountability to reduce exposure.
B:The issued report contains an evidence-grounded assessment and documented management response. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A chief information officer asks the audit lead to remove a supported high-risk finding before it reaches the audit committee. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Sample alerts have timely decisions, documented resolution and escalation when overdue. The governing distinction is: A detective control must include timely response and accountability to reduce exposure.
C:A test change cannot bypass approval, and independent exception review still operates. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A payroll system uses post-payment anomaly reports but has no approval requirement for changing bank accounts. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Sample alerts have timely decisions, documented resolution and escalation when overdue. The governing distinction is: A detective control must include timely response and accountability to reduce exposure.
Question 102
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: An investigator copies a suspect laptop disk without recording who handled it or whether the image changed. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Privileged actions map to authorized identities and shared credential use is restricted.
- The untouched original and analyzed copy have recorded provenance and integrity checks.
- Image hashes match and each custody transfer is attributable and time-stamped.
- A disconnected device is quickly identified as unmonitored rather than healthy.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Image hashes match and each custody transfer is attributable and time-stamped. It addresses evidence collection and forensics. Underlying audit concern: Forensic evidence requires documented custody and integrity from acquisition through analysis.
Incorrect Answers
A:Privileged actions map to authorized identities and shared credential use is restricted. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Privileged database administrators routinely use shared root credentials without individual attribution. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Image hashes match and each custody transfer is attributable and time-stamped. The governing distinction is: Forensic evidence requires documented custody and integrity from acquisition through analysis.
B:The untouched original and analyzed copy have recorded provenance and integrity checks. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Security staff begin forensic analysis directly on a live original log file and overwrite timestamps. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Image hashes match and each custody transfer is attributable and time-stamped. The governing distinction is: Forensic evidence requires documented custody and integrity from acquisition through analysis.
D:A disconnected device is quickly identified as unmonitored rather than healthy. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An endpoint dashboard displays every system as healthy even though remote devices have stopped forwarding telemetry. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Image hashes match and each custody transfer is attributable and time-stamped. The governing distinction is: Forensic evidence requires documented custody and integrity from acquisition through analysis.
Question 103
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A disaster recovery runbook lists server boot order but omits database integrity and application acceptance tests. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend sanctioned collaboration or compensating controls and managed migration.
- Recommend representative scenario tests including concurrent demand and decision roles.
- Recommend application-aware recovery sequencing and formal acceptance checks.
- Recommend dependency monitoring and feasible identity-service continuity controls.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Recommend application-aware recovery sequencing and formal acceptance checks. The relevant control principle is: DR plans must restore usable business capabilities, not merely power on infrastructure. A meaningful follow-up should establish: A recovery test completes reconciled business transactions within required limits.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend sanctioned collaboration or compensating controls and managed migration. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A sales team stores client contracts in an unapproved personal file-sharing account for convenience. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend application-aware recovery sequencing and formal acceptance checks. The governing distinction is: DR plans must restore usable business capabilities, not merely power on infrastructure.
B:Recommend representative scenario tests including concurrent demand and decision roles. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A company rehearses DR annually on a clean weekend but its live recovery window overlaps payroll peaks and storage contention. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend application-aware recovery sequencing and formal acceptance checks. The governing distinction is: DR plans must restore usable business capabilities, not merely power on infrastructure.
D:Recommend dependency monitoring and feasible identity-service continuity controls. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A cloud-hosted application has healthy virtual machines but customer logins fail when its external identity service is unavailable. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend application-aware recovery sequencing and formal acceptance checks. The governing distinction is: DR plans must restore usable business capabilities, not merely power on infrastructure.
Question 104
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: An external contractor offers the auditor a valuable gift while a supplier compliance assessment is being finalized. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Perceived or actual conflicts undermine the credibility of objective audit judgment.
- Auditor objectivity is impaired by assessing one's own recent design work.
- Audit project plans must match specialist resources to scope, dependencies and deadlines.
- Dual authorization is ineffective if the supposed approvers are not independently attributable.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Perceived or actual conflicts undermine the credibility of objective audit judgment. The corresponding audit procedure is: Review the independence policy, gift register and relationship to the auditee before accepting anything.
Incorrect Answers
B:Auditor objectivity is impaired by assessing one's own recent design work. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An internal auditor helped configure the privileged-access system now scheduled for an assurance review. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Perceived or actual conflicts undermine the credibility of objective audit judgment. The governing distinction is: Perceived or actual conflicts undermine the credibility of objective audit judgment.
C:Audit project plans must match specialist resources to scope, dependencies and deadlines. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A compliance audit is due in four weeks but its only database specialist is assigned to an unrelated engagement. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Perceived or actual conflicts undermine the credibility of objective audit judgment. The governing distinction is: Perceived or actual conflicts undermine the credibility of objective audit judgment.
D:Dual authorization is ineffective if the supposed approvers are not independently attributable. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A new security control requires two operators to approve destructive data deletion, but both approvals can use one shared account. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Perceived or actual conflicts undermine the credibility of objective audit judgment. The governing distinction is: Perceived or actual conflicts undermine the credibility of objective audit judgment.
Question 105
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: An ERP cutover leaves the old interface running and duplicates orders in both systems. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend controlled cutover sequencing, idempotency and monitoring for duplicate events.
- Recommend risk-based detailed conversion reconciliation and resolution before acceptance.
- Recommend distinct least-privileged release identities and controlled promotion rights.
- Recommend preventive entitlement checks and independent monitoring in design acceptance criteria.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Recommend controlled cutover sequencing, idempotency and monitoring for duplicate events. The relevant control principle is: Cutover controls must manage transactional boundaries and avoid unintended dual processing. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Each order appears once in the target system with reconciled business totals.
Incorrect Answers
B:Recommend risk-based detailed conversion reconciliation and resolution before acceptance. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A bank converts 20 years of loan records into a new core system and reconciles only total record counts. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend controlled cutover sequencing, idempotency and monitoring for duplicate events. The governing distinction is: Cutover controls must manage transactional boundaries and avoid unintended dual processing.
C:Recommend distinct least-privileged release identities and controlled promotion rights. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A team uses the same deployment credentials for development, test and production systems. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend controlled cutover sequencing, idempotency and monitoring for duplicate events. The governing distinction is: Cutover controls must manage transactional boundaries and avoid unintended dual processing.
D:Recommend preventive entitlement checks and independent monitoring in design acceptance criteria. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A new web checkout design addresses user experience but fails to define controls for unauthorized refund changes. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend controlled cutover sequencing, idempotency and monitoring for duplicate events. The governing distinction is: Cutover controls must manage transactional boundaries and avoid unintended dual processing.
Question 106
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: Two data centers have separate buildings but share one telecom carrier and underground duct. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- A qualified alternate restores service without bypassing authorization or audit trails.
- Each retired device reconciles to approved erasure or destruction evidence and authorized release.
- Full valid descriptions survive transfer and oversized payloads generate tracked exceptions.
- A representative provider outage does not disable every required inter-site service.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:A representative provider outage does not disable every required inter-site service. It addresses system and operational resilience. Underlying audit concern: Operational resilience requires evaluation of common-mode dependencies.
Incorrect Answers
A:A qualified alternate restores service without bypassing authorization or audit trails. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A highly available application uses only one privileged administrator who is unavailable during a holiday. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: A representative provider outage does not disable every required inter-site service. The governing distinction is: Operational resilience requires evaluation of common-mode dependencies.
B:Each retired device reconciles to approved erasure or destruction evidence and authorized release. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A retail chain replaces laptops but leaves decommissioned drives untracked with a disposal contractor. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: A representative provider outage does not disable every required inter-site service. The governing distinction is: Operational resilience requires evaluation of common-mode dependencies.
C:Full valid descriptions survive transfer and oversized payloads generate tracked exceptions. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An inventory API responds successfully while silently truncating long product descriptions during integration. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: A representative provider outage does not disable every required inter-site service. The governing distinction is: Operational resilience requires evaluation of common-mode dependencies.
Question 107
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A helpdesk repeatedly reopens application errors but closes each ticket without investigating a shared underlying defect. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend application-consistent backup and recovery sequencing for the database.
- Recommend restricted promotion and controlled approved script deployment.
- Recommend formal root-cause analysis and a tracked permanent corrective action.
- Recommend severity-triggered rapid escalation and tested incident playbooks.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Recommend formal root-cause analysis and a tracked permanent corrective action. The relevant control principle is: Problem management seeks root causes and prevention of recurring incidents. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Repeated incidents decline after a verified fix and problem record closure.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend application-consistent backup and recovery sequencing for the database. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A company copies database files nightly while transactions remain active, producing inconsistent backups. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend formal root-cause analysis and a tracked permanent corrective action. The governing distinction is: Problem management seeks root causes and prevention of recurring incidents.
B:Recommend restricted promotion and controlled approved script deployment. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An operator can edit scheduled payroll scripts directly in production without independent approval. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend formal root-cause analysis and a tracked permanent corrective action. The governing distinction is: Problem management seeks root causes and prevention of recurring incidents.
D:Recommend severity-triggered rapid escalation and tested incident playbooks. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A major cyber outage is escalated only after normal helpdesk response times expire. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend formal root-cause analysis and a tracked permanent corrective action. The governing distinction is: Problem management seeks root causes and prevention of recurring incidents.
Question 108
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: Emergency administrator accounts are exempt from monitoring and are never tested until an outage. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend a risk-based design review and genuinely independent critical power paths.
- Recommend restricted emergency access with independent after-use review and periodic exercises.
- Recommend risk-appropriate multifactor authentication with secure recovery methods.
- Recommend routine environmental sensor functional tests with ownership of alerts.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Recommend restricted emergency access with independent after-use review and periodic exercises. The relevant control principle is: Break-glass access must be controlled, logged, tested and periodically reauthorized. A meaningful follow-up should establish: A supervised emergency test succeeds and creates attributable alerts and restoration evidence.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend a risk-based design review and genuinely independent critical power paths. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A data center's redundant power feeds terminate at the same upstream distribution panel. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend restricted emergency access with independent after-use review and periodic exercises. The governing distinction is: Break-glass access must be controlled, logged, tested and periodically reauthorized.
C:Recommend risk-appropriate multifactor authentication with secure recovery methods. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A remote-access gateway accepts a password alone for high-impact production administrators. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend restricted emergency access with independent after-use review and periodic exercises. The governing distinction is: Break-glass access must be controlled, logged, tested and periodically reauthorized.
D:Recommend routine environmental sensor functional tests with ownership of alerts. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A fire-suppression system passes annual inspections but a rack's temperature sensors have never alarmed under test. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend restricted emergency access with independent after-use review and periodic exercises. The governing distinction is: Break-glass access must be controlled, logged, tested and periodically reauthorized.
Question 109
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: Management accepts monthly vendor summaries without independently checking service-level breaches. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Control design must reconcile binding requirements with approved retention and deletion practices.
- Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims.
- Privacy response effectiveness depends on a reliable data inventory and ownership.
- Governance measures should combine schedule, benefit, quality and risk indicators.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims. The corresponding audit procedure is: Reconcile contract metrics with customer logs, ticket records and monitoring measurements.
Incorrect Answers
A:Control design must reconcile binding requirements with approved retention and deletion practices. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: The legal team interprets a contractual data retention clause differently from IT's automatic deletion schedule. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims. The governing distinction is: Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims.
C:Privacy response effectiveness depends on a reliable data inventory and ownership. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An organization receives data subject requests but cannot locate personal records spread across cloud and on-premise systems. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims. The governing distinction is: Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims.
D:Governance measures should combine schedule, benefit, quality and risk indicators. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A change program reports all projects green by budget but ignores delayed security deliverables. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims. The governing distinction is: Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims.
Question 110
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: An investigator copies a suspect laptop disk without recording who handled it or whether the image changed. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend restoring critical module coverage and validating findings with manual review.
- Recommend protected original preservation and analysis on validated working copies.
- Recommend incident handling and detection improvements for the observed attack chain.
- Recommend controlled forensic imaging with repeatable integrity verification and sealed custody.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Recommend controlled forensic imaging with repeatable integrity verification and sealed custody. The relevant control principle is: Forensic evidence requires documented custody and integrity from acquisition through analysis. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Image hashes match and each custody transfer is attributable and time-stamped.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend restoring critical module coverage and validating findings with manual review. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A code review tool shows no vulnerabilities after analysts exclude the main authentication module from scanning. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend controlled forensic imaging with repeatable integrity verification and sealed custody. The governing distinction is: Forensic evidence requires documented custody and integrity from acquisition through analysis.
B:Recommend protected original preservation and analysis on validated working copies. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Security staff begin forensic analysis directly on a live original log file and overwrite timestamps. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend controlled forensic imaging with repeatable integrity verification and sealed custody. The governing distinction is: Forensic evidence requires documented custody and integrity from acquisition through analysis.
C:Recommend incident handling and detection improvements for the observed attack chain. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A malicious attachment launches a child process and connects to an unfamiliar command server. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend controlled forensic imaging with repeatable integrity verification and sealed custody. The governing distinction is: Forensic evidence requires documented custody and integrity from acquisition through analysis.