Isaca CISA Practice Test 12
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.
Question 111
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: A new corporate service standard is rolled out without training, version control or effectiveness reviews. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Privacy governance should enforce purpose limitation, data minimization and accountable use.
- A quality management system needs controlled documentation and implementation monitoring.
- Privacy response effectiveness depends on a reliable data inventory and ownership.
- Quality measures can be gamed if closure accuracy and user outcomes are not assessed.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:A quality management system needs controlled documentation and implementation monitoring. The corresponding audit procedure is: Review rollout approvals, staff training, process owners and version adoption.
Incorrect Answers
A:Privacy governance should enforce purpose limitation, data minimization and accountable use. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A marketing platform collects customer location data without a documented lawful purpose or retention period. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: A quality management system needs controlled documentation and implementation monitoring. The governing distinction is: A quality management system needs controlled documentation and implementation monitoring.
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: A quality management system needs controlled documentation and implementation monitoring. The governing distinction is: A quality management system needs controlled documentation and implementation monitoring.
D:Quality measures can be gamed if closure accuracy and user outcomes are not assessed. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A shared IT helpdesk closes incidents quickly by marking unresolved requests as user error. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: A quality management system needs controlled documentation and implementation monitoring. The governing distinction is: A quality management system needs controlled documentation and implementation monitoring.
Question 112
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: An agile team delivers features every sprint but security stories are never included in the product backlog. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend a controlled recovery exercise or documented risk acceptance before launch.
- Recommend explicit security acceptance criteria and risk ownership in iterative delivery.
- Recommend controlled traceability updates and reapproval when significant needs change.
- Recommend removing unnecessary launch privileges and recording any approved residual risk.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Recommend explicit security acceptance criteria and risk ownership in iterative delivery. The relevant control principle is: An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Sprint samples show security controls implemented and tested before acceptance.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend a controlled recovery exercise or documented risk acceptance before launch. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A new inventory system's disaster-recovery test is deferred because normal transaction testing passes. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend explicit security acceptance criteria and risk ownership in iterative delivery. The governing distinction is: An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process.
C:Recommend controlled traceability updates and reapproval when significant needs change. 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 recommendation is: Recommend explicit security acceptance criteria and risk ownership in iterative delivery. The governing distinction is: An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process.
D:Recommend removing unnecessary launch privileges and recording any approved residual risk. 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 recommendation is: Recommend explicit security acceptance criteria and risk ownership in iterative delivery. The governing distinction is: An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process.
Question 113
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: An infrastructure team buys additional servers while idle compatible capacity remains unallocated in another business unit. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Compare vendor entitlements, deployments, retirements and usage evidence.
- Review capacity utilization, workload isolation requirements and asset ownership.
- Review delivery milestones, outstanding controls and revised forecast costs.
- Inspect exception age, business justification, compensating controls and renewal approval.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Review capacity utilization, workload isolation requirements and asset ownership. The governing principle is: Resource governance should use accurate inventory and allocation evidence before investment.
Incorrect Answers
A:Compare vendor entitlements, deployments, retirements and usage evidence. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Software licenses are renewed using last year's device counts despite major decommissioning. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Review capacity utilization, workload isolation requirements and asset ownership. The governing distinction is: Resource governance should use accurate inventory and allocation evidence before investment.
C:Review delivery milestones, outstanding controls and revised forecast costs. 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 audit step is: Review capacity utilization, workload isolation requirements and asset ownership. The governing distinction is: Resource governance should use accurate inventory and allocation evidence before investment.
D:Inspect exception age, business justification, compensating controls and renewal approval. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A vendor incident triggers a temporary exception but the residual risk is never reconsidered after six months. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Review capacity utilization, workload isolation requirements and asset ownership. The governing distinction is: Resource governance should use accurate inventory and allocation evidence before investment.
Question 114
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A cloud storage bucket used for personnel data becomes publicly readable after a template change. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Unauthorized public reads fail and approved access remains auditable.
- Image hashes match and each custody transfer is attributable and time-stamped.
- Approved staff retrieve only necessary records and excessive exports are flagged or blocked.
- Unauthorized snapshot downloads are blocked and authorized operations are logged.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Unauthorized public reads fail and approved access remains auditable. It addresses cloud and virtualized environments. Underlying audit concern: Cloud shared responsibility includes customer configuration and continuous misconfiguration detection.
Incorrect Answers
B:Image hashes match and each custody transfer is attributable and time-stamped. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An investigator copies a suspect laptop disk without recording who handled it or whether the image changed. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Unauthorized public reads fail and approved access remains auditable. The governing distinction is: Cloud shared responsibility includes customer configuration and continuous misconfiguration detection.
C:Approved staff retrieve only necessary records and excessive exports are flagged or blocked. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A customer service portal allows employees to export unrestricted copies of all customer identity documents. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Unauthorized public reads fail and approved access remains auditable. The governing distinction is: Cloud shared responsibility includes customer configuration and continuous misconfiguration detection.
D:Unauthorized snapshot downloads are blocked and authorized operations are logged. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A virtualization administrator can snapshot and download regulated production virtual machines without oversight. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Unauthorized public reads fail and approved access remains auditable. The governing distinction is: Cloud shared responsibility includes customer configuration and continuous misconfiguration detection.
Question 115
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: An audit director relies on peer sign-offs that were completed by the same person who prepared each working paper. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Independent workpaper review is undermined by self-approval.
- Audit quality programs should evaluate consistency, methodology and continuous improvement.
- Sample conclusions must reflect observed deviations and appropriate uncertainty.
- Absence of reported incidents is not proof of low inherent or residual risk.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Independent workpaper review is undermined by self-approval. The corresponding audit procedure is: Check reviewer identities, permissions, timestamps and supervisory quality policy.
Incorrect Answers
B:Audit quality programs should evaluate consistency, methodology and continuous improvement. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An audit team changes sampling procedures each quarter without documenting why results are no longer comparable. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Independent workpaper review is undermined by self-approval. The governing distinction is: Independent workpaper review is undermined by self-approval.
C:Sample conclusions must reflect observed deviations and appropriate uncertainty. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A sample of authorized changes contains failures, yet the auditor extrapolates a zero-percent exception rate. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Independent workpaper review is undermined by self-approval. The governing distinction is: Independent workpaper review is undermined by self-approval.
D:Absence of reported incidents is not proof of low inherent or residual risk. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An auditor cannot decide whether to review a high-impact legacy billing interface because no recent incidents are recorded. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Independent workpaper review is undermined by self-approval. The governing distinction is: Independent workpaper review is undermined by self-approval.
Question 116
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: A new web checkout design addresses user experience but fails to define controls for unauthorized refund changes. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Control requirements should be identified from business risk during system design.
- Post-implementation review should assess realized business outcomes as well as delivery.
- Project change governance should assess baseline implications before approving scope changes.
- Confidentiality does not replace integrity and completeness controls for converted data.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Control requirements should be identified from business risk during system design. The corresponding audit procedure is: Trace refund abuse scenarios, authorization roles and transaction integrity needs.
Incorrect Answers
B:Post-implementation review should assess realized business outcomes as well as delivery. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A new HR system meets its technical go-live date but fails the promised reduction in onboarding time. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Control requirements should be identified from business risk during system design. The governing distinction is: Control requirements should be identified from business risk during system design.
C:Project change governance should assess baseline implications before approving scope changes. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A new enterprise resource planning program frequently expands requirements without cost, risk or schedule review. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Control requirements should be identified from business risk during system design. The governing distinction is: Control requirements should be identified from business risk during system design.
D:Confidentiality does not replace integrity and completeness controls for converted data. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A data migration design encrypts transfers but does not detect missing or duplicated customer records. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Control requirements should be identified from business risk during system design. The governing distinction is: Control requirements should be identified from business risk during system design.
Question 117
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: A company continues paying software maintenance for applications deleted during a consolidation. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Asset lifecycle management must control custody and data disposition at retirement.
- Software asset records must reconcile acquisitions, deployment, retirement and entitlements.
- Recovery objectives must include process dependencies and end-to-end recovery viability.
- Incident evidence retention should match legal, audit and operational requirements.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Software asset records must reconcile acquisitions, deployment, retirement and entitlements. The corresponding audit procedure is: Compare procurement records, license contracts, application scans and disposal approvals.
Incorrect Answers
A:Asset lifecycle management must control custody and data disposition at retirement. 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 principle is: Software asset records must reconcile acquisitions, deployment, retirement and entitlements. The governing distinction is: Software asset records must reconcile acquisitions, deployment, retirement and entitlements.
C:Recovery objectives must include process dependencies and end-to-end recovery viability. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A business owner specifies a one-hour RTO but has never identified which external dependencies must also be restored. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Software asset records must reconcile acquisitions, deployment, retirement and entitlements. The governing distinction is: Software asset records must reconcile acquisitions, deployment, retirement and entitlements.
D:Incident evidence retention should match legal, audit and operational requirements. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A service desk deletes incident attachments when tickets are closed, preventing later regulatory review. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Software asset records must reconcile acquisitions, deployment, retirement and entitlements. The governing distinction is: Software asset records must reconcile acquisitions, deployment, retirement and entitlements.
Question 118
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A network router is upgraded without identifying the legacy protocol needed by an older warehouse controller. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend reviewed schema deployment and regression validation for dependent consumers.
- Recommend dependency monitoring and feasible identity-service continuity controls.
- Recommend prechange compatibility validation and a controlled fallback path.
- Recommend an integrated support model with named owners and escalation milestones.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Recommend prechange compatibility validation and a controlled fallback path. The relevant control principle is: Infrastructure component changes require compatibility and interface impact assessment. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Representative warehouse transactions continue correctly after the planned router change.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend reviewed schema deployment and regression validation for dependent consumers. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A DBA changes production schema directly, causing an analytics extract to return wrong totals. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend prechange compatibility validation and a controlled fallback path. The governing distinction is: Infrastructure component changes require compatibility and interface impact assessment.
B: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 prechange compatibility validation and a controlled fallback path. The governing distinction is: Infrastructure component changes require compatibility and interface impact assessment.
D:Recommend an integrated support model with named owners and escalation milestones. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An internal support agreement omits escalation responsibilities for incidents spanning two suppliers. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend prechange compatibility validation and a controlled fallback path. The governing distinction is: Infrastructure component changes require compatibility and interface impact assessment.
Question 119
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: Three departments repeatedly miss remediation dates but audit management reports closure rates without aging analysis. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Each sampled leaver can be traced from HR termination to historical account status and removal time.
- Audit oversight receives accurate aging, ownership and retest status for open actions.
- Sample alerts have timely decisions, documented resolution and escalation when overdue.
- Workpapers demonstrate distinct preparer and reviewer approvals and resolved comments.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Audit oversight receives accurate aging, ownership and retest status for open actions. It addresses quality assurance and improvement of audit process. Underlying audit concern: Quality monitoring should reveal overdue high-risk actions and escalation effectiveness.
Incorrect Answers
A:Each sampled leaver can be traced from HR termination to historical account status and removal time. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A database access audit receives a file containing only current active users although it must assess leavers over the last quarter. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Audit oversight receives accurate aging, ownership and retest status for open actions. The governing distinction is: Quality monitoring should reveal overdue high-risk actions and escalation effectiveness.
C:Sample alerts have timely decisions, documented resolution and escalation when overdue. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A monitoring alert is generated for suspicious transfers, but no owner is assigned to investigate or close it. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Audit oversight receives accurate aging, ownership and retest status for open actions. The governing distinction is: Quality monitoring should reveal overdue high-risk actions and escalation effectiveness.
D:Workpapers demonstrate distinct preparer and reviewer approvals and resolved comments. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An audit director relies on peer sign-offs that were completed by the same person who prepared each working paper. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Audit oversight receives accurate aging, ownership and retest status for open actions. The governing distinction is: Quality monitoring should reveal overdue high-risk actions and escalation effectiveness.
Question 120
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: A database encrypts storage disks but application administrators can export plaintext sensitive records without monitoring. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Review key boundaries, export permissions, data access logs and classification.
- Inspect reviewer role, HR roster, role descriptions and sample revocation outcomes.
- Review classification rules, false-positive cases, override frequency and business needs.
- Inspect key storage, privileges, rotation controls and backup access paths.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Review key boundaries, export permissions, data access logs and classification. The governing principle is: Encryption at rest does not control authorized-account misuse or data access in processing.
Incorrect Answers
B:Inspect reviewer role, HR roster, role descriptions and sample revocation outcomes. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A quarterly access certification is completed by a system administrator who cannot identify the employees' current business responsibilities. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Review key boundaries, export permissions, data access logs and classification. The governing distinction is: Encryption at rest does not control authorized-account misuse or data access in processing.
C:Review classification rules, false-positive cases, override frequency and business needs. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A research team labels every file confidential, generating excessive DLP false positives and routine overrides. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Review key boundaries, export permissions, data access logs and classification. The governing distinction is: Encryption at rest does not control authorized-account misuse or data access in processing.
D:Inspect key storage, privileges, rotation controls and backup access paths. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A team stores database encryption keys in the same unrestricted repository as encrypted backups. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Review key boundaries, export permissions, data access logs and classification. The governing distinction is: Encryption at rest does not control authorized-account misuse or data access in processing.