Isaca CISA Practice Test 13
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.
Question 121
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: A DBA changes production schema directly, causing an analytics extract to return wrong totals. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Trace service name resolution, provider SLAs, failure modes and fallback arrangements.
- Inspect log growth, alert thresholds, backups and space utilization trends.
- Compare discovery scans, inventory records, host ownership and vendor support status.
- Compare schema revisions, approvals, query plans and affected reconciliation reports.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Compare schema revisions, approvals, query plans and affected reconciliation reports. The governing principle is: Database changes require controlled migration, versioning and dependent-query testing.
Incorrect Answers
A:Trace service name resolution, provider SLAs, failure modes and fallback arrangements. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A supplier dependency map omits a critical cloud DNS service used by every customer-facing application. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Compare schema revisions, approvals, query plans and affected reconciliation reports. The governing distinction is: Database changes require controlled migration, versioning and dependent-query testing.
B:Inspect log growth, alert thresholds, backups and space utilization trends. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Database transaction logs fill the only disk volume and cause a payment service outage. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Compare schema revisions, approvals, query plans and affected reconciliation reports. The governing distinction is: Database changes require controlled migration, versioning and dependent-query testing.
C:Compare discovery scans, inventory records, host ownership and vendor support status. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An IT inventory lists hundreds of production servers without owners or support end dates. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Compare schema revisions, approvals, query plans and affected reconciliation reports. The governing distinction is: Database changes require controlled migration, versioning and dependent-query testing.
Question 122
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: Two subsidiaries have overlapping IT decision boards with conflicting authority to approve enterprise architecture exceptions. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Review risk committee charters, decision rights and reporting relationships.
- Review committee charters, delegation matrices and a sample of disputed approvals.
- Map processing copies, retention rules, purge jobs and legal hold exceptions.
- Inspect target architecture, proposed exception scope and affected trust boundaries.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Review committee charters, delegation matrices and a sample of disputed approvals. The governing principle is: Ambiguous governance rights can produce inconsistent and unowned technology decisions.
Incorrect Answers
A:Review risk committee charters, decision rights and reporting relationships. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A chief technology officer both accepts enterprise cyber risk and certifies the independence of the risk oversight function. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Review committee charters, delegation matrices and a sample of disputed approvals. The governing distinction is: Ambiguous governance rights can produce inconsistent and unowned technology decisions.
C:Map processing copies, retention rules, purge jobs and legal hold exceptions. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A cloud analytics environment retains raw regulated data after the approved business retention period. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Review committee charters, delegation matrices and a sample of disputed approvals. The governing distinction is: Ambiguous governance rights can produce inconsistent and unowned technology decisions.
D:Inspect target architecture, proposed exception scope and affected trust boundaries. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A cloud architecture exception bypasses the organization's target zero-trust network segmentation without review. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Review committee charters, delegation matrices and a sample of disputed approvals. The governing distinction is: Ambiguous governance rights can produce inconsistent and unowned technology decisions.
Question 123
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A compliance audit is due in four weeks but its only database specialist is assigned to an unrelated engagement. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- The engagement plan assigns qualified reviewers to every critical test before sign-off.
- The final communication accurately distinguishes advice from an independently supported assurance opinion.
- Audit oversight receives accurate aging, ownership and retest status for open actions.
- Each finding links to reviewed evidence and all material open review notes are resolved.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:The engagement plan assigns qualified reviewers to every critical test before sign-off. It addresses audit project management. Underlying audit concern: Audit project plans must match specialist resources to scope, dependencies and deadlines.
Incorrect Answers
B:The final communication accurately distinguishes advice from an independently supported assurance opinion. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Management calls a readiness workshop a completed audit even though no testing or assurance opinion was planned. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: The engagement plan assigns qualified reviewers to every critical test before sign-off. The governing distinction is: Audit project plans must match specialist resources to scope, dependencies and deadlines.
C:Audit oversight receives accurate aging, ownership and retest status for open actions. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Three departments repeatedly miss remediation dates but audit management reports closure rates without aging analysis. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: The engagement plan assigns qualified reviewers to every critical test before sign-off. The governing distinction is: Audit project plans must match specialist resources to scope, dependencies and deadlines.
D:Each finding links to reviewed evidence and all material open review notes are resolved. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An audit manager signs the report although a junior tester's exceptions have not received independent review. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: The engagement plan assigns qualified reviewers to every critical test before sign-off. The governing distinction is: Audit project plans must match specialist resources to scope, dependencies and deadlines.
Question 124
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: A server room uses badge access but an unattended emergency door allows unrecorded entry. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- An attack sequence should be assessed using corroborated indicators and business impact.
- Physical access controls must cover alternate entry points and generate reliable access evidence.
- Environmental protection requires functioning detection, alerting and appropriate response.
- Forensic evidence requires documented custody and integrity from acquisition through analysis.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Physical access controls must cover alternate entry points and generate reliable access evidence. The corresponding audit procedure is: Review access routes, door alarms, visitor logs and response procedures.
Incorrect Answers
A:An attack sequence should be assessed using corroborated indicators and business impact. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Repeated impossible-travel sign-ins occur before a finance account initiates unusual transfers. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Physical access controls must cover alternate entry points and generate reliable access evidence. The governing distinction is: Physical access controls must cover alternate entry points and generate reliable access evidence.
C:Environmental protection requires functioning detection, alerting and appropriate response. 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 principle is: Physical access controls must cover alternate entry points and generate reliable access evidence. The governing distinction is: Physical access controls must cover alternate entry points and generate reliable access evidence.
D:Forensic evidence requires documented custody and integrity from acquisition through analysis. 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 principle is: Physical access controls must cover alternate entry points and generate reliable access evidence. The governing distinction is: Physical access controls must cover alternate entry points and generate reliable access evidence.
Question 125
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: Privileged database administrators routinely use shared root credentials without individual attribution. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- A controlled renewal leaves the active endpoint with a valid trusted certificate.
- Unauthorized large plaintext exports are prevented or promptly detected despite disk encryption.
- An unauthorized password-only login to privileged remote access is rejected.
- Privileged actions map to authorized identities and shared credential use is restricted.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Privileged actions map to authorized identities and shared credential use is restricted. It addresses identity and access management. Underlying audit concern: Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege.
Incorrect Answers
A:A controlled renewal leaves the active endpoint with a valid trusted certificate. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An internal portal outage follows certificate expiration despite an automated renewal job that reported success. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Privileged actions map to authorized identities and shared credential use is restricted. The governing distinction is: Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege.
B:Unauthorized large plaintext exports are prevented or promptly detected despite disk encryption. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A database encrypts storage disks but application administrators can export plaintext sensitive records without monitoring. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Privileged actions map to authorized identities and shared credential use is restricted. The governing distinction is: Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege.
C:An unauthorized password-only login to privileged remote access is rejected. 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 verification is: Privileged actions map to authorized identities and shared credential use is restricted. The governing distinction is: Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege.
Question 126
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: Database transaction logs fill the only disk volume and cause a payment service outage. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- A tabletop with the primary leader absent triggers valid timely BCP activation.
- An anticipated high-load period does not exhaust storage and restore capability remains intact.
- A controlled forwarding outage triggers timely alerting with identifiable ownership.
- The integration reads required views but cannot modify protected tables.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:An anticipated high-load period does not exhaust storage and restore capability remains intact. It addresses database management. Underlying audit concern: Database operations require monitored storage, retention and recovery capacity.
Incorrect Answers
A:A tabletop with the primary leader absent triggers valid timely BCP activation. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A continuity plan lists the chief executive as the only emergency decision authority with no alternate. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: An anticipated high-load period does not exhaust storage and restore capability remains intact. The governing distinction is: Database operations require monitored storage, retention and recovery capacity.
C:A controlled forwarding outage triggers timely alerting with identifiable ownership. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Security logs are forwarded to a central platform but administrators can disable forwarding without generating an alert. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: An anticipated high-load period does not exhaust storage and restore capability remains intact. The governing distinction is: Database operations require monitored storage, retention and recovery capacity.
D:The integration reads required views but cannot modify protected tables. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A production database account has unrestricted privileges for a read-only reporting integration. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: An anticipated high-load period does not exhaust storage and restore capability remains intact. The governing distinction is: Database operations require monitored storage, retention and recovery capacity.
Question 127
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: Developers complete general security videos but continue committing cloud keys into source repositories. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend prompt risk-based incident escalation and containment consideration.
- Recommend monitored and secured emergency access consistent with life-safety requirements.
- Recommend role-based training prerequisites and tracked renewal for external users.
- Recommend developer-focused secure coding education with secret detection controls.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Recommend developer-focused secure coding education with secret detection controls. The relevant control principle is: Role-specific training and technical controls should address actual high-risk behaviors. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Secret commits are blocked or promptly flagged and repeat incidents decline.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend prompt risk-based incident escalation and containment consideration. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Repeated impossible-travel sign-ins occur before a finance account initiates unusual transfers. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend developer-focused secure coding education with secret detection controls. The governing distinction is: Role-specific training and technical controls should address actual high-risk behaviors.
B:Recommend monitored and secured emergency access consistent with life-safety requirements. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A server room uses badge access but an unattended emergency door allows unrecorded entry. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend developer-focused secure coding education with secret detection controls. The governing distinction is: Role-specific training and technical controls should address actual high-risk behaviors.
C:Recommend role-based training prerequisites and tracked renewal for external users. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Contractor onboarding omits data-handling training although contractors access classified research files. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend developer-focused secure coding education with secret detection controls. The governing distinction is: Role-specific training and technical controls should address actual high-risk behaviors.
Question 128
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A chief information officer asks the audit lead to remove a supported high-risk finding before it reaches the audit committee. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Decline the benefit, disclose the approach and apply the organization's ethics process.
- Reprioritize the plan toward the higher-risk system and record the risk rationale.
- Escalate unresolved pressure through the chief audit executive and retain the supported finding.
- Expand testing or qualify the conclusion according to sampling risk and materiality.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Escalate unresolved pressure through the chief audit executive and retain the supported finding. The relevant control principle is: Professional independence requires reporting supported risk conclusions despite management preferences. A meaningful follow-up should establish: The issued report contains an evidence-grounded assessment and documented management response.
Incorrect Answers
A:Decline the benefit, disclose the approach and apply the organization's ethics process. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An external contractor offers the auditor a valuable gift while a supplier compliance assessment is being finalized. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Escalate unresolved pressure through the chief audit executive and retain the supported finding. The governing distinction is: Professional independence requires reporting supported risk conclusions despite management preferences.
B:Reprioritize the plan toward the higher-risk system and record the risk rationale. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: The annual audit plan gives equal effort to a low-risk intranet and a newly acquired payment processing platform. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Escalate unresolved pressure through the chief audit executive and retain the supported finding. The governing distinction is: Professional independence requires reporting supported risk conclusions despite management preferences.
D:Expand testing or qualify the conclusion according to sampling risk and materiality. 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 recommendation is: Escalate unresolved pressure through the chief audit executive and retain the supported finding. The governing distinction is: Professional independence requires reporting supported risk conclusions despite management preferences.
Question 129
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A virtualization administrator can snapshot and download regulated production virtual machines without oversight. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Unauthorized snapshot downloads are blocked and authorized operations are logged.
- Unauthorized public reads fail and approved access remains auditable.
- Users cannot obtain sensitive access until required training is recorded.
- Exercises demonstrate timely threat isolation while maintaining essential care pathways.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Unauthorized snapshot downloads are blocked and authorized operations are logged. It addresses cloud and virtualized environments. Underlying audit concern: Hypervisor privileges can expose entire workloads and require strict governance.
Incorrect Answers
B:Unauthorized public reads fail and approved access remains auditable. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A cloud storage bucket used for personnel data becomes publicly readable after a template change. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Unauthorized snapshot downloads are blocked and authorized operations are logged. The governing distinction is: Hypervisor privileges can expose entire workloads and require strict governance.
C:Users cannot obtain sensitive access until required training is recorded. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Contractor onboarding omits data-handling training although contractors access classified research files. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Unauthorized snapshot downloads are blocked and authorized operations are logged. The governing distinction is: Hypervisor privileges can expose entire workloads and require strict governance.
D:Exercises demonstrate timely threat isolation while maintaining essential care pathways. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A security team isolates a suspicious server without informing its critical care business owner, interrupting clinical operations. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Unauthorized snapshot downloads are blocked and authorized operations are logged. The governing distinction is: Hypervisor privileges can expose entire workloads and require strict governance.
Question 130
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A mobile-banking project reaches launch without an accountable sponsor for unresolved regulatory requirements. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Production permissions match reviewed baselines and exceptions have documented approval.
- The steering committee sees verified readiness, risk and dependency status before decisions.
- Representative payroll runs calculate and post deductions correctly before deployment.
- Launch authorization shows accountable acceptance of all material residual issues.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Launch authorization shows accountable acceptance of all material residual issues. It addresses project governance and management. Underlying audit concern: Project governance requires clear business ownership and formal acceptance of material risk.
Incorrect Answers
A:Production permissions match reviewed baselines and exceptions have documented approval. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A production release changes database permissions manually after the reviewed deployment package was approved. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Launch authorization shows accountable acceptance of all material residual issues. The governing distinction is: Project governance requires clear business ownership and formal acceptance of material risk.
B:The steering committee sees verified readiness, risk and dependency status before decisions. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A program steering committee receives status reports from one vendor but has no visibility into independent testing delays. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Launch authorization shows accountable acceptance of all material residual issues. The governing distinction is: Project governance requires clear business ownership and formal acceptance of material risk.
C:Representative payroll runs calculate and post deductions correctly before deployment. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A payroll release passes developer unit tests but has never completed end-to-end statutory deduction testing. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Launch authorization shows accountable acceptance of all material residual issues. The governing distinction is: Project governance requires clear business ownership and formal acceptance of material risk.