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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?

  1. Review key boundaries, export permissions, data access logs and classification.
  2. Inspect reviewer role, HR roster, role descriptions and sample revocation outcomes.
  3. Review classification rules, false-positive cases, override frequency and business needs.
  4. 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?

  1. Trace service name resolution, provider SLAs, failure modes and fallback arrangements.
  2. Inspect log growth, alert thresholds, backups and space utilization trends.
  3. Compare discovery scans, inventory records, host ownership and vendor support status.
  4. 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?

  1. Review risk committee charters, decision rights and reporting relationships.
  2. Review committee charters, delegation matrices and a sample of disputed approvals.
  3. Map processing copies, retention rules, purge jobs and legal hold exceptions.
  4. 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?

  1. The engagement plan assigns qualified reviewers to every critical test before sign-off.
  2. The final communication accurately distinguishes advice from an independently supported assurance opinion.
  3. Audit oversight receives accurate aging, ownership and retest status for open actions.
  4. 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?

  1. An attack sequence should be assessed using corroborated indicators and business impact.
  2. Physical access controls must cover alternate entry points and generate reliable access evidence.
  3. Environmental protection requires functioning detection, alerting and appropriate response.
  4. 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?

  1. A controlled renewal leaves the active endpoint with a valid trusted certificate.
  2. Unauthorized large plaintext exports are prevented or promptly detected despite disk encryption.
  3. An unauthorized password-only login to privileged remote access is rejected.
  4. 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?

  1. A tabletop with the primary leader absent triggers valid timely BCP activation.
  2. An anticipated high-load period does not exhaust storage and restore capability remains intact.
  3. A controlled forwarding outage triggers timely alerting with identifiable ownership.
  4. 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?

  1. Recommend prompt risk-based incident escalation and containment consideration.
  2. Recommend monitored and secured emergency access consistent with life-safety requirements.
  3. Recommend role-based training prerequisites and tracked renewal for external users.
  4. 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?

  1. Decline the benefit, disclose the approach and apply the organization's ethics process.
  2. Reprioritize the plan toward the higher-risk system and record the risk rationale.
  3. Escalate unresolved pressure through the chief audit executive and retain the supported finding.
  4. 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?

  1. Unauthorized snapshot downloads are blocked and authorized operations are logged.
  2. Unauthorized public reads fail and approved access remains auditable.
  3. Users cannot obtain sensitive access until required training is recorded.
  4. 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?

  1. Production permissions match reviewed baselines and exceptions have documented approval.
  2. The steering committee sees verified readiness, risk and dependency status before decisions.
  3. Representative payroll runs calculate and post deductions correctly before deployment.
  4. 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.

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) Practice Tests