Isaca CISA Practice Test 15
Question 140
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A regional business copies a global security baseline but has no documented exceptions for local privacy restrictions. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend a risk-based framework mapping with accountable control owners and periodic review.
- Recommend restricted emergency access with independent after-use review and periodic exercises.
- Recommend approved controlled testing with coordinated incident-response safeguards.
- Recommend an approved localization and compensating-control process with centralized oversight.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Recommend an approved localization and compensating-control process with centralized oversight. The relevant control principle is: Framework implementation should address local constraints without unreviewed security gaps. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Regional implementations satisfy both corporate security intent and applicable legal obligations.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend a risk-based framework mapping with accountable control owners and periodic review. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A technology subsidiary adopts a security checklist that cannot be traced to its enterprise risk appetite or legal obligations. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend an approved localization and compensating-control process with centralized oversight. The governing distinction is: Framework implementation should address local constraints without unreviewed security gaps.
B:Recommend restricted emergency access with independent after-use review and periodic exercises. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Emergency administrator accounts are exempt from monitoring and are never tested until an outage. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend an approved localization and compensating-control process with centralized oversight. The governing distinction is: Framework implementation should address local constraints without unreviewed security gaps.
C:Recommend approved controlled testing with coordinated incident-response safeguards. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A penetration test exercises production authentication without authorization or a recovery plan. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend an approved localization and compensating-control process with centralized oversight. The governing distinction is: Framework implementation should address local constraints without unreviewed security gaps.
Question 141
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A transaction platform runs at high average CPU and has no measured headroom for seasonal spikes. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- A realistic stress test meets response targets with required failover headroom.
- A DNS component outage does not exceed the agreed service interruption target.
- Active licenses, contract costs and actual deployments agree within documented exceptions.
- The recovery sequence reflects validated criticality and maximum tolerable disruption.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:A realistic stress test meets response targets with required failover headroom. It addresses systems availability and capacity management. Underlying audit concern: Capacity planning must account for peak demand, growth and degraded operation.
Incorrect Answers
B:A DNS component outage does not exceed the agreed service interruption target. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A redundant web cluster shares one DNS resolver and becomes inaccessible when that resolver fails. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: A realistic stress test meets response targets with required failover headroom. The governing distinction is: Capacity planning must account for peak demand, growth and degraded operation.
C:Active licenses, contract costs and actual deployments agree within documented exceptions. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A company continues paying software maintenance for applications deleted during a consolidation. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: A realistic stress test meets response targets with required failover headroom. The governing distinction is: Capacity planning must account for peak demand, growth and degraded operation.
D:The recovery sequence reflects validated criticality and maximum tolerable disruption. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A continuity plan treats a rarely used test portal and a critical emergency dispatch system as equally urgent. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: A realistic stress test meets response targets with required failover headroom. The governing distinction is: Capacity planning must account for peak demand, growth and degraded operation.
Question 142
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: Privileged database administrators routinely use shared root credentials without individual attribution. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Access reviews require knowledgeable business ownership of authorization decisions.
- Data loss controls should be tied to classification, legitimate purpose and authorized exfiltration paths.
- Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege.
- Monitoring reliability requires completeness, heartbeat and sensor-health validation.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege. The corresponding audit procedure is: Inspect privileged session logs, account ownership, vault configuration and duties.
Incorrect Answers
A:Access reviews require knowledgeable business ownership of authorization decisions. 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 principle is: Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege. The governing distinction is: Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege.
B:Data loss controls should be tied to classification, legitimate purpose and authorized exfiltration paths. 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 principle is: Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege. The governing distinction is: Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege.
D:Monitoring reliability requires completeness, heartbeat and sensor-health validation. 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 principle is: Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege. The governing distinction is: Privileged access should be individually attributable and constrained by least privilege.
Question 143
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A payroll system uses post-payment anomaly reports but has no approval requirement for changing bank accounts. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- An attempted single-user dual approval is blocked and the two identities appear in audit evidence.
- Confirmed duplicates and legitimate reversals are separately documented and reproducible.
- The approved plan allocates coverage and audit hours in line with documented material risk.
- A test change cannot bypass approval, and independent exception review still operates.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:A test change cannot bypass approval, and independent exception review still operates. It addresses types of controls and considerations. Underlying audit concern: Detective review does not automatically replace an effective preventive authorization control.
Incorrect Answers
A:An attempted single-user dual approval is blocked and the two identities appear in audit evidence. 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 verification is: A test change cannot bypass approval, and independent exception review still operates. The governing distinction is: Detective review does not automatically replace an effective preventive authorization control.
B:Confirmed duplicates and legitimate reversals are separately documented and reproducible. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An auditor flags duplicated supplier invoices by invoice number alone and ignores vendor identifiers and credit notes. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: A test change cannot bypass approval, and independent exception review still operates. The governing distinction is: Detective review does not automatically replace an effective preventive authorization control.
C:The approved plan allocates coverage and audit hours in line with documented material risk. 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 verification is: A test change cannot bypass approval, and independent exception review still operates. The governing distinction is: Detective review does not automatically replace an effective preventive authorization control.
Question 144
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: An IT inventory lists hundreds of production servers without owners or support end dates. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Compare discovery scans, inventory records, host ownership and vendor support status.
- Inspect connector permissions, transferred fields, approval records and process ownership.
- Map live transactions through compute, middleware, database, network and shared dependencies.
- Reconcile asset tags, chain-of-custody receipts, data classification and destruction records.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Compare discovery scans, inventory records, host ownership and vendor support status. The governing principle is: Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions.
Incorrect Answers
B:Inspect connector permissions, transferred fields, approval records and process ownership. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A department builds a low-code workflow that sends customer data to an unknown external connector. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Compare discovery scans, inventory records, host ownership and vendor support status. The governing distinction is: Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions.
C:Map live transactions through compute, middleware, database, network and shared dependencies. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A payment service uses a load balancer, two application servers and one database but its diagram lists only the web servers as critical. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Compare discovery scans, inventory records, host ownership and vendor support status. The governing distinction is: Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions.
D:Reconcile asset tags, chain-of-custody receipts, data classification and destruction records. 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 audit step is: Compare discovery scans, inventory records, host ownership and vendor support status. The governing distinction is: Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions.
Question 145
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A planned analytics launch relies on one database specialist who has no trained backup. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Escalate interpretation to the authorized legal owner and align the retention policy accordingly.
- Recommend cross-training and documented alternate coverage for critical operations.
- Recommend governed capacity reallocation or documented justification for new procurement.
- Recommend reassessing impact and escalating acceptance above delegated limits.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Recommend cross-training and documented alternate coverage for critical operations. The relevant control principle is: Critical skill dependencies should be addressed in resource and continuity planning. A meaningful follow-up should establish: A qualified alternate performs a representative critical task without the primary specialist.
Incorrect Answers
A:Escalate interpretation to the authorized legal owner and align the retention policy accordingly. 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 recommendation is: Recommend cross-training and documented alternate coverage for critical operations. The governing distinction is: Critical skill dependencies should be addressed in resource and continuity planning.
C:Recommend governed capacity reallocation or documented justification for new procurement. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An infrastructure team buys additional servers while idle compatible capacity remains unallocated in another business unit. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend cross-training and documented alternate coverage for critical operations. The governing distinction is: Critical skill dependencies should be addressed in resource and continuity planning.
D:Recommend reassessing impact and escalating acceptance above delegated limits. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A department labels a customer outage risk acceptable because its probability is low without evaluating financial impact. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend cross-training and documented alternate coverage for critical operations. The governing distinction is: Critical skill dependencies should be addressed in resource and continuity planning.
Question 146
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: A retail chain replaces laptops but leaves decommissioned drives untracked with a disposal contractor. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Compare discovery scans, inventory records, host ownership and vendor support status.
- Inspect connector permissions, transferred fields, approval records and process ownership.
- Inspect route tables, protocol dependencies, vendor support and test evidence.
- Reconcile asset tags, chain-of-custody receipts, data classification and destruction records.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Reconcile asset tags, chain-of-custody receipts, data classification and destruction records. The governing principle is: Asset lifecycle management must control custody and data disposition at retirement.
Incorrect Answers
A: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: Reconcile asset tags, chain-of-custody receipts, data classification and destruction records. The governing distinction is: Asset lifecycle management must control custody and data disposition at retirement.
B:Inspect connector permissions, transferred fields, approval records and process ownership. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A department builds a low-code workflow that sends customer data to an unknown external connector. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Reconcile asset tags, chain-of-custody receipts, data classification and destruction records. The governing distinction is: Asset lifecycle management must control custody and data disposition at retirement.
C:Inspect route tables, protocol dependencies, vendor support and test evidence. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A network router is upgraded without identifying the legacy protocol needed by an older warehouse controller. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Reconcile asset tags, chain-of-custody receipts, data classification and destruction records. The governing distinction is: Asset lifecycle management must control custody and data disposition at retirement.
Question 147
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A department labels a customer outage risk acceptable because its probability is low without evaluating financial impact. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Verified storage locations and downstream contracts align with permitted processing.
- Risk treatment decisions remain within approved appetite or receive documented authorized escalation.
- The risk record identifies an authorized owner, action, due date and monitored residual risk.
- Procurement decisions cite capacity forecasts and approved constraints rather than assumptions.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Risk treatment decisions remain within approved appetite or receive documented authorized escalation. It addresses enterprise risk management. Underlying audit concern: Risk decisions must consider both likelihood and impact against appetite and tolerance.
Incorrect Answers
A:Verified storage locations and downstream contracts align with permitted processing. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A subcontractor stores confidential records in a region excluded by the prime provider's contract. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Risk treatment decisions remain within approved appetite or receive documented authorized escalation. The governing distinction is: Risk decisions must consider both likelihood and impact against appetite and tolerance.
C:The risk record identifies an authorized owner, action, due date and monitored residual risk. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A risk register identifies unpatched critical servers but assigns the mitigation decision to the auditor. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Risk treatment decisions remain within approved appetite or receive documented authorized escalation. The governing distinction is: Risk decisions must consider both likelihood and impact against appetite and tolerance.
D:Procurement decisions cite capacity forecasts and approved constraints rather than assumptions. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An infrastructure team buys additional servers while idle compatible capacity remains unallocated in another business unit. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Risk treatment decisions remain within approved appetite or receive documented authorized escalation. The governing distinction is: Risk decisions must consider both likelihood and impact against appetite and tolerance.
Question 148
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: A supplier SLA measures network interface uptime while the business requires successful customer transactions. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Review vulnerability severity, exposed assets, patch schedules and documented deferrals.
- Review peak transaction load, resource saturation, forecasts and failure reserves.
- Compare SLA definitions, user-impacting incidents and critical application dependencies.
- Review service boundaries, dependency maps and sample unresolved multivendor incidents.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Compare SLA definitions, user-impacting incidents and critical application dependencies. The governing principle is: Service agreements should define measurable outcomes aligned with customer needs.
Incorrect Answers
A:Review vulnerability severity, exposed assets, patch schedules and documented deferrals. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A security patch is applied on test servers but production remains vulnerable for months without risk approval. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Compare SLA definitions, user-impacting incidents and critical application dependencies. The governing distinction is: Service agreements should define measurable outcomes aligned with customer needs.
B:Review peak transaction load, resource saturation, forecasts and failure reserves. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A transaction platform runs at high average CPU and has no measured headroom for seasonal spikes. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Compare SLA definitions, user-impacting incidents and critical application dependencies. The governing distinction is: Service agreements should define measurable outcomes aligned with customer needs.
D:Review service boundaries, dependency maps and sample unresolved multivendor incidents. 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 audit step is: Compare SLA definitions, user-impacting incidents and critical application dependencies. The governing distinction is: Service agreements should define measurable outcomes aligned with customer needs.
Question 149
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A new acquisition builds duplicate identity and messaging platforms without considering existing enterprise capabilities. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Approved architecture records explain shared or separated platforms and their tradeoffs.
- Cross-system records reconcile to approved definitions and downstream errors decline.
- Data samples reflect the approved retention decision without unapproved loss or overretention.
- Downstream consumers use a documented authoritative source with measured consistency.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Approved architecture records explain shared or separated platforms and their tradeoffs. It addresses enterprise architecture and considerations. Underlying audit concern: Enterprise architecture should document target capabilities and integration or rationalization decisions.
Incorrect Answers
B:Cross-system records reconcile to approved definitions and downstream errors decline. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Different departments adopt incompatible master-data formats for the same customer identifier. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Approved architecture records explain shared or separated platforms and their tradeoffs. The governing distinction is: Enterprise architecture should document target capabilities and integration or rationalization decisions.
C:Data samples reflect the approved retention decision without unapproved loss or overretention. 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 verification is: Approved architecture records explain shared or separated platforms and their tradeoffs. The governing distinction is: Enterprise architecture should document target capabilities and integration or rationalization decisions.
D:Downstream consumers use a documented authoritative source with measured consistency. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Multiple business units publish different values for the same customer account status without a nominated data steward. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Approved architecture records explain shared or separated platforms and their tradeoffs. The governing distinction is: Enterprise architecture should document target capabilities and integration or rationalization decisions.
Question 150
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: An IT inventory lists hundreds of production servers without owners or support end dates. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Software asset records must reconcile acquisitions, deployment, retirement and entitlements.
- Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions.
- Infrastructure health alone does not represent availability of external service dependencies.
- Service agreements should define measurable outcomes aligned with customer needs.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions. The corresponding audit procedure is: Compare discovery scans, inventory records, host ownership and vendor support status.
Incorrect Answers
A:Software asset records must reconcile acquisitions, deployment, retirement and entitlements. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A company continues paying software maintenance for applications deleted during a consolidation. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions. The governing distinction is: Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions.
C:Infrastructure health alone does not represent availability of external service dependencies. 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 principle is: Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions. The governing distinction is: Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions.
D:Service agreements should define measurable outcomes aligned with customer needs. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A supplier SLA measures network interface uptime while the business requires successful customer transactions. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions. The governing distinction is: Effective inventory management supports accountable maintenance, security and lifecycle decisions.