Isaca CISA Practice Test 43
Question 420
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A cloud-hosted application has healthy virtual machines but customer logins fail when its external identity service is unavailable. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Representative warehouse transactions continue correctly after the planned router change.
- A safe identity outage test produces expected user behavior and timely alerts.
- A controlled forwarding outage triggers timely alerting with identifiable ownership.
- An outage simulation shows no unexplained data loss and controlled eventual reconciliation.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:A safe identity outage test produces expected user behavior and timely alerts. It addresses it components. Underlying audit concern: Infrastructure health alone does not represent availability of external service dependencies.
Incorrect Answers
A:Representative warehouse transactions continue correctly after the planned router change. 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 verification is: A safe identity outage test produces expected user behavior and timely alerts. The governing distinction is: Infrastructure health alone does not represent availability of external service dependencies.
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: A safe identity outage test produces expected user behavior and timely alerts. The governing distinction is: Infrastructure health alone does not represent availability of external service dependencies.
D:An outage simulation shows no unexplained data loss and controlled eventual reconciliation. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A cloud event bus drops messages during an outage and consuming systems never replay them. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: A safe identity outage test produces expected user behavior and timely alerts. The governing distinction is: Infrastructure health alone does not represent availability of external service dependencies.
Question 421
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: Management accepts monthly vendor summaries without independently checking service-level breaches. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend a formally assessed update or compensating control with time-bound approval.
- Recommend an executable exit strategy with contractual assistance and tested exports.
- Recommend service-level indicators that correlate technical health with business availability.
- Recommend independent service-level validation and dispute or corrective-action processes.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Recommend independent service-level validation and dispute or corrective-action processes. The relevant control principle is: Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Reported breaches and service credits reconcile to authoritative operations evidence.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend a formally assessed update or compensating control with time-bound approval. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A legacy security standard remains mandatory even though new approved cloud services cannot technically meet it. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend independent service-level validation and dispute or corrective-action processes. The governing distinction is: Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims.
B:Recommend an executable exit strategy with contractual assistance and tested exports. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A critical provider exits the market and the customer has no usable data export or transition rights. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend independent service-level validation and dispute or corrective-action processes. The governing distinction is: Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims.
C:Recommend service-level indicators that correlate technical health with business availability. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: The IT dashboard shows 100 percent server uptime while customers report failed checkout transactions. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend independent service-level validation and dispute or corrective-action processes. The governing distinction is: Oversight needs verified performance evidence and appropriate challenge of provider claims.
Question 422
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A vendor's product demonstration uses sanitized sample data while the production workload needs complex legacy mappings. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend a proof of feasibility against critical clinical and regulatory criteria.
- Recommend a representative integration proof of concept before final procurement approval.
- Recommend preventive entitlement checks and independent monitoring in design acceptance criteria.
- Recommend risk-based release gates and accountable authorization in the pipeline.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Recommend a representative integration proof of concept before final procurement approval. The relevant control principle is: Feasibility conclusions require representative conditions and identified implementation constraints. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Pilot data flows reconcile successfully against real-world mapping and exception requirements.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend a proof of feasibility against critical clinical and regulatory criteria. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A hospital chooses a cloud imaging service without confirming network reliability or clinical response needs. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend a representative integration proof of concept before final procurement approval. The governing distinction is: Feasibility conclusions require representative conditions and identified implementation constraints.
C:Recommend preventive entitlement checks and independent monitoring in design acceptance criteria. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A new web checkout design addresses user experience but fails to define controls for unauthorized refund changes. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend a representative integration proof of concept before final procurement approval. The governing distinction is: Feasibility conclusions require representative conditions and identified implementation constraints.
D:Recommend risk-based release gates and accountable authorization in the pipeline. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A DevOps team deploys from automated pipelines with no independent approval for sensitive production promotions. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend a representative integration proof of concept before final procurement approval. The governing distinction is: Feasibility conclusions require representative conditions and identified implementation constraints.
Question 423
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A finance spreadsheet contains confidential salary data but is labeled public in the enterprise catalog. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend correcting its label and enforcing corresponding access and handling requirements.
- Recommend an accountable data steward and controlled master-data quality process.
- Recommend assigned regulatory monitoring and change approval for affected compliance procedures.
- Recommend service-level indicators that correlate technical health with business availability.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Recommend correcting its label and enforcing corresponding access and handling requirements. The relevant control principle is: Classification should reflect data sensitivity, business purpose and governing requirements. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Catalog labels, permissions and sample data handling match the approved classification.
Incorrect Answers
B:Recommend an accountable data steward and controlled master-data quality process. 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 recommendation is: Recommend correcting its label and enforcing corresponding access and handling requirements. The governing distinction is: Classification should reflect data sensitivity, business purpose and governing requirements.
C:Recommend assigned regulatory monitoring and change approval for affected compliance procedures. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A bank's compliance register still lists a superseded regulatory reporting deadline after a rule change. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend correcting its label and enforcing corresponding access and handling requirements. The governing distinction is: Classification should reflect data sensitivity, business purpose and governing requirements.
D:Recommend service-level indicators that correlate technical health with business availability. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: The IT dashboard shows 100 percent server uptime while customers report failed checkout transactions. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend correcting its label and enforcing corresponding access and handling requirements. The governing distinction is: Classification should reflect data sensitivity, business purpose and governing requirements.
Question 424
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: An auditor samples only Monday transactions to conclude that weekend payments were controlled effectively. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- The sample frame and selection method demonstrably cover the stated transaction population.
- The revised charter, staffing and completion criteria agree with actual work performed.
- The final communication accurately distinguishes advice from an independently supported assurance opinion.
- Each sampled leaver can be traced from HR termination to historical account status and removal time.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:The sample frame and selection method demonstrably cover the stated transaction population. It addresses audit testing and sampling methodology. Underlying audit concern: A nonrepresentative selection can lead to unsupported conclusions about the entire population.
Incorrect Answers
B:The revised charter, staffing and completion criteria agree with actual work performed. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Fieldwork expands to a new subsidiary without updating the approved engagement scope or communicating budget impact. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: The sample frame and selection method demonstrably cover the stated transaction population. The governing distinction is: A nonrepresentative selection can lead to unsupported conclusions about the entire population.
C: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 sample frame and selection method demonstrably cover the stated transaction population. The governing distinction is: A nonrepresentative selection can lead to unsupported conclusions about the entire population.
D: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: The sample frame and selection method demonstrably cover the stated transaction population. The governing distinction is: A nonrepresentative selection can lead to unsupported conclusions about the entire population.
Question 425
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A major cyber outage is escalated only after normal helpdesk response times expire. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Trained staff complete representative customer calls from the alternate site.
- A sample transaction completes correctly and accountable users confirm recovery.
- A simulated severe incident reaches designated decision-makers within defined thresholds.
- Business totals reconcile before and after authorized schema changes.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:A simulated severe incident reaches designated decision-makers within defined thresholds. It addresses problem and incident management. Underlying audit concern: Severe incidents require priority-based classification and timely escalation paths.
Incorrect Answers
A:Trained staff complete representative customer calls from the alternate site. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A call center continuity binder lists alternate desks but employees cannot access the customer service application from that location. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: A simulated severe incident reaches designated decision-makers within defined thresholds. The governing distinction is: Severe incidents require priority-based classification and timely escalation paths.
B:A sample transaction completes correctly and accountable users confirm recovery. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Operations declares an incident resolved because a server restarted, although business transactions remain stuck. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: A simulated severe incident reaches designated decision-makers within defined thresholds. The governing distinction is: Severe incidents require priority-based classification and timely escalation paths.
D:Business totals reconcile before and after authorized schema changes. 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 verification is: A simulated severe incident reaches designated decision-makers within defined thresholds. The governing distinction is: Severe incidents require priority-based classification and timely escalation paths.
Question 426
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A supplier SLA measures network interface uptime while the business requires successful customer transactions. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend proactive log management and capacity alarms without impairing recovery.
- Recommend business-service indicators and contractual accountability for meaningful failures.
- Recommend sustained remediation, contingency planning and governance escalation.
- Recommend accountable patch SLAs, validated deployment and approved time-limited exceptions.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Recommend business-service indicators and contractual accountability for meaningful failures. The relevant control principle is: Service agreements should define measurable outcomes aligned with customer needs. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Reported service levels capture transaction outages even when network links are healthy.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend proactive log management and capacity alarms without impairing recovery. 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 recommendation is: Recommend business-service indicators and contractual accountability for meaningful failures. The governing distinction is: Service agreements should define measurable outcomes aligned with customer needs.
C:Recommend sustained remediation, contingency planning and governance escalation. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A data processing vendor consistently misses recovery times but management pays service credits without correcting the cause. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend business-service indicators and contractual accountability for meaningful failures. The governing distinction is: Service agreements should define measurable outcomes aligned with customer needs.
D:Recommend accountable patch SLAs, validated deployment and approved time-limited exceptions. 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 recommendation is: Recommend business-service indicators and contractual accountability for meaningful failures. The governing distinction is: Service agreements should define measurable outcomes aligned with customer needs.
Question 427
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A cloud architecture exception bypasses the organization's target zero-trust network segmentation without review. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Expired exceptions close or are explicitly renewed with current evidence and risk ownership.
- Approved exceptions have time limits, compensating controls and technical enforcement evidence.
- Approved architecture records explain shared or separated platforms and their tradeoffs.
- Board risk views disclose significant exposures without misleading cross-category comparisons.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Approved exceptions have time limits, compensating controls and technical enforcement evidence. It addresses enterprise architecture and considerations. Underlying audit concern: Architectural deviations require formal risk evaluation and ownership.
Incorrect Answers
A:Expired exceptions close or are explicitly renewed with current evidence and risk ownership. 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 verification is: Approved exceptions have time limits, compensating controls and technical enforcement evidence. The governing distinction is: Architectural deviations require formal risk evaluation and ownership.
C:Approved architecture records explain shared or separated platforms and their tradeoffs. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A new acquisition builds duplicate identity and messaging platforms without considering existing enterprise capabilities. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Approved exceptions have time limits, compensating controls and technical enforcement evidence. The governing distinction is: Architectural deviations require formal risk evaluation and ownership.
D:Board risk views disclose significant exposures without misleading cross-category comparisons. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An enterprise applies one numeric risk score to cyber, safety and privacy exposures despite different materiality definitions. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Approved exceptions have time limits, compensating controls and technical enforcement evidence. The governing distinction is: Architectural deviations require formal risk evaluation and ownership.
Question 428
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A data processing vendor consistently misses recovery times but management pays service credits without correcting the cause. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- The configuration database identifies the actual application host and dependencies.
- Recovery performance meets required levels or management implements a documented alternative.
- A cross-vendor incident reaches an accountable resolver and meets agreed response rules.
- A site-loss simulation processes representative payments through the recovery location.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Recovery performance meets required levels or management implements a documented alternative. It addresses it service level management. Underlying audit concern: Service credits alone may not address underlying operational and continuity risk.
Incorrect Answers
A:The configuration database identifies the actual application host and dependencies. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A configuration database lists a retired server as the active owner of a production application. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Recovery performance meets required levels or management implements a documented alternative. The governing distinction is: Service credits alone may not address underlying operational and continuity risk.
C:A cross-vendor incident reaches an accountable resolver and meets agreed response rules. 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 verification is: Recovery performance meets required levels or management implements a documented alternative. The governing distinction is: Service credits alone may not address underlying operational and continuity risk.
D:A site-loss simulation processes representative payments through the recovery location. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A recovery site has servers but no validated link to the payment network after a facility loss. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Recovery performance meets required levels or management implements a documented alternative. The governing distinction is: Service credits alone may not address underlying operational and continuity risk.
Question 429
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: A business owner specifies a one-hour RTO but has never identified which external dependencies must also be restored. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- DR readiness should be tested under credible operational demand and resource constraints.
- Recovery objectives must include process dependencies and end-to-end recovery viability.
- Infrastructure component changes require compatibility and interface impact assessment.
- Business impact includes legal, safety, customer and operational harm beyond revenue.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Recovery objectives must include process dependencies and end-to-end recovery viability. The corresponding audit procedure is: Map payment partners, identity, network, staff and data needed for the service.
Incorrect Answers
A:DR readiness should be tested under credible operational demand and resource constraints. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A company rehearses DR annually on a clean weekend but its live recovery window overlaps payroll peaks and storage contention. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Recovery objectives must include process dependencies and end-to-end recovery viability. The governing distinction is: Recovery objectives must include process dependencies and end-to-end recovery viability.
C:Infrastructure component changes require compatibility and interface impact assessment. 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 principle is: Recovery objectives must include process dependencies and end-to-end recovery viability. The governing distinction is: Recovery objectives must include process dependencies and end-to-end recovery viability.
D:Business impact includes legal, safety, customer and operational harm beyond revenue. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Continuity leadership bases recovery priorities on annual revenue only and ignores safety-critical low-volume services. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Recovery objectives must include process dependencies and end-to-end recovery viability. The governing distinction is: Recovery objectives must include process dependencies and end-to-end recovery viability.
Question 430
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A redundant web cluster shares one DNS resolver and becomes inaccessible when that resolver fails. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend auditable emergency change controls with post-implementation oversight.
- Recommend capacity thresholds and a validated scale plan before peak season.
- Recommend resilient name resolution and failure testing for critical client access.
- Recommend severity-triggered rapid escalation and tested incident playbooks.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Recommend resilient name resolution and failure testing for critical client access. The relevant control principle is: Availability analysis must include upstream shared dependencies, not just redundant hosts. A meaningful follow-up should establish: A DNS component outage does not exceed the agreed service interruption target.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend auditable emergency change controls with post-implementation oversight. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An urgent firewall change is deployed without a ticket and later cannot be attributed to an approver. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend resilient name resolution and failure testing for critical client access. The governing distinction is: Availability analysis must include upstream shared dependencies, not just redundant hosts.
B:Recommend capacity thresholds and a validated scale plan before peak season. 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 recommendation is: Recommend resilient name resolution and failure testing for critical client access. The governing distinction is: Availability analysis must include upstream shared dependencies, not just redundant hosts.
D:Recommend severity-triggered rapid escalation and tested incident playbooks. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A major cyber outage is escalated only after normal helpdesk response times expire. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend resilient name resolution and failure testing for critical client access. The governing distinction is: Availability analysis must include upstream shared dependencies, not just redundant hosts.