Isaca CISA Practice Test 73
Question 720
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A DBA changes production schema directly, causing an analytics extract to return wrong totals. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- An anticipated high-load period does not exhaust storage and restore capability remains intact.
- Business totals reconcile before and after authorized schema changes.
- A measured peak-like exercise meets agreed recovery times and identifies capacity shortfalls.
- A recovery test completes reconciled business transactions within required limits.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Business totals reconcile before and after authorized schema changes. It addresses database management. Underlying audit concern: Database changes require controlled migration, versioning and dependent-query testing.
Incorrect Answers
A:An anticipated high-load period does not exhaust storage and restore capability remains intact. 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 verification is: Business totals reconcile before and after authorized schema changes. The governing distinction is: Database changes require controlled migration, versioning and dependent-query testing.
C:A measured peak-like exercise meets agreed recovery times and identifies capacity shortfalls. 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 verification is: Business totals reconcile before and after authorized schema changes. The governing distinction is: Database changes require controlled migration, versioning and dependent-query testing.
D:A recovery test completes reconciled business transactions within required limits. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A disaster recovery runbook lists server boot order but omits database integrity and application acceptance tests. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Business totals reconcile before and after authorized schema changes. The governing distinction is: Database changes require controlled migration, versioning and dependent-query testing.
Question 721
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: An automation business case counts staff savings but omits new licenses, monitoring and transition costs. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Representative imaging workflow meets agreed performance and data-handling requirements.
- Invalid or manipulated requests are blocked and legitimate transactions remain correct.
- Approved changes reconcile to updated delivery plans and traceable decisions.
- Post-approval benefits can be compared with documented realistic financial assumptions.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Post-approval benefits can be compared with documented realistic financial assumptions. It addresses business case and feasibility analysis. Underlying audit concern: Investment feasibility should evaluate total costs, benefits, risks and measurable assumptions.
Incorrect Answers
A:Representative imaging workflow meets agreed performance and data-handling requirements. 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 verification is: Post-approval benefits can be compared with documented realistic financial assumptions. The governing distinction is: Investment feasibility should evaluate total costs, benefits, risks and measurable assumptions.
B:Invalid or manipulated requests are blocked and legitimate transactions remain correct. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A payment API relies on user-supplied transaction values without server-side validation. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Post-approval benefits can be compared with documented realistic financial assumptions. The governing distinction is: Investment feasibility should evaluate total costs, benefits, risks and measurable assumptions.
C:Approved changes reconcile to updated delivery plans and traceable decisions. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A new enterprise resource planning program frequently expands requirements without cost, risk or schedule review. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Post-approval benefits can be compared with documented realistic financial assumptions. The governing distinction is: Investment feasibility should evaluate total costs, benefits, risks and measurable assumptions.
Question 722
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: A spreadsheet with editable formulas calculates regulatory capital but has no validation or change history. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Check logging privileges, forwarding configuration, heartbeat and gap detection.
- Identify business use, sensitive documents, sharing recipients and enterprise alternatives.
- Review spreadsheet logic, versioning, reconciliations, owners and manual overrides.
- Map DNS architecture, cache behavior, alternate paths and outage records.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Review spreadsheet logic, versioning, reconciliations, owners and manual overrides. The governing principle is: Critical end-user computing requires integrity, access and change controls proportionate to risk.
Incorrect Answers
A:Check logging privileges, forwarding configuration, heartbeat and gap detection. 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 audit step is: Review spreadsheet logic, versioning, reconciliations, owners and manual overrides. The governing distinction is: Critical end-user computing requires integrity, access and change controls proportionate to risk.
B:Identify business use, sensitive documents, sharing recipients and enterprise alternatives. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A sales team stores client contracts in an unapproved personal file-sharing account for convenience. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Review spreadsheet logic, versioning, reconciliations, owners and manual overrides. The governing distinction is: Critical end-user computing requires integrity, access and change controls proportionate to risk.
D:Map DNS architecture, cache behavior, alternate paths and outage records. 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 audit step is: Review spreadsheet logic, versioning, reconciliations, owners and manual overrides. The governing distinction is: Critical end-user computing requires integrity, access and change controls proportionate to risk.
Question 723
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: A cloud provider's assurance report covers physical facilities but the customer's tenant encryption and IAM are untested. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Cloud shared responsibility includes customer configuration and continuous misconfiguration detection.
- Preserving original evidence is essential for reliable investigation and potential legal use.
- Threat monitoring should assess indicator freshness, context and false-positive effects.
- Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities. The corresponding audit procedure is: Map shared-responsibility controls and review customer policies, logs and service settings.
Incorrect Answers
A:Cloud shared responsibility includes customer configuration and continuous misconfiguration detection. 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 principle is: Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities. The governing distinction is: Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities.
B:Preserving original evidence is essential for reliable investigation and potential legal use. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Security staff begin forensic analysis directly on a live original log file and overwrite timestamps. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities. The governing distinction is: Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities.
C:Threat monitoring should assess indicator freshness, context and false-positive effects. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A threat-intelligence feed generates blocks for obsolete indicators without regular relevance review. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities. The governing distinction is: Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities.
Question 724
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A software delivery group claims quality because unit tests pass, but repeated severe production incidents persist. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Signed obligations and monitoring evidence cover the organization's critical service needs.
- Affected cloud deployments follow a documented approved standard or valid exception.
- Defect leakage and repeat incident rates fall under measured controls.
- Sample teams operate the current version and report measurable adherence.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Defect leakage and repeat incident rates fall under measured controls. It addresses quality assurance and quality management of it. Underlying audit concern: Quality management should evaluate defects, process capability and business outcomes across the lifecycle.
Incorrect Answers
A:Signed obligations and monitoring evidence cover the organization's critical service needs. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A SaaS provider promises 99.9% uptime in a brochure but the signed agreement contains no measurable recovery commitment. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Defect leakage and repeat incident rates fall under measured controls. The governing distinction is: Quality management should evaluate defects, process capability and business outcomes across the lifecycle.
B:Affected cloud deployments follow a documented approved standard or valid exception. 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 verification is: Defect leakage and repeat incident rates fall under measured controls. The governing distinction is: Quality management should evaluate defects, process capability and business outcomes across the lifecycle.
D:Sample teams operate the current version and report measurable adherence. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A new corporate service standard is rolled out without training, version control or effectiveness reviews. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Defect leakage and repeat incident rates fall under measured controls. The governing distinction is: Quality management should evaluate defects, process capability and business outcomes across the lifecycle.
Question 725
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: A code review tool shows no vulnerabilities after analysts exclude the main authentication module from scanning. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Security test findings require contextual verification and risk assessment before conclusions.
- CA private keys require strong custody and accountable access due to their trust impact.
- Break-glass access must be controlled, logged, tested and periodically reauthorized.
- Assessment conclusions depend on complete and relevant testing coverage.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Assessment conclusions depend on complete and relevant testing coverage. The corresponding audit procedure is: Compare source inventory, tool scope exclusions, build artifacts and risk areas.
Incorrect Answers
A:Security test findings require contextual verification and risk assessment before conclusions. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A vulnerability scanner reports a critical web flaw but the service is behind a compensating control and no validation occurs. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Assessment conclusions depend on complete and relevant testing coverage. The governing distinction is: Assessment conclusions depend on complete and relevant testing coverage.
B:CA private keys require strong custody and accountable access due to their trust impact. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A certificate authority's signing key is available to several administrators without dual control. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Assessment conclusions depend on complete and relevant testing coverage. The governing distinction is: Assessment conclusions depend on complete and relevant testing coverage.
C:Break-glass access must be controlled, logged, tested and periodically reauthorized. 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 principle is: Assessment conclusions depend on complete and relevant testing coverage. The governing distinction is: Assessment conclusions depend on complete and relevant testing coverage.
Question 726
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: A team uses the same deployment credentials for development, test and production systems. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Confidentiality does not replace integrity and completeness controls for converted data.
- Configuration changes must remain controlled, traceable and aligned with approved baselines.
- Environment segregation supports authorization and limits unauthorized promotion risk.
- Lessons learned and operational handoff should feed governance and future improvements.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Environment segregation supports authorization and limits unauthorized promotion risk. The corresponding audit procedure is: Review credential scope, pipeline identities, environment boundaries and access records.
Incorrect Answers
A:Confidentiality does not replace integrity and completeness controls for converted data. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A data migration design encrypts transfers but does not detect missing or duplicated customer records. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Environment segregation supports authorization and limits unauthorized promotion risk. The governing distinction is: Environment segregation supports authorization and limits unauthorized promotion risk.
B:Configuration changes must remain controlled, traceable and aligned with approved baselines. 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 principle is: Environment segregation supports authorization and limits unauthorized promotion risk. The governing distinction is: Environment segregation supports authorization and limits unauthorized promotion risk.
D:Lessons learned and operational handoff should feed governance and future improvements. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A completed software project is archived without documenting incidents and change causes from the first operating month. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: Environment segregation supports authorization and limits unauthorized promotion risk. The governing distinction is: Environment segregation supports authorization and limits unauthorized promotion risk.
Question 727
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A legacy security standard remains mandatory even though new approved cloud services cannot technically meet it. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- Affected cloud deployments follow a documented approved standard or valid exception.
- Sample changes in each region follow the same mandatory authorization and evidence rules.
- Support workflow succeeds without exposing unnecessary identity data.
- Defect leakage and repeat incident rates fall under measured controls.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Affected cloud deployments follow a documented approved standard or valid exception. It addresses it policies, standards, procedures and practices. Underlying audit concern: Standards must be reviewed and changed through formal governance without silently weakening policy.
Incorrect Answers
B:Sample changes in each region follow the same mandatory authorization and evidence rules. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Regional IT teams follow conflicting change-control procedures even though one enterprise policy applies. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Affected cloud deployments follow a documented approved standard or valid exception. The governing distinction is: Standards must be reviewed and changed through formal governance without silently weakening policy.
C:Support workflow succeeds without exposing unnecessary identity data. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A service provider requests full identity documents when a masked identifier would satisfy a support task. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Affected cloud deployments follow a documented approved standard or valid exception. The governing distinction is: Standards must be reviewed and changed through formal governance without silently weakening policy.
D:Defect leakage and repeat incident rates fall under measured controls. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A software delivery group claims quality because unit tests pass, but repeated severe production incidents persist. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Affected cloud deployments follow a documented approved standard or valid exception. The governing distinction is: Standards must be reviewed and changed through formal governance without silently weakening policy.
Question 728
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A company copies database files nightly while transactions remain active, producing inconsistent backups. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend periodic representative restoration tests with objective success criteria.
- Recommend application-consistent backup and recovery sequencing for the database.
- Recommend auditable emergency change controls with post-implementation oversight.
- Recommend sustained remediation, contingency planning and governance escalation.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Recommend application-consistent backup and recovery sequencing for the database. The relevant control principle is: Data protection must account for application consistency and in-flight transactions. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Restoration passes transactional integrity and reconciliation tests.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend periodic representative restoration tests with objective success criteria. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An enterprise calls backups successful because jobs complete, but no recent restoration test has been performed. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend application-consistent backup and recovery sequencing for the database. The governing distinction is: Data protection must account for application consistency and in-flight transactions.
C: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 application-consistent backup and recovery sequencing for the database. The governing distinction is: Data protection must account for application consistency and in-flight transactions.
D: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 application-consistent backup and recovery sequencing for the database. The governing distinction is: Data protection must account for application consistency and in-flight transactions.
Question 729
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: A payroll system uses post-payment anomaly reports but has no approval requirement for changing bank accounts. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Compare approved charter, new testing requests, risk justification and effort forecast.
- Inspect account-change workflow, approver segregation and exception follow-up records.
- Sample alert queues, closure timestamps, escalation rules and staff assignments.
- Compare report scope dates, exclusions, complementary user controls and identified gaps.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Inspect account-change workflow, approver segregation and exception follow-up records. The governing principle is: Detective review does not automatically replace an effective preventive authorization control.
Incorrect Answers
A:Compare approved charter, new testing requests, risk justification and effort forecast. 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 audit step is: Inspect account-change workflow, approver segregation and exception follow-up records. The governing distinction is: Detective review does not automatically replace an effective preventive authorization control.
C:Sample alert queues, closure timestamps, escalation rules and staff assignments. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A monitoring alert is generated for suspicious transfers, but no owner is assigned to investigate or close it. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Inspect account-change workflow, approver segregation and exception follow-up records. The governing distinction is: Detective review does not automatically replace an effective preventive authorization control.
D:Compare report scope dates, exclusions, complementary user controls and identified gaps. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A supplier gives the audit team a third-party control report that expired before the review period. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Inspect account-change workflow, approver segregation and exception follow-up records. The governing distinction is: Detective review does not automatically replace an effective preventive authorization control.
Question 730
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A financial transfer job can be rerun after timeout and processes the same payment twice. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- The configuration database identifies the actual application host and dependencies.
- Representative warehouse transactions continue correctly after the planned router change.
- Replayed requests create one authorized business transaction with consistent audit logs.
- Unauthorized script edits are denied and authorized revisions are traceable.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Replayed requests create one authorized business transaction with consistent audit logs. It addresses job scheduling and production process automation. Underlying audit concern: Automated restart must avoid duplicate or incomplete business transactions.
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: Replayed requests create one authorized business transaction with consistent audit logs. The governing distinction is: Automated restart must avoid duplicate or incomplete business transactions.
B: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: Replayed requests create one authorized business transaction with consistent audit logs. The governing distinction is: Automated restart must avoid duplicate or incomplete business transactions.
D:Unauthorized script edits are denied and authorized revisions are traceable. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An operator can edit scheduled payroll scripts directly in production without independent approval. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Replayed requests create one authorized business transaction with consistent audit logs. The governing distinction is: Automated restart must avoid duplicate or incomplete business transactions.