Isaca CISA Practice Test 75
Question 740
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: After a malware outbreak is closed, identical infections recur because no root-cause or control improvement work is assigned. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend restoring critical module coverage and validating findings with manual review.
- Recommend a risk-based coordinated containment protocol with defined emergency powers.
- Recommend restricted protected signing operations and independent key management oversight.
- Recommend post-incident root-cause actions with accountable verification deadlines.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Recommend post-incident root-cause actions with accountable verification deadlines. The relevant control principle is: Incident lessons learned should improve preventive, detective and response controls. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Repeat infections decline and validated corrective controls remain effective.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend restoring critical module coverage and validating findings with manual review. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A code review tool shows no vulnerabilities after analysts exclude the main authentication module from scanning. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend post-incident root-cause actions with accountable verification deadlines. The governing distinction is: Incident lessons learned should improve preventive, detective and response controls.
B:Recommend a risk-based coordinated containment protocol with defined emergency powers. 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 recommendation is: Recommend post-incident root-cause actions with accountable verification deadlines. The governing distinction is: Incident lessons learned should improve preventive, detective and response controls.
C:Recommend restricted protected signing operations and independent key management oversight. 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 recommendation is: Recommend post-incident root-cause actions with accountable verification deadlines. The governing distinction is: Incident lessons learned should improve preventive, detective and response controls.
Question 741
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A routine database update causes outages because no dependency assessment included reporting services. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- A controlled forwarding outage triggers timely alerting with identifiable ownership.
- The configuration database identifies the actual application host and dependencies.
- A recovery rehearsal restores the complete service within the approved RTO.
- Subsequent database changes preserve required reporting functionality or roll back safely.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Subsequent database changes preserve required reporting functionality or roll back safely. It addresses it change, configuration, and patch management. Underlying audit concern: Change control should assess end-to-end service dependencies and rollback feasibility.
Incorrect Answers
A: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: Subsequent database changes preserve required reporting functionality or roll back safely. The governing distinction is: Change control should assess end-to-end service dependencies and rollback feasibility.
B: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: Subsequent database changes preserve required reporting functionality or roll back safely. The governing distinction is: Change control should assess end-to-end service dependencies and rollback feasibility.
C:A recovery rehearsal restores the complete service within the approved RTO. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A business owner specifies a one-hour RTO but has never identified which external dependencies must also be restored. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: Subsequent database changes preserve required reporting functionality or roll back safely. The governing distinction is: Change control should assess end-to-end service dependencies and rollback feasibility.
Question 742
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: Fieldwork expands to a new subsidiary without updating the approved engagement scope or communicating budget impact. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Calibrate the detection and corroborate material exceptions before reporting control failure.
- Obtain documented authorization for the scope adjustment and rebaseline the plan.
- Present a concise prioritized executive summary with detailed workpapers available on request.
- Complete and document supervisory review before finalizing the report.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Obtain documented authorization for the scope adjustment and rebaseline the plan. The relevant control principle is: Material scope changes require controlled approval, resource assessment and stakeholder communication. A meaningful follow-up should establish: The revised charter, staffing and completion criteria agree with actual work performed.
Incorrect Answers
A:Calibrate the detection and corroborate material exceptions before reporting control failure. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An anomaly model ranks high-value payments as suspicious but the auditor cannot explain its scoring or false-positive rate. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Obtain documented authorization for the scope adjustment and rebaseline the plan. The governing distinction is: Material scope changes require controlled approval, resource assessment and stakeholder communication.
C:Present a concise prioritized executive summary with detailed workpapers available on request. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A board report includes hundreds of raw test details but fails to distinguish enterprise-critical findings. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Obtain documented authorization for the scope adjustment and rebaseline the plan. The governing distinction is: Material scope changes require controlled approval, resource assessment and stakeholder communication.
D:Complete and document supervisory review before finalizing the report. 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 recommendation is: Obtain documented authorization for the scope adjustment and rebaseline the plan. The governing distinction is: Material scope changes require controlled approval, resource assessment and stakeholder communication.
Question 743
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: An auditor flags duplicated supplier invoices by invoice number alone and ignores vendor identifiers and credit notes. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Inspect model inputs, thresholds, precision results and representative flagged cases.
- Inspect data model, supplier identifiers, credit indicators and reconciliation counts.
- Reconcile HR departures and access history against the access extract's coverage dates.
- Recalculate the deviation rate, sample size, population and observed exceptions.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Inspect data model, supplier identifiers, credit indicators and reconciliation counts. The governing principle is: Analytics rules need valid business keys and exception handling to avoid false conclusions.
Incorrect Answers
A:Inspect model inputs, thresholds, precision results and representative flagged cases. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An anomaly model ranks high-value payments as suspicious but the auditor cannot explain its scoring or false-positive rate. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Inspect data model, supplier identifiers, credit indicators and reconciliation counts. The governing distinction is: Analytics rules need valid business keys and exception handling to avoid false conclusions.
C:Reconcile HR departures and access history against the access extract's coverage dates. 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 audit step is: Inspect data model, supplier identifiers, credit indicators and reconciliation counts. The governing distinction is: Analytics rules need valid business keys and exception handling to avoid false conclusions.
D:Recalculate the deviation rate, sample size, population and observed exceptions. 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 audit step is: Inspect data model, supplier identifiers, credit indicators and reconciliation counts. The governing distinction is: Analytics rules need valid business keys and exception handling to avoid false conclusions.
Question 744
Management reports that this issue has been corrected: A team stores database encryption keys in the same unrestricted repository as encrypted backups. Which result would provide the STRONGEST assurance that the issue is corrected?
- A lost-device simulation prevents continued corporate access without authorization.
- DLP alerts retain useful coverage while confirmed legitimate workflows have fewer unjustified blocks.
- Unauthorized large plaintext exports are prevented or promptly detected despite disk encryption.
- A backup-copy compromise does not grant unauthorized access to the decryption keys.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:A backup-copy compromise does not grant unauthorized access to the decryption keys. It addresses data encryption. Underlying audit concern: Key management separation is essential to preserve confidentiality and recovery security.
Incorrect Answers
A:A lost-device simulation prevents continued corporate access without authorization. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A lost employee phone still accesses confidential mail because device compliance and remote wipe were never enabled. In the present case, the most directly relevant verification is: A backup-copy compromise does not grant unauthorized access to the decryption keys. The governing distinction is: Key management separation is essential to preserve confidentiality and recovery security.
B:DLP alerts retain useful coverage while confirmed legitimate workflows have fewer unjustified blocks. 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 verification is: A backup-copy compromise does not grant unauthorized access to the decryption keys. The governing distinction is: Key management separation is essential to preserve confidentiality and recovery security.
C: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: A backup-copy compromise does not grant unauthorized access to the decryption keys. The governing distinction is: Key management separation is essential to preserve confidentiality and recovery security.
Question 745
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A hospital chooses a cloud imaging service without confirming network reliability or clinical response needs. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend end-to-end record reconciliation and disposition of transformation errors.
- Recommend a proof of feasibility against critical clinical and regulatory criteria.
- Recommend a structured post-implementation review with improvement assignments.
- Recommend a full business case including operational costs and sensitivity analysis.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Recommend a proof of feasibility against critical clinical and regulatory criteria. The relevant control principle is: Feasibility studies should test technical, operational and compliance constraints before selection. A meaningful follow-up should establish: Representative imaging workflow meets agreed performance and data-handling requirements.
Incorrect Answers
A:Recommend end-to-end record reconciliation and disposition of transformation errors. 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 recommendation is: Recommend a proof of feasibility against critical clinical and regulatory criteria. The governing distinction is: Feasibility studies should test technical, operational and compliance constraints before selection.
C:Recommend a structured post-implementation review with improvement assignments. 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 recommendation is: Recommend a proof of feasibility against critical clinical and regulatory criteria. The governing distinction is: Feasibility studies should test technical, operational and compliance constraints before selection.
D:Recommend a full business case including operational costs and sensitivity analysis. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: An automation business case counts staff savings but omits new licenses, monitoring and transition costs. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend a proof of feasibility against critical clinical and regulatory criteria. The governing distinction is: Feasibility studies should test technical, operational and compliance constraints before selection.
Question 746
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: Regional IT teams follow conflicting change-control procedures even though one enterprise policy applies. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Inspect portability clauses, data format, transition timing and alternative service readiness.
- Inspect exception inventory, supported cloud capabilities, risk assessments and approval rights.
- Compare local workflows, enterprise policy requirements and approved deviations.
- Compare vendor entitlements, deployments, retirements and usage evidence.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Compare local workflows, enterprise policy requirements and approved deviations. The governing principle is: Inconsistent procedures can weaken implementation of a common governance control.
Incorrect Answers
A:Inspect portability clauses, data format, transition timing and alternative service readiness. 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 audit step is: Compare local workflows, enterprise policy requirements and approved deviations. The governing distinction is: Inconsistent procedures can weaken implementation of a common governance control.
B:Inspect exception inventory, supported cloud capabilities, risk assessments and approval rights. 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 audit step is: Compare local workflows, enterprise policy requirements and approved deviations. The governing distinction is: Inconsistent procedures can weaken implementation of a common governance control.
D:Compare vendor entitlements, deployments, retirements and usage evidence. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Software licenses are renewed using last year's device counts despite major decommissioning. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Compare local workflows, enterprise policy requirements and approved deviations. The governing distinction is: Inconsistent procedures can weaken implementation of a common governance control.
Question 747
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: A cloud provider's assurance report covers physical facilities but the customer's tenant encryption and IAM are untested. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Review regulatory differences, baseline requirements, risk assessments and exception approvals.
- Compare simulation outcomes, repeat behavior, reporting rates and learner groups.
- Map shared-responsibility controls and review customer policies, logs and service settings.
- Review virtual infrastructure roles, snapshot events, datastore permissions and monitoring.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Map shared-responsibility controls and review customer policies, logs and service settings. The governing principle is: Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities.
Incorrect Answers
A:Review regulatory differences, baseline requirements, risk assessments and exception approvals. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A regional business copies a global security baseline but has no documented exceptions for local privacy restrictions. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Map shared-responsibility controls and review customer policies, logs and service settings. The governing distinction is: Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities.
B:Compare simulation outcomes, repeat behavior, reporting rates and learner groups. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: Annual phishing training records show high completion but employees repeatedly submit credentials to simulated malicious sites. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Map shared-responsibility controls and review customer policies, logs and service settings. The governing distinction is: Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities.
D:Review virtual infrastructure roles, snapshot events, datastore permissions and monitoring. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A virtualization administrator can snapshot and download regulated production virtual machines without oversight. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Map shared-responsibility controls and review customer policies, logs and service settings. The governing distinction is: Provider assurances do not automatically cover customer-operated security responsibilities.
Question 748
An IS auditor is preparing recommendations after reviewing this situation: A team stores database encryption keys in the same unrestricted repository as encrypted backups. Which recommendation would BEST address the identified weakness?
- Recommend protected key custody with restricted access and recoverable separation.
- Recommend complementary least-privilege access, export monitoring and key governance.
- Recommend evidence-based outcome grading and remediation of tested control gaps.
- Recommend least-privilege template controls and automated exposure monitoring.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Recommend protected key custody with restricted access and recoverable separation. The relevant control principle is: Key management separation is essential to preserve confidentiality and recovery security. A meaningful follow-up should establish: A backup-copy compromise does not grant unauthorized access to the decryption keys.
Incorrect Answers
B:Recommend complementary least-privilege access, export monitoring and key governance. 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 recommendation is: Recommend protected key custody with restricted access and recoverable separation. The governing distinction is: Key management separation is essential to preserve confidentiality and recovery security.
C:Recommend evidence-based outcome grading and remediation of tested control gaps. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A red-team exercise reports success based on one simulated phishing click without demonstrating access or business impact. In the present case, the most directly relevant recommendation is: Recommend protected key custody with restricted access and recoverable separation. The governing distinction is: Key management separation is essential to preserve confidentiality and recovery security.
D:Recommend least-privilege template controls and automated exposure monitoring. 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 recommendation is: Recommend protected key custody with restricted access and recoverable separation. The governing distinction is: Key management separation is essential to preserve confidentiality and recovery security.
Question 749
An IS auditor evaluates this situation: An agile team delivers features every sprint but security stories are never included in the product backlog. Which audit principle MOST directly applies to this situation?
- Production readiness needs business acceptance and control testing beyond unit coverage.
- Automation should enforce appropriate separation of duties and production-release control.
- Post-implementation review should assess realized business outcomes as well as delivery.
- An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process. The corresponding audit procedure is: Examine backlog prioritization, definition of done, security tests and sprint acceptance.
Incorrect Answers
A:Production readiness needs business acceptance and control testing beyond unit coverage. 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 principle is: An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process. The governing distinction is: An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process.
B:Automation should enforce appropriate separation of duties and production-release control. 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 principle is: An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process. The governing distinction is: An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process.
C:Post-implementation review should assess realized business outcomes as well as delivery. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A new HR system meets its technical go-live date but fails the promised reduction in onboarding time. In the present case, the most directly relevant principle is: An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process. The governing distinction is: An iterative development method still requires risks and controls within its delivery process.
Question 750
Before reaching an audit conclusion, consider: Emergency administrator accounts are exempt from monitoring and are never tested until an outage. Which evidence should the auditor review FIRST to evaluate this risk?
- Trace approved application flows, firewall rules and actual connection logs.
- Inspect export permissions, access volumes, file labels and DLP policy coverage.
- Examine emergency account custody, activation records, monitoring and reset procedures.
- Reconcile HR termination timestamps, application login records and account disablement.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Examine emergency account custody, activation records, monitoring and reset procedures. The governing principle is: Break-glass access must be controlled, logged, tested and periodically reauthorized.
Incorrect Answers
A:Trace approved application flows, firewall rules and actual connection logs. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A production network permits unrestricted traffic from user workstations to a sensitive payment database. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Examine emergency account custody, activation records, monitoring and reset procedures. The governing distinction is: Break-glass access must be controlled, logged, tested and periodically reauthorized.
B:Inspect export permissions, access volumes, file labels and DLP policy coverage. 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 audit step is: Examine emergency account custody, activation records, monitoring and reset procedures. The governing distinction is: Break-glass access must be controlled, logged, tested and periodically reauthorized.
D:Reconcile HR termination timestamps, application login records and account disablement. This would be relevant to a different issue such as: A departed finance employee's account remains enabled in a payroll application after HR termination. In the present case, the most directly relevant audit step is: Examine emergency account custody, activation records, monitoring and reset procedures. The governing distinction is: Break-glass access must be controlled, logged, tested and periodically reauthorized.