Isaca CISM Questions Answers

= The most important consideration when establishing an organization’s information security governance committee is to ensure that members represent functions across the organization. This is because the information security governance committee is responsible for setting the direction, scope, and objectives of the information security program, and for ensuring that the program aligns with the organization’s business goals and strategies. By having members from different functions, such as finance, human resources, operations, legal, and IT, the committee can ensure that the information security program considers the needs, expectations, and perspectives of various stakeholders, and that the program supports the organization’s mission, vision, and values. Having a diverse and representative committee also helps to foster a culture of security awareness and accountability throughout the organization, and to promote collaboration and communication among different functions.

Members having knowledge of information security controls, members being business risk owners, and members being rotated periodically are all desirable characteristics of an information security governance committee, but they are not the most important consideration. Members having knowledge of information security controls can help the committee to understand the technical aspects of information security and to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the information security program. However, having technical knowledge is not sufficient to ensure that the information security program is aligned with the organization’s business goals and strategies, and that the program considers the needs and expectations of various stakeholders. Members being business risk owners can help the committee to identify and prioritize the information security risks that affect the organization’s business objectives, and to allocate appropriate resources and responsibilities for managing those risks. However, being a business risk owner does not necessarily imply that the member has a comprehensive and balanced view of the organization’s information security needs and expectations, and that the member can represent the interests and perspectives of various functions. Members being rotated periodically can help the committee to maintain its independence and objectivity, and to avoid conflicts of interest or complacency. However, rotating members too frequently can also reduce the continuity and consistency of the information security program, and can affect the committee’s ability to monitor and evaluate the performance and progress of the information security program. References =

ISACA, CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, 2020, pages 36-37.

ISACA, CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, 12th Edition, 2020, question ID 1014.

During the initiation phase of the system development life cycle (SDLC) for a software project, information security activities should address security objectives, which are derived from the business objectives and the risk assessment. Security objectives define the desired level of protection for the system and its data, and guide the selection of security controls in later phases. Baseline security controls are predefined sets of security requirements that apply to common types of systems or environments. Benchmarking security metrics is a process of comparing the performance of security processes or controls against a standard or best practice. Cost-benefit analyses are used to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of security controls, and are usually performed in the acquisition/development phase or the implementation phase of the SDLC. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 1021; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 772

Learn more:

1. isaca.org2. amazon.com3. gov.uk

According to the CISM Review Manual, 15th Edition1, information asset classification is the process of assigning a level of sensitivity to information assets based on their importance to the organization and the potential impact of unauthorized disclosure, modification or destruction. The criticality of an information asset to a business process is one of the key factors that determines its classification level.

References = 1: CISM Review Manual, 15th Edition, ISACA, 2016, Chapter 2, page 61.