New Release CISM Isaca Certification Questions

 The most important reason for having an information security manager serve on the change management committee is to advise on change-related risk. Change management is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling changes to the organization’s IT systems, processes, or services, in order to achieve the desired outcomes and minimize the negative impacts1. Change-related risk is the possibility of adverse consequences or events resulting from the changes, such as security breaches, system failures, data loss, compliance violations, or customer dissatisfaction2.

The information security manager is responsible for ensuring that the organization’s information assets are protected from internal and external threats, and that the information security objectives and requirements are aligned with the business goals and strategies3. Therefore, the information security manager should serve on the change management committee to advise on change-related risk, and to ensure that the changes are consistent with the information security policy, standards, and best practices. The information security manager can also help to identify and assess the potential security risks and impacts of the changes, and to recommend and implement appropriate security controls and measures to mitigate them. The information security manager can also help to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and performance of the changes, and to identify and resolve any security issues or incidents that may arise from the changes4.

The other options are not as important as advising on change-related risk, because they are either more specific, limited, or dependent on the information security manager’s role. Identifying changes to the information security policy is a task that the information security manager may perform as part of the change management process, but it is not the primary reason for serving on the change management committee. The information security policy is the document that defines the organization’s information security principles, objectives, roles, and responsibilities, and it should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect the changes in the organization’s environment, needs, and risks5. However, identifying changes to the information security policy is not as important as advising on change-related risk, because the policy is a high-level document that does not provide specific guidance or details on how to implement or manage the changes. Ensuring that changes are tested is a quality assurance activity that the change management committee may perform or oversee as part of the change management process, but it is not the primary reason for having an information security manager on the committee. Testing is the process of verifying and validating that the changes meet the expected requirements, specifications, and outcomes, and that they do not introduce any errors, defects, or vulnerabilities. However, ensuring that changes are tested is not as important as advising on change-related risk, because testing is a technical or operational activity that does not address the strategic or holistic aspects of change-related risk. Ensuring changes are properly documented is a governance activity that the change management committee may perform or oversee as part of the change management process, but it is not the primary reason for having an information security manager on the committee. Documentation is the process of recording and maintaining the information and evidence related to the changes, such as the change requests, approvals, plans, procedures, results, reports, and lessons learned. However, ensuring changes are properly documented is not as important as advising on change-related risk, because documentation is a procedural or administrative activity that does not provide any analysis or evaluation of change-related risk. References = 1: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2, Section 2.5 2: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2, Section 2.5 3: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 1, Section 1.1 4: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2, Section 2.5 5: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 1, Section 1.3 : CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2, Section 2.5 : CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2, Section 2.5

 A risk register is a document that records and tracks the information security risks facing an organization, such as their sources, impacts, likelihoods, responses, and statuses. A risk register provides the most comprehensive insight into ongoing threats facing an organization, as it covers both internal and external threats, as well as their current and potential effects on the organization’s assets, processes, and objectives. A risk register also helps to prioritize and monitor the risk mitigation actions and controls, and to communicate the risk information to relevant stakeholders. Therefore, option B is the most appropriate answer.

Option A is not the best answer because a business impact analysis (BIA) is a process that identifies and evaluates the critical business functions, assets, and dependencies of an organization, and assesses their potential impact in the event of a disruption or loss. A BIA does not provide a comprehensive insight into ongoing threats facing an organization, as it focuses more on the consequences of the threats, rather than their sources, likelihoods, or responses. A BIA is mainly used to support the business continuity and disaster recovery planning, rather than the information security risk management.

Option C is not the best answer because penetration testing is a method of simulating a malicious attack on an organization’s IT systems or networks, to evaluate their security posture and identify any vulnerabilities or weaknesses that could be exploited by real attackers. Penetration testing does not provide a comprehensive insight into ongoing threats facing an organization, as it only covers a specific scope, target, and scenario, rather than the whole range of threats, sources, and impacts. Penetration testing is mainly used to validate and improve the technical security controls, rather than the information security risk management.

Option D is not the best answer because vulnerability assessment is a process of scanning and analyzing an organization’s IT systems or networks, to detect and report any flaws or gaps that could pose a security risk. Vulnerability assessment does not provide a comprehensive insight into ongoing threats facing an organization, as it only covers the technical aspects of the threats, rather than their business, legal, or regulatory implications. Vulnerability assessment is mainly used to identify and remediate the security weaknesses, rather than the information security risk management. References = CISM Review Manual 15th Edition1, pages 258-259; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription, QID 306.

A risk register provides the MOST comprehensive insight into ongoing threats facing an organization. This is because a risk register is a document that records and tracks the identified risks, their likelihood, impact, mitigation strategies, and status. A risk register helps an organization to monitor and manage the threats that could affect its objectives, assets, and operations. A risk register also helps an organization to prioritize its response efforts and allocate its resources accordingly.

According to the web search results, a cloud access security broker (CASB) is a software solution that stands between the cloud service provider and the cloud service user to enforce security controls. One of the most important benefits of using a CASB when migrating to a cloud environment is enhanced data governance, as it helps to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, sharing, or loss. A CASB can also provide data classification, encryption, data loss prevention (DLP), and other features that enable organizations to manage and secure their data in the cloud.

References = What Is a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)?, A beginner’s guide to cloud access security brokers