Practice Free CISA Exam Online Questions
Question #421
Which of the following is the PRIMARY benefit of operational log management?
- A . It enhances user experience via predictive analysis.
- B . It improves security with real-time monitoring of network data.
- C . It organizes data to identify performance issues.
- D . It supports data aggregation using unified storage.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
Operational log management primarily enhances security by enabling real-time monitoring and detection of anomalies within network data. Logs provide valuable information for identifying threats, investigating incidents, and ensuring compliance with security policies.
Predictive Analysis for User Experience (Option A): While logs may support analytics, this is not the primary benefit.
Performance Issue Identification (Option C): Logs can help identify performance issues, but the focus of operational log management is security.
Data Aggregation Using Unified Storage (Option D): This supports management but is secondary to the security benefits.
Reference: ISACA CISA Review Manual, Job Practice Area 3: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience.
B
Explanation:
Operational log management primarily enhances security by enabling real-time monitoring and detection of anomalies within network data. Logs provide valuable information for identifying threats, investigating incidents, and ensuring compliance with security policies.
Predictive Analysis for User Experience (Option A): While logs may support analytics, this is not the primary benefit.
Performance Issue Identification (Option C): Logs can help identify performance issues, but the focus of operational log management is security.
Data Aggregation Using Unified Storage (Option D): This supports management but is secondary to the security benefits.
Reference: ISACA CISA Review Manual, Job Practice Area 3: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience.
Question #422
An IS auditor is planning a review of an organizations cybersecurity incident response maturity.
Which of the following methodologies would provide the MOST reliable conclusions?
- A . Judgmental sampling
- B . Data analytics testing
- C . Variable sampling
- D . Compliance testing
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
Compliance testing ensures that the organization’s incident response processes align with established cybersecurity frameworks and policies. This methodology provides objective and reliable conclusions about the maturity of incident response capabilities.
Judgmental Sampling (Option A): Relies on subjective judgment and is less reliable.
Data Analytics Testing (Option B): Useful for identifying trends but may not assess process maturity comprehensively.
Variable Sampling (Option C): Appropriate for statistical analysis but less effective in process maturity assessments.
Reference: ISACA CISA Review Manual, Job Practice Area 2: Information Systems Audit and Assurance.
D
Explanation:
Compliance testing ensures that the organization’s incident response processes align with established cybersecurity frameworks and policies. This methodology provides objective and reliable conclusions about the maturity of incident response capabilities.
Judgmental Sampling (Option A): Relies on subjective judgment and is less reliable.
Data Analytics Testing (Option B): Useful for identifying trends but may not assess process maturity comprehensively.
Variable Sampling (Option C): Appropriate for statistical analysis but less effective in process maturity assessments.
Reference: ISACA CISA Review Manual, Job Practice Area 2: Information Systems Audit and Assurance.
Question #423
Which of the following BEST indicates to an IS auditor that an organization handles emergency changes appropriately and transparently?
- A . The application operations manual contains procedures to ensure emergency fixes do not compromise system integrity.
- B . Special logon IDs are used to grant programmers permanent access to the production environment.
- C . Change management controls are retroactively applied.
- D . Emergency changes are applied to production libraries immediately.
Correct Answer: A
Question #424
Which of the following is the BEST justification for deferring remediation testing until the next audit?
- A . The auditor who conducted the audit and agreed with the timeline has left the organization.
- B . Management’s planned actions are sufficient given the relative importance of the observations.
- C . Auditee management has accepted all observations reported by the auditor.
- D . The audit environment has changed significantly.
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
Deferring remediation testing until the next audit is justified only when there are significant changes in the audit environment that affect the relevance or validity of the audit observations and recommendations. For example, if there are changes in the business processes, systems, regulations, or risks that require a new audit scope or approach. The other options are not valid justifications for deferring remediation testing, as they do not address the timeliness or quality of the audit follow-up process. The auditor who conducted the audit and agreed with the timeline has left the organization does not affect the responsibility of the audit function to ensure that remediation testing is performed as planned. Management’s planned actions are sufficient given the relative importance of the observations does not guarantee that management will actually implement those actions or that they will be effective in addressing the audit issues. Auditee management has accepted all observations reported by the auditor does not eliminate the need for verification of remediation actions by an independent party.
Reference: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 2, Section 2.4
D
Explanation:
Deferring remediation testing until the next audit is justified only when there are significant changes in the audit environment that affect the relevance or validity of the audit observations and recommendations. For example, if there are changes in the business processes, systems, regulations, or risks that require a new audit scope or approach. The other options are not valid justifications for deferring remediation testing, as they do not address the timeliness or quality of the audit follow-up process. The auditor who conducted the audit and agreed with the timeline has left the organization does not affect the responsibility of the audit function to ensure that remediation testing is performed as planned. Management’s planned actions are sufficient given the relative importance of the observations does not guarantee that management will actually implement those actions or that they will be effective in addressing the audit issues. Auditee management has accepted all observations reported by the auditor does not eliminate the need for verification of remediation actions by an independent party.
Reference: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 2, Section 2.4
Question #425
The management of a small e-commerce firm is concerned about the impact of AI adoption on its intellectual property.
Which of the following BEST addresses this concern?
- A . Developing an AI acceptable use policy
- B . Sanctioning employees for using generative AI
- C . Performing manual reviews of AI web traffic logs
- D . Deny-listing chat-based AI websites and plugins
Correct Answer: A
A
Explanation:
Comprehensive and Detailed
The best approach is to establish a clear AI acceptable use policy that defines how employees may use AI tools while protecting sensitive information and intellectual property. This ensures
governance while enabling safe adoption.
Option B: Reactive and punitive, not proactive governance.
Option C: Monitoring helps but is insufficient alone.
Option D: Overly restrictive and may block beneficial AI use.
Option A: Correct ― policies provide structured guidance aligned with business objectives and risk management.
ISACA
Reference: ISACA whitepapers on AI governance, risk, and compliance; CISA Review Manual 27th Edition, Domain 1, section on policy frameworks and emerging technologies.
A
Explanation:
Comprehensive and Detailed
The best approach is to establish a clear AI acceptable use policy that defines how employees may use AI tools while protecting sensitive information and intellectual property. This ensures
governance while enabling safe adoption.
Option B: Reactive and punitive, not proactive governance.
Option C: Monitoring helps but is insufficient alone.
Option D: Overly restrictive and may block beneficial AI use.
Option A: Correct ― policies provide structured guidance aligned with business objectives and risk management.
ISACA
Reference: ISACA whitepapers on AI governance, risk, and compliance; CISA Review Manual 27th Edition, Domain 1, section on policy frameworks and emerging technologies.
Question #426
A business has requested an audit to determine whether information stored in an application is adequately protected.
Which of the following is the MOST important action before the audit work begins?
- A . Review remediation reports
- B . Establish control objectives.
- C . Assess the threat landscape.
- D . Perform penetration testing.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
The most important action before the audit work begins is to establish control objectives. Control objectives are the specific goals or outcomes that the audit intends to achieve or verify in relation to the information protection in the application1. Control objectives provide the basis for designing and performing the audit procedures, evaluating the audit evidence, and reporting the audit findings and recommendations2. Control objectives also help to align the audit scope and criteria with the business needs and expectations, and to ensure that the audit is relevant, reliable, and efficient3.
Some examples of control objectives for an information protection audit are:
To ensure that the information stored in the application is classified according to its sensitivity, value, and regulatory requirements
To ensure that the information stored in the application is encrypted, masked, or anonymized as appropriate
To ensure that the information stored in the application is accessible only by authorized users and processes
To ensure that the information stored in the application is backed up, restored, and retained according to the business continuity and retention policies
To ensure that the information stored in the application is monitored, logged, and audited for any unauthorized or anomalous activities
Therefore, option B is the correct answer.
Option A is not correct because reviewing remediation reports is not the most important action before the audit work begins. Remediation reports are documents that describe how previous audit findings or issues have been resolved or addressed by the auditee4. While reviewing remediation reports may be useful for understanding the current state of information protection in the application, it is not a prerequisite for defining the control objectives of the audit.
Option C is not correct because assessing the threat landscape is not the most important action before the audit work begins. The threat landscape is the set of potential sources, methods, and impacts of cyberattacks or data breaches that may affect the information stored in the application5. While assessing the threat landscape may be helpful for identifying and prioritizing the risks and vulnerabilities of information protection in the application, it is not a prerequisite for defining the control objectives of the audit.
Option D is not correct because performing penetration testing is not the most important action before the audit work begins. Penetration testing is a technique that simulates real-world cyberattacks or data breaches to test the security and resilience of information systems or applications.
B
Explanation:
The most important action before the audit work begins is to establish control objectives. Control objectives are the specific goals or outcomes that the audit intends to achieve or verify in relation to the information protection in the application1. Control objectives provide the basis for designing and performing the audit procedures, evaluating the audit evidence, and reporting the audit findings and recommendations2. Control objectives also help to align the audit scope and criteria with the business needs and expectations, and to ensure that the audit is relevant, reliable, and efficient3.
Some examples of control objectives for an information protection audit are:
To ensure that the information stored in the application is classified according to its sensitivity, value, and regulatory requirements
To ensure that the information stored in the application is encrypted, masked, or anonymized as appropriate
To ensure that the information stored in the application is accessible only by authorized users and processes
To ensure that the information stored in the application is backed up, restored, and retained according to the business continuity and retention policies
To ensure that the information stored in the application is monitored, logged, and audited for any unauthorized or anomalous activities
Therefore, option B is the correct answer.
Option A is not correct because reviewing remediation reports is not the most important action before the audit work begins. Remediation reports are documents that describe how previous audit findings or issues have been resolved or addressed by the auditee4. While reviewing remediation reports may be useful for understanding the current state of information protection in the application, it is not a prerequisite for defining the control objectives of the audit.
Option C is not correct because assessing the threat landscape is not the most important action before the audit work begins. The threat landscape is the set of potential sources, methods, and impacts of cyberattacks or data breaches that may affect the information stored in the application5. While assessing the threat landscape may be helpful for identifying and prioritizing the risks and vulnerabilities of information protection in the application, it is not a prerequisite for defining the control objectives of the audit.
Option D is not correct because performing penetration testing is not the most important action before the audit work begins. Penetration testing is a technique that simulates real-world cyberattacks or data breaches to test the security and resilience of information systems or applications.
Question #427
Management has requested a post-implementation review of a newly implemented purchasing package to determine to what extent business requirements are being met.
Which of the following is MOST likely to be assessed?
- A . Purchasing guidelines and policies
- B . Implementation methodology
- C . Results of line processing
- D . Test results
Correct Answer: C
C
Explanation:
A post-implementation review is a process of evaluating the outcome and benefits of a project or a system after it has been implemented. The main purpose of a post-implementation review is to determine to what extent the business requirements are being met by the new system. Therefore, the most likely aspect to be assessed is the results of line processing, which refers to the actual performance and functionality of the system in the operational environment.
C
Explanation:
A post-implementation review is a process of evaluating the outcome and benefits of a project or a system after it has been implemented. The main purpose of a post-implementation review is to determine to what extent the business requirements are being met by the new system. Therefore, the most likely aspect to be assessed is the results of line processing, which refers to the actual performance and functionality of the system in the operational environment.
Question #428
Which of the following MOST effectively reduces the probability of a brute force attack being successful?
- A . Establishing account activity timeouts
- B . Establishing an account lockout policy
- C . Increasing password change frequency
- D . Requiring minimum password length
Correct Answer: B
Question #429
What should be the PRIMARY basis for selecting which IS audits to perform in the coming year?
- A . Senior management’s request
- B . Prior year’s audit findings
- C . Organizational risk assessment
- D . Previous audit coverage and scope
Correct Answer: C
C
Explanation:
The primary basis for selecting which IS audits to perform in the coming year is the organizational risk assessment. An organizational risk assessment is a formal process for identifying, evaluating, and controlling risks that may affect the achievement of the organization’sgoals and objectives3. An organizational risk assessment can help IS auditors prioritize and plan their audit activities based on the level of risk exposure and impact of each area or process within the organization. An organizational risk assessment can also help IS auditors align their audit objectives and criteria with the organization’s strategy and performance indicators. Senior management’s request, prior year’s audit findings, and previous audit coverage and scope are also possible bases for selecting which IS audits to perform in the coming year, but not as primary as the organizational risk assessment. These factors are more secondary or supplementary sources of information that can help IS auditors refine or adjust their audit plan based on specific needs or issues identified by management or previous audits. However, thesefactors may not reflect the current or emerging risks that may affect the organization’s operations or performance.
Reference: ISACA CISA Review Manual 27th Edition, page 295
C
Explanation:
The primary basis for selecting which IS audits to perform in the coming year is the organizational risk assessment. An organizational risk assessment is a formal process for identifying, evaluating, and controlling risks that may affect the achievement of the organization’sgoals and objectives3. An organizational risk assessment can help IS auditors prioritize and plan their audit activities based on the level of risk exposure and impact of each area or process within the organization. An organizational risk assessment can also help IS auditors align their audit objectives and criteria with the organization’s strategy and performance indicators. Senior management’s request, prior year’s audit findings, and previous audit coverage and scope are also possible bases for selecting which IS audits to perform in the coming year, but not as primary as the organizational risk assessment. These factors are more secondary or supplementary sources of information that can help IS auditors refine or adjust their audit plan based on specific needs or issues identified by management or previous audits. However, thesefactors may not reflect the current or emerging risks that may affect the organization’s operations or performance.
Reference: ISACA CISA Review Manual 27th Edition, page 295
Question #430
During which process is regression testing MOST commonly used?
- A . System modification
- B . Unit testing
- C . Stress testing
- D . Program development
Correct Answer: A