CISM Practice Test 3 — 10 Questions

Question 1

Which of the following best describes residual risk?

Accepted Answer

Risk that remains after implementing controls. Residual risk is defined in information security risk management as the risk that remains after management has implemented all planned controls. This concept is central to the CISM framework because it represents the exposure that must be accepted, transferred, or further mitigated by the organization. Unlike inherent risk (before controls), residual risk accounts for the effectiveness of the security measures in place.

Answer

Risk before any controls are applied

Answer

The likelihood that a control will fail

Answer

The level of risk an organization is willing to accept

Question 2

A company experiences ransomware that encrypts critical servers. Backups are available but were taken 2 weeks ago. What is the best course?

Accepted Answer

Restore from backups after verifying no residual malware and performing security scans. Restore from backups after verifying no residual malware and performing security scans to ensure clean restoration.

Answer

Restore from backups immediately

Answer

Rebuild servers from scratch

Answer

Pay the ransom

Question 3

An organization has just experienced a ransomware attack that encrypted files on several file servers. The incident response team has contained the incident. What is the next critical step?

Accepted Answer

Restore files from clean backups.. Restore files from clean backups, as this is the most reliable recovery method after containment. Paying the ransom is discouraged and does not guarantee data recovery; notifying law enforcement can be done later; wiping and reimaging may be unnecessary if clean backups are available.

Answer

Pay the ransom to recover data.

Answer

Wipe the affected servers and reimage them.

Answer

Notify law enforcement.

Question 4

During a review of the information security program, the security manager discovers that the program's objectives are not aligned with the organization's strategic business goals. What is the best course of action?

Accepted Answer

Revise the program objectives to align with business goals.. The CISM framework emphasizes that an information security program must be directly aligned with the organization's strategic business goals to ensure that security investments support business objectives rather than hinder them. Revising the program objectives to align with business goals (Option B) is the correct course of action because it ensures that security controls, risk appetite, and resource allocation are driven by business needs, not isolated technical requirements. This alignment is a core principle of the Information Security Program domain, as misalignment can lead to wasted resources, reduced executive support, and increased business risk.

Answer

Justify the existing objectives to management to demonstrate their value.

Answer

Implement additional security controls to compensate for the misalignment.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the board of directors without changes.

Question 5

Order the steps for establishing a security incident response team (IRT).

Accepted Answer

Define roles and responsibilities, then Recruit team members, then Develop incident response procedures, then Acquire necessary tools and resources, then Test and validate the IRT plan. Building an IRT starts with defining roles, then recruiting, developing procedures, acquiring tools, and testing.

Answer

Recruit team members, then Define roles and responsibilities, then Develop incident response procedures, then Acquire tools, then Test

Answer

Define roles, then Acquire tools, then Recruit, then Develop procedures, then Test

Answer

Develop procedures, then Define roles, then Recruit, then Acquire tools, then Test

Question 6

Arrange the steps for implementing a new firewall rule in an enterprise environment.

Accepted Answer

Identify requirement, Submit change request, Test in staging, Implement on production, Verify rule operation. Firewall changes require clear objectives, change control, testing, implementation, and verification.

Answer

Test in staging, Implement on production, Identify requirement, Submit change request, Verify rule operation

Answer

Submit change request, Identify requirement, Test in staging, Implement on production, Verify rule operation

Answer

Identify requirement, Test in staging, Implement on production, Submit change request, Verify rule operation

Question 7

Refer to the exhibit. An analyst sees this alert on the network. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

Accepted Answer

Investigate the source endpoint for compromise. The alert indicates a potential command-and-control (C2) communication, likely involving a beaconing pattern to an external IP. Investigating the source endpoint for compromise is the most appropriate immediate action because it allows the incident responder to determine if the host is actively compromised, collect forensic evidence, and contain the threat before it escalates. Blocking IPs prematurely could destroy evidence or alert the attacker, while ignoring the alert risks missing a confirmed breach.

Answer

Ignore the alert as it is likely false positive

Answer

Block the source IP 10.0.1.50

Answer

Block the destination IP 203.0.113.5

Question 8

An organization is designing a policy exception management process. Which THREE elements are critical for this process to be effective?

Accepted Answer

Approval by the CISO or designated authority. Effective exception management requires formal documentation, time limits, and review by appropriate authority to prevent misuse.

Answer

Automatic approval if no response within 24 hours

Answer

Ability for any employee to request an exception

Question 9

Match each data classification level to its handling requirement.

Accepted Answer

Public: No special handling required. Data classification levels determine handling requirements: Public (no special handling), Internal (limited access), Confidential (authorized access only), Restricted (highest protection). Common confusions involve swapping handling requirements between levels.

Answer

Public: Access restricted to authorized personnel only

Answer

Internal: No special handling required

Question 10

An organization is designing its information security program and needs to ensure it supports business continuity. Which TWO of the following should be integrated into the program?

Accepted Answer

Business impact analysis (BIA) results.. A is correct because the Business Impact Analysis (BIA) identifies critical business processes, their maximum tolerable downtime (MTD), and recovery time objectives (RTO), which directly inform the prioritization and design of security controls to ensure business continuity. Without BIA results, the security program cannot align recovery strategies with actual business needs, risking either over-investment or under-protection of key functions.

Answer

Security awareness training for all employees.

Answer

Vulnerability scanning schedules.