The correct answer is to conduct a privacy impact assessment on the custom interface and ensure controls are in place before deployment. This is because a custom interface creates a new data exchange path between the EHR and legacy system, introducing risks such as unauthorized disclosure of protected health information during format translation. Without a privacy impact assessment, the auditor cannot verify that encryption, access controls, and audit logging required by HIPAA are enforced. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your ability to prioritize data privacy over project deadlines, a common trap where the sponsor’s pressure to fix the issue quickly might tempt you to skip risk evaluation. Remember, the IS auditor’s role is to safeguard data, not just meet timelines. Memory tip: “PIA before PII flows” — always assess privacy before any new data interface goes live.
CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems acquisition, development and implementation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A hospital is implementing a new electronic health record (EHR) system. The project team includes clinicians and IT staff. During integration testing, the system fails to exchange lab results with the existing legacy system due to format mismatches. The IT team suggests developing a custom interface. The clinical team is concerned that any custom solution may not comply with health data privacy regulations. The project sponsor pressures the team to quickly fix the issue to avoid delays. The IS auditor is reviewing this situation. What is the MOST appropriate action for the auditor to recommend?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Conduct a privacy impact assessment on the custom interface and ensure controls are in place before deployment.
The custom interface introduces a new data exchange path between the EHR and legacy system. Without a privacy impact assessment (PIA), the auditor cannot verify that the interface will enforce encryption, access controls, and audit logging required by HIPAA or similar regulations. A PIA identifies risks like unauthorized disclosure of protected health information (PHI) during format translation, ensuring controls are implemented before deployment. This aligns with the IS auditor's role to safeguard data privacy, not just meet deadlines.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Conduct a privacy impact assessment on the custom interface and ensure controls are in place before deployment.
Why this is correct
Balances speed with compliance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Proceed with the custom interface to meet the project deadline.
Why it's wrong here
Compliance risk is unacceptable.
✗
Reject the custom interface and delay the project until a standard solution is found.
Why it's wrong here
Unnecessary delay; alternative acceptable.
✗
Replace the legacy system with a new one that is compatible.
Why it's wrong here
Too costly and time-consuming.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may prioritize speed (Option B) or absolute standardization (Option C) over the auditor's core responsibility to assess and mitigate privacy risks before any new data processing component goes live.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A privacy impact assessment for a custom interface would evaluate data flows, mapping HL7 v2.x messages (used by many legacy systems) to FHIR or proprietary formats, and ensure that PHI is encrypted at rest and in transit (e.g., TLS 1.2+). The assessment also verifies that the interface engine logs all transformations for audit trails, preventing data leakage during format conversion. In practice, a custom interface can be compliant if it implements role-based access control (RBAC) and field-level masking for sensitive data like patient identifiers.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — This question tests Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Conduct a privacy impact assessment on the custom interface and ensure controls are in place before deployment. — The custom interface introduces a new data exchange path between the EHR and legacy system. Without a privacy impact assessment (PIA), the auditor cannot verify that the interface will enforce encryption, access controls, and audit logging required by HIPAA or similar regulations. A PIA identifies risks like unauthorized disclosure of protected health information (PHI) during format translation, ensuring controls are implemented before deployment. This aligns with the IS auditor's role to safeguard data privacy, not just meet deadlines.
What should I do if I get this CISA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This CISA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CISA exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.