hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CISA Practice Question: A large financial institution is developing a new…
A large financial institution is developing a new online banking platform using an Agile methodology. The development team has implemented continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline. During a routine security scan, the IS auditor discovers that a developer accidentally committed a configuration file containing database credentials into the public-facing code repository. The credentials were exposed for 48 hours before being detected. Which of the following is the most critical control failure that allowed this incident to occur?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The CI/CD pipeline lacked automated secrets scanning and static application security testing (SAST)
The most critical failure is the absence of automated secret scanning and SAST in the CI/CD pipeline. Such tools would have detected the credentials immediately upon commit and prevented their exposure. While code review, training, and access controls are important, automated scanning is a preventive detective control that operates at the speed of development. Without it, human errors can go unnoticed. Option A (code review) is a manual process that can miss subtle commits. Option C (training) is a soft control and does not prevent the act. Option D (permissions) might reduce the scope but does not catch the initial mistake.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The code review process did not catch the sensitive data in the commit
Why it's wrong here
Code review is manual and may not catch all secrets; it is not the most critical control.
- ✓
The CI/CD pipeline lacked automated secrets scanning and static application security testing (SAST)
Why this is correct
Automated scanning would have detected the credentials immediately and blocked the commit or alerted the team.
- ✗
The repository access permissions were too permissive
Why it's wrong here
Access permissions affect who can view the repo, but the credential exposure still occurred; the primary failure is the lack of detection.
- ✗
The security awareness training for developers was inadequate
Why it's wrong here
Training reduces but does not eliminate human error; it is not a technical control.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.