CISA Information System Auditing Process Practice Question
An IS auditor is reviewing an organization's incident management process after a ransomware attack encrypted several file servers. Which TWO of the following should the auditor verify as part of assessing the effectiveness of the incident response? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is selecting financial or single-point preventive indicators, such as ransom payment or antivirus signature dates, instead of the operational capabilities that determine whether the incident was actually contained and recovered.
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
✓
Whether backups were isolated from the production network and restoration was successfully tested
Assessing incident response effectiveness requires evidence that the organization could detect and contain the attack, communicate appropriately, and recover its data. Backup isolation and tested restoration, along with adherence to the response plan for detection, containment, and communication, directly demonstrate those capabilities. The other items address preventive metrics or financial matters that do not measure response performance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Whether the organization's antivirus signatures were updated on the same day as the attack
Why it's wrong here
Signature currency is a useful preventive indicator, but it is too narrow to assess incident response effectiveness. Ransomware variants often evade signature-based detection, and same-day updating may be operationally impossible. The auditor should focus on broader response capabilities such as detection, containment, communication, and recovery rather than a single point-in-time antivirus metric.
- ✗
Whether the ransom demand was paid and whether the payment was properly authorized
Why it's wrong here
Whether a ransom was paid is a management decision influenced by law, policy, and recovery options, not a measure of response effectiveness. Payment does not demonstrate that the incident was handled well and may even indicate recovery capabilities were inadequate. The auditor assesses detection, containment, communication, and restoration rather than the financial decision regarding payment.
- ✗
Whether the organization's cyber insurance policy premium was paid before the incident occurred
Why it's wrong here
Insurance premium payment is a financial and risk-transfer matter, not evidence of incident response effectiveness. A paid premium does not show that the organization could detect, contain, or recover from the attack. The auditor's focus should remain on the operational and technical capabilities that determine how well the incident was managed and whether services were restored.
- ✓
Whether backups were isolated from the production network and restoration was successfully tested
Why this is correct
Ransomware commonly spreads to connected backup systems, so isolating backups from production and verifying that restoration actually works are essential controls. An untested or network-accessible backup may be encrypted along with production data. Confirming both isolation and successful restoration directly demonstrates whether the organization can recover without paying a ransom.
- ✓
Whether the incident was detected, contained, and communicated in accordance with the response plan
Why this is correct
Effective incident response depends on timely detection, containment to limit spread, and appropriate communication to stakeholders and authorities. The auditor should examine timelines, containment actions, and communication records against the plan to determine whether the process worked as designed and where gaps exist, since failures in any of these areas allow impact to grow.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISACA exam blueprint
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.