CISA Protection of Information Assets Practice Question
An IS auditor is reviewing how a data center protects its backup tapes while they are in transit to an offsite storage facility. Management states that tapes are encrypted before shipment and that a courier transports them in sealed containers. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate evidence to confirm that the tapes are protected in transit?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that encrypting backup tapes removes the need for physical transit controls, when custody documentation is still required to prove the media was protected and accounted for in transit.
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
✓
Inspect the courier's chain-of-custody logs and verify the sealed-container handoff signatures.
The scenario tests physical media protection during transit, so the auditor needs evidence covering the movement of tapes between sites. Signed chain-of-custody documentation with sealed-container handoffs directly evidences that custody was maintained and containers stayed intact from pickup to delivery, which is the specific control objective. Encryption, interviews, and vendor-side reports each address different phases of the media lifecycle and cannot substitute for transit custody records.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Review the encryption algorithm and key length used for the backup tapes.
Why it's wrong here
Reviewing the algorithm and key length confirms only that data at rest on the tape is cryptographically protected; it says nothing about whether the physical containers were sealed, tracked, or delivered intact. An encrypted tape left unattended on a loading dock still represents a loss of custody, so this evidence does not address the transit protection objective the auditor is testing.
- ✗
Interview the backup administrator about the tape pickup schedule.
Why it's wrong here
An interview provides management's assertion about the process but is not corroborating evidence that protection actually occurred on any specific shipment. The auditor needs documentary or observational proof of the transit chain, not a verbal description of the intended schedule, which could be inaccurate or optimistic and would not withstand independent verification.
- ✗
Examine the offsite storage vendor's SOC 2 report.
Why it's wrong here
A SOC 2 report addresses controls at the storage facility after the tapes arrive, covering the receiving and vaulting environment. It does not evidence what happened during transport between the data center and the vendor, so it leaves the exact transit risk the auditor is evaluating unaddressed and cannot confirm that sealed containers stayed sealed en route.
- ✓
Inspect the courier's chain-of-custody logs and verify the sealed-container handoff signatures.
Why this is correct
Chain-of-custody logs with signed handoffs demonstrate that the sealed containers were tracked from pickup to delivery, providing direct evidence that physical protection was maintained during transit. This is the strongest audit evidence available for the transit leg of the media lifecycle, since the auditor can trace each tape shipment and confirm no unaccounted gaps or broken seals occurred.
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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
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