CISA Protection of Information Assets Practice Question
An IS auditor is reviewing the logical access controls for a financial application. The auditor notices that user access reviews are performed annually by the application owner, but there is no documentation indicating that managers confirm the continued need for access. Which of the following is the MOST significant risk associated with this finding?
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
✓
Unauthorized access to sensitive data due to excessive privileges
Without manager confirmation, access may remain for users who no longer need it, leading to segregation of duties conflicts or unauthorized access. Annual reviews without manager sign-off increase the risk that access is not appropriately revoked when roles change.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Unauthorized access to sensitive data due to excessive privileges
Why this is correct
Without manager confirmation, users may retain access they no longer need, increasing the risk of unauthorized access.
- ✗
Increased likelihood of successful social engineering attacks
Why it's wrong here
Social engineering is not directly related to access recertification.
- ✗
Non-compliance with regulatory requirements for access controls
Why it's wrong here
While this may be a concern, the most significant risk is the operational risk of unauthorized access.
- ✗
Inability to detect insider threats in a timely manner
Why it's wrong here
While related, the primary risk is excessive privileges leading to unauthorized access.
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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.