CISA Protection of Information Assets Practice Question
An IS auditor is reviewing the privileged access management (PAM) process. The auditor finds that shared administrative accounts are used for critical system maintenance and that passwords are changed quarterly. Which of the following is the BEST recommendation to mitigate the risk of audit trail loss?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISA often tests the distinction between authentication strength and accountability—candidates mistakenly pick password vaults or MFA because they sound like strong controls, but the question specifically asks about audit trail loss, which only individual accounts with privilege escalation can fully address.
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
✓
Implement individual accounts with privilege escalation for administrative tasks
Individual accounts with privilege escalation ensure that every administrative action is tied to a unique user identity, which is the only way to preserve a reliable, attributable audit trail. Shared accounts inherently destroy accountability because the log records the account, not the person. Privilege escalation (e.g., sudo, just-in-time elevation) grants elevated rights only when needed, so the audit trail captures who performed each privileged action.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Implement a password vault with automatic checkout and check-in
Why it's wrong here
A password vault helps control access but still uses shared accounts; audit trails may still not identify the individual.
- ✗
Increase the frequency of password changes to monthly
Why it's wrong here
Rotating shared passwords monthly still leaves every administrator using one identity, so actions remain unattributable to an individual and the audit trail stays lost. It would be the right control when reducing the exposure window of a compromised credential, not when establishing accountability for privileged activity.
- ✓
Implement individual accounts with privilege escalation for administrative tasks
Why this is correct
Individual accounts with privilege escalation tie each administrative action to a named user, so logs attribute activity to a person rather than an anonymous shared login. This preserves accountability and satisfies the audit trail requirement that shared credentials destroy.
- ✗
Require two-factor authentication for shared account usage
Why it's wrong here
Two-factor authentication strengthens proof of who is logging in, but a shared account still records one identity, so individual accountability and the audit trail remain absent. It would be correct when the risk is credential theft or unauthorised login rather than loss of attributable activity records.
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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.