CISA Protection of Information Assets Practice Question
An IS auditor is reviewing the process for granting privileged access in a large organization. Which of the following findings should be of MOST concern?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISA often tests the distinction between preventive and detective controls — candidates may pick 'no real-time monitoring' because it sounds alarming, but the absence of an approval control is the more fundamental governance failure.
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
✓
Privileged access is granted without approval from the system owner
Granting privileged access without approval from the system owner is the most serious finding because it removes the fundamental authorization control that ensures only legitimate, accountable requests receive elevated rights. Without owner approval, there is no business justification, no accountability trail, and no way to verify that the access is appropriate for the user's role. This directly undermines the principle of least privilege and creates an uncontrolled pathway to critical systems.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Privileged access is granted without approval from the system owner
Why this is correct
Without system owner approval, privileged access bypasses the authorisation control that ensures rights are granted only when a legitimate business need exists. This is the most serious finding because unapproved rights enable unauthorised changes and cannot be traced to an accountable approver.
- ✗
Privileged accounts are not monitored in real-time
Why it's wrong here
Real-time monitoring is detective and supplementary; its absence delays awareness but does not itself grant excessive rights. Auditors often flag monitoring gaps, making this tempting, yet the graver finding is structural: without segregation of duties, one privileged user can both authorise and execute changes unchecked.
- ✗
Privileged access is reviewed quarterly
Why it's wrong here
Quarterly review is a reasonable cadence, not a finding of concern; the real risk lies in unreviewed or excessive standing privileges. It is tempting because periodic recertification of privileged accounts is a recognised control, and quarterly would be the correct answer if the stem asked whether review frequency was adequate.
- ✗
There is no segregation of duties for privileged users
Why it's wrong here
Segregation of duties is a preventive control over how duties are split; privileged users legitimately require broad rights, and small teams often cannot separate them, so its absence alone is not automatically the gravest finding. Continuous monitoring of privileged activity detects misuse that standing rights otherwise permit.
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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
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