CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
An IT auditor is reviewing the asset management process for hardware lifecycle. Which two controls should the auditor verify to ensure secure disposition of decommissioned servers?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse operational lifecycle tasks (warranty, tagging, benchmarking) with security-specific disposition controls, overlooking that only sanitization and authorized policy directly address data confidentiality and disposal governance.
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
✓
Secure sanitization of storage media
Secure sanitization of storage media (Option C) is critical because decommissioned servers often contain sensitive data that must be irrecoverably erased to prevent unauthorized access. A formal disposal policy with authorization (Option D) ensures that decommissioning follows a documented, approved process, including verification of sanitization and chain of custody. Together, these controls address both the technical and procedural aspects of secure disposition.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Hardware warranty tracking
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Warranty tracking is for maintenance, not disposal.
- ✗
Performance benchmarking
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Benchmarking is for capacity management, not disposal.
- ✓
Secure sanitization of storage media
Why this is correct
Correct: Sanitization prevents data leakage from decommissioned hardware.
- ✓
Formal disposal policy with authorization
Why this is correct
Correct: A policy ensures proper procedures and accountability.
- ✗
Asset tagging during procurement
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Tagging is for identification, not disposal security.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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