hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CISA Practice Question: Is adopting an agile development methodology for…
An organization is adopting an agile development methodology for a new financial application. During a sprint review, the product owner expresses concern that the system does not enforce segregation of duties (SoD). The development team argues that SoD will be addressed in a future sprint. As the IS auditor, what is the BEST recommendation?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'accepting the risk' (Option A) with a valid risk management approach, but in this context, the auditor must advocate for timely implementation of a critical control rather than deferring to the product owner's risk appetite.
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
✓
Insist that SoD be implemented in the next sprint.
In agile development, security and compliance requirements like segregation of duties (SoD) must be addressed as early as possible, especially for a financial application where regulatory compliance is critical. Delaying SoD to a future sprint introduces significant risk and violates the principle of 'secure by design.' The IS auditor's best recommendation is to insist that SoD be implemented in the next sprint, ensuring that the control is prioritized and integrated into the development lifecycle without waiting for an indefinite future iteration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Suggest that the product owner accept the residual risk.
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance should be formal, but the auditor should not default to acceptance.
- ✓
Insist that SoD be implemented in the next sprint.
Why this is correct
SoD should be addressed as soon as possible.
- ✗
Accept the team's plan and document the risk.
Why it's wrong here
Documentation alone does not mitigate the risk.
- ✗
Require immediate implementation of SoD in this sprint.
Why it's wrong here
This may disrupt the sprint but is necessary.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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