CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
An organization is performing software asset management (SAM) to ensure license compliance. Which two activities should the auditor verify?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISA often tests the scope of SAM, and candidates may confuse it with security or performance management activities, selecting options like vulnerability scans or bandwidth monitoring that are unrelated to license compliance.
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
✓
Reconciling installed software with purchase records
Option A is correct because reconciling installed software against purchase records is the core SAM control that detects over-deployment or under-licensing, matching discovered installations (via inventory/discovery tools) to entitlements and proof of purchase. Option C is correct because conducting regular license compliance audits provides periodic, documented verification that the organization's entitlements match actual usage, which is exactly what an auditor would test for ongoing license compliance. Option B is not part of SAM license compliance; vulnerability scans address security weaknesses, not entitlement reconciliation. Option D is unrelated, as network bandwidth monitoring concerns performance/capacity, not software licensing. Option E is also unrelated, since hardware depreciation is a financial asset-accounting activity, not software license compliance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Reconciling installed software with purchase records
Why this is correct
Reconciling installed software against purchase records and licence entitlements identifies over-deployment, under-licensing and unused licences, directly evidencing compliance. This comparison is the fundamental SAM control; without it, the organisation cannot demonstrate that deployed installations match what it has legitimately purchased.
- ✗
Performing vulnerability scans
Why it's wrong here
Vulnerability scans identify missing patches and misconfigurations in installed software; they produce no inventory of titles, versions or licence entitlements. It is tempting because scanning does enumerate software on hosts, so it would be correct when assessing security exposure rather than verifying licence compliance.
- ✓
Conducting regular license compliance audits
Why this is correct
Regular compliance audits directly verify that installed licences match entitlements, detecting over- or under-licensing across the estate. This satisfies the stem's licence compliance objective by providing independent, periodic evidence rather than relying on one-off reconciliation.
- ✗
Monitoring network bandwidth usage
Why it's wrong here
Bandwidth monitoring measures consumption, not which software titles are installed, so it cannot evidence licence counts or entitlements. It is tempting because network telemetry can reveal application usage patterns, making it the right check when assessing capacity or detecting unauthorised traffic, not SAM compliance.
- ✗
Tracking hardware depreciation
Why it's wrong here
Depreciation schedules track the accounting value of hardware assets over time, not software licences or installations. It is tempting because SAM covers the full asset lifecycle and depreciation feeds financial reporting, so it would be correct for verifying fixed-asset accounting, not licence compliance.
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JA
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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