hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CISA Practice Question: Plan to integrate a third-party payment gateway…
An organization plan to integrate a third-party payment gateway into its e-commerce platform. Which of the following is the MOST critical security control to implement before going live?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently choose encryption (Option B) as the most critical control because it is a fundamental security requirement, but the question specifically asks for the control that validates the integration's security before going live, which only a penetration test can achieve.
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
✓
Perform a penetration test on the integration
A penetration test on the integration is the most critical control because it actively validates the security of the API endpoints, data flows, and authentication mechanisms between the e-commerce platform and the third-party gateway. Unlike passive controls like encryption or logging, a penetration test can uncover exploitable vulnerabilities such as injection flaws, broken authentication, or insecure direct object references that could lead to financial fraud or data breach before the system is exposed to live transactions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Perform a penetration test on the integration
Why this is correct
Pen testing proactively identifies vulnerabilities in the integration.
- ✗
Ensure all data is encrypted in transit and at rest
Why it's wrong here
Encryption is essential but testing is more critical to find flaws.
- ✗
Implement detailed logging of payment transactions
Why it's wrong here
Logging is detective, not preventive before go-live.
- ✗
Configure network firewalls to restrict traffic
Why it's wrong here
Firewalls are baseline but do not test the integration's security.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.