CISA Governance and Management of IT Practice Question
An organization's IT department has a policy that all new hires must sign an acceptable use policy (AUP) before gaining access to systems. During an audit, the IS auditor finds that several contractors were granted access without signing the AUP. Which of the following is the auditor's BEST recommendation?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that training or manual checks are sufficient when the issue is a lack of enforcement, not awareness.
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
✓
Implement automated enforcement to block access until the AUP is signed.
The most effective recommendation is to implement automated enforcement that blocks system access until the AUP is signed. This preventive control ensures consistent compliance and eliminates the risk of human error. Other options are either detective or corrective and do not prevent unauthorized access in the first place.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Require the IT manager to manually verify AUP signatures before granting access.
Why it's wrong here
Manual verification is prone to error and not scalable. It relies on human diligence, which has already failed. While it may improve compliance temporarily, it is not a sustainable or reliable control. Automated enforcement is superior because it removes the possibility of oversight and ensures consistent application of the policy.
- ✗
Update the AUP to include contractors and re-communicate the policy.
Why it's wrong here
If the policy already applies to all new hires, including contractors, updating it may not be necessary. The problem is enforcement, not policy scope. Re-communicating the policy without enforcement will likely yield the same result. The auditor should recommend a control that ensures compliance, such as automated access gating.
- ✗
Conduct additional security awareness training for all contractors.
Why it's wrong here
Training is important but does not guarantee that contractors will sign the AUP before access. The issue is a control gap, not lack of awareness. Training alone would not prevent future occurrences. A preventive control like automated enforcement is more effective and directly addresses the deficiency identified in the audit.
- ✓
Implement automated enforcement to block access until the AUP is signed.
Why this is correct
Automated enforcement ensures compliance by preventing access until the AUP is acknowledged. This is the best recommendation because it addresses the root cause—human error or process bypass—and provides a preventive control. Manual reminders or training alone are less effective. Automated enforcement is a standard practice for ensuring policy compliance at scale.
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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
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.