easyMultiple Choice
CISA Practice Question: An organization's mobile device management (MDM)…
An organization's mobile device management (MDM) policy requires that all corporate data on employee-owned smartphones be protected. Which control best ensures that corporate data can be remotely wiped without affecting personal data?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'full device encryption' (Option D) with selective wipe capability, assuming encryption alone allows granular data removal, when in fact encryption without containerization still requires wiping the entire encrypted volume.
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
✓
Implementing a containerization solution that separates work and personal profiles
Containerization (also known as dual-persona or sandboxing) creates a separate, encrypted container on the device for corporate apps and data. This allows the MDM to issue a selective wipe command that destroys only the container and its contents, leaving the user's personal apps, photos, and settings untouched. Without containerization, a remote wipe would typically erase the entire device, including all personal data.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Disabling the ability to copy/paste between corporate and personal apps
Why it's wrong here
Blocking copy/paste between corporate and personal apps prevents data leakage through the clipboard, but it cannot erase corporate data already stored on the device. It is tempting as a data-loss-prevention control, yet the requirement is selective remote wipe of corporate containers, which this does not perform.
- ✓
Implementing a containerization solution that separates work and personal profiles
Why this is correct
Containerisation creates a managed, encrypted work partition on the employee-owned device, isolating corporate applications and data from the personal profile. A selective wipe then removes only the container's contents, leaving personal photos, messages and apps untouched, satisfying the policy's requirement to protect corporate data without affecting personal data.
- ✗
Requiring a strong password and biometric authentication
Why it's wrong here
Strong passwords and biometrics control who unlocks the device, but they provide no mechanism to erase corporate data remotely. It is tempting as baseline authentication hardening, yet the requirement is selective wipe of corporate containers, which authentication alone cannot achieve without affecting personal data.
- ✗
Enforcing a full device encryption policy
Why it's wrong here
Full device encryption protects data at rest if the phone is lost or stolen, but it does not enable selective deletion of corporate data. It is tempting because encryption is a foundational mobile control, yet the scenario requires containerisation so only the corporate container is remotely wiped, leaving personal data intact.
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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.