CISA Governance and Management of IT Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. ``` # cat /var/log/auth.log Mar 10 08:12:34 srv01 sshd[1234]: Accepted password for admin from 192.168.1.10 port 22 Mar 10 08:15:22 srv01 sshd[1235]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 Mar 10 08:15:25 srv01 sshd[1236]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 Mar 10 08:15:28 srv01 sshd[1237]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 Mar 10 08:15:31 srv01 sshd[1238]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 Mar 10 08:15:34 srv01 sshd[1239]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 Mar 10 08:15:37 srv01 sshd[1240]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 Mar 10 08:18:01 srv01 sudo: admin : TTY=pts/0 ; PWD=/home/admin ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/bin/su - ```
Based on the exhibit, which control deficiency is most critical for the IS auditor to address?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often focus on technical misconfigurations like root login or missing public key authentication, overlooking the foundational security control of account lockout, which is a direct defense against brute-force attacks and is frequently tested as a critical deficiency in CISA exams.
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
✓
The system lacks a policy to lock accounts after repeated failed login attempts
The most critical deficiency because without an account lockout policy, the system is vulnerable to brute-force password guessing attacks. Even if other controls like SSH key authentication are missing, a lockout policy is a fundamental defense that directly mitigates repeated login attempts, which is a primary attack vector for gaining unauthorized access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SSH is configured to allow root login
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The log shows root login attempts, but not that root login is permitted; the attempts are failing.
- ✗
The admin user logged in successfully with a password
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. While password authentication is less secure than key-based, the immediate threat is the brute-force attempt.
- ✗
Public key authentication is not being used
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The log shows password authentication, but the deficiency is the lack of lockout, not the authentication method.
- ✓
The system lacks a policy to lock accounts after repeated failed login attempts
Why this is correct
Correct. Multiple failed attempts for root from the same IP indicate a brute-force attack, and no lockout is evident.
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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.