CISA Governance and Management of IT Practice Question
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of governance and management of it. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
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 -
```
A
SSH is configured to allow root login
Why wrong: Incorrect. The log shows root login attempts, but not that root login is permitted; the attempts are failing.
B
The admin user logged in successfully with a password
Why wrong: Incorrect. While password authentication is less secure than key-based, the immediate threat is the brute-force attempt.
C
Public key authentication is not being used
Why wrong: Incorrect. The log shows password authentication, but the deficiency is the lack of lockout, not the authentication method.
D
The system lacks a policy to lock accounts after repeated failed login attempts
Correct. Multiple failed attempts for root from the same IP indicate a brute-force attack, and no lockout is evident.
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
Option D is 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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Incorrect. The log shows root login attempts, but not that root login is permitted; the attempts are failing.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Account lockout policies are typically implemented via PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) on Linux systems, using modules like pam_tally2 or pam_faillock to track failed attempts and enforce a lockout threshold (e.g., 5 failures within 15 minutes). Without such a policy, an attacker can perform unlimited password guesses, potentially using tools like Hydra or Medusa, and even with strong passwords, a determined attacker could eventually succeed through a dictionary or brute-force attack.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the CISA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Governance and Management of IT — This question tests Governance and Management of IT — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The system lacks a policy to lock accounts after repeated failed login attempts — Option D is 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.
What should I do if I get this CISA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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