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CISA Practice Question: During the requirements gathering phase for a new…
During the requirements gathering phase for a new financial system, stakeholders disagree on the priority of security controls versus user convenience. Which of the following is the BEST approach?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates choose Option A, mistakenly believing that security can be 'bolted on' later, but CISA emphasizes that security must be integrated from the requirements phase to avoid costly redesigns and compliance violations.
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
✓
Conduct a risk assessment to balance security and usability
A risk assessment provides a structured, evidence-based framework for balancing security controls against user convenience during requirements gathering. By evaluating the likelihood and impact of threats specific to financial systems (e.g., transaction fraud, data breaches) against usability needs, the organization can prioritize controls that mitigate high-risk exposures without unnecessarily impeding legitimate business processes. This aligns with the COBIT 5 principle of balancing benefits, risk, and resource optimization.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Postpone security decisions to later phases
Why it's wrong here
Delaying security decisions can lead to costly rework and may introduce security gaps that are harder to fix later.
- ✗
Let the project team decide based on development ease
Why it's wrong here
The project team may not have the authority or perspective to make such strategic decisions; stakeholder input is essential.
- ✓
Conduct a risk assessment to balance security and usability
Why this is correct
A risk assessment identifies and evaluates threats, allowing the organization to make a balanced decision that aligns security controls with business needs.
- ✗
Implement all security controls regardless of convenience
Why it's wrong here
This approach may lead to user resistance and reduced productivity, and does not consider the actual risk level.
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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.