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CISA Practice Question: The FIRST step in implementing an identity and…
What is the FIRST step in implementing an identity and access management (IAM) program?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse 'first step' with 'most visible security control' and select MFA or SSO, forgetting that IAM must begin with a discovery and cleanup phase to ensure the foundation is secure before adding layers.
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
✓
Performing a user access review.
Performing a user access review is the first step because it establishes a baseline of current access rights, identifies segregation of duties conflicts, and uncovers orphaned accounts or excessive privileges. Without this foundational assessment, subsequent IAM controls like SSO or MFA would be deployed on an insecure or non-compliant access framework, violating the principle of 'least privilege' and potentially failing audit requirements.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Selecting an IAM vendor.
Why it's wrong here
Vendor selection comes after requirements.
- ✓
Performing a user access review.
Why this is correct
Understanding current access is the foundational step.
- ✗
Implementing multi-factor authentication.
Why it's wrong here
MFA is a specific control, not the first step.
- ✗
Deploying single sign-on (SSO).
Why it's wrong here
SSO is an implementation after planning.
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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.