CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems acquisition, development and implementation. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Architecture description: The application is deployed across three tiers: web servers in DMZ, application servers in internal network, and database servers in a secured subnet. Traffic flows from web to app via HTTPS, and app to DB via port 3306.
What is the primary security concern in this architecture?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Refer to the exhibit.
Architecture description: The application is deployed across three tiers: web servers in DMZ, application servers in internal network, and database servers in a secured subnet. Traffic flows from web to app via HTTPS, and app to DB via port 3306.
A
Traffic between application and database servers is not encrypted
Sensitive data in transit should be encrypted.
B
Web servers are directly accessible from the internet
Why wrong: Web servers in a DMZ are expected to be internet-facing.
C
Database port is exposed to application servers
Why wrong: Exposure is required for connectivity; the concern is lack of encryption.
D
Lack of intrusion detection
Why wrong: While important, encryption is a more direct concern.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Traffic between application and database servers is not encrypted
The primary security concern is that traffic between the application and database servers is not encrypted. In a typical three-tier web architecture, sensitive data such as authentication credentials, SQL queries, and result sets are transmitted in cleartext if TLS/SSL is not enforced between the application layer and the database layer. This exposes the data to eavesdropping or man-in-the-middle attacks on the internal network, which is a direct violation of the principle of defense in depth and common compliance requirements like PCI DSS or HIPAA.
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.
✓
Traffic between application and database servers is not encrypted
Why this is correct
Sensitive data in transit should be encrypted.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Web servers are directly accessible from the internet
Why it's wrong here
Web servers in a DMZ are expected to be internet-facing.
✗
Database port is exposed to application servers
Why it's wrong here
Exposure is required for connectivity; the concern is lack of encryption.
✗
Lack of intrusion detection
Why it's wrong here
While important, encryption is a more direct concern.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often focus on perimeter defenses (like web server exposure) or operational controls (like intrusion detection) instead of recognizing that unencrypted internal traffic between trusted tiers is a critical and often overlooked vulnerability in application architecture.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, unencrypted database traffic uses protocols like MySQL's native protocol or TDS (Tabular Data Stream) over plain TCP, which transmit data in cleartext. Even on a segmented internal network, an attacker who compromises a switch or uses ARP spoofing can capture packets containing SQL statements and sensitive data. In real-world scenarios, misconfigured cloud VPCs or internal VLANs often leave database traffic unencrypted, leading to data breaches that could have been prevented by enabling TLS for the database connection (e.g., using MySQL's --ssl-mode=REQUIRED or SQL Server's Force Encryption).
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.
Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — This question tests Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Traffic between application and database servers is not encrypted — The primary security concern is that traffic between the application and database servers is not encrypted. In a typical three-tier web architecture, sensitive data such as authentication credentials, SQL queries, and result sets are transmitted in cleartext if TLS/SSL is not enforced between the application layer and the database layer. This exposes the data to eavesdropping or man-in-the-middle attacks on the internal network, which is a direct violation of the principle of defense in depth and common compliance requirements like PCI DSS or HIPAA.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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