hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CISA Which control failure is MOST significant? Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. At 14:23 UTC, an unauthorized user accessed the HR database. The intrusion detection system alerted at 14:25. The incident response team was notified at 16:00. The database logs show query activity from 14:20 to 14:45. The DBA terminated the session at 15:10.
Which control failure is MOST significant?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISACA often tests the distinction between operational speed (response, alerting, monitoring) and procedural completeness (notification), leading candidates to overvalue technical timeliness over the foundational requirement of having a defined notification process.
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
✓
Insufficient incident notification procedures
Insufficient incident notification procedures are the most significant control failure because they directly undermine the entire incident response lifecycle. Without defined notification procedures, even if monitoring, alerting, and response are technically sound, the right stakeholders (e.g., CISO, legal, PR, regulators) may never be informed, leading to regulatory non-compliance, reputational damage, and failure to meet breach notification laws like GDPR Article 33 or SEC cyber rules. This procedural gap creates a systemic failure that cannot be compensated by technical speed alone.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Insufficient incident notification procedures
Why this is correct
The 95-minute gap between alert and notification indicates a procedural failure.
- ✗
Lack of timely incident response
Why it's wrong here
While response was delayed, the root cause is the notification delay.
- ✗
Delayed alerting
Why it's wrong here
The IDS alerted within 2 minutes, which is timely.
- ✗
Inadequate monitoring
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring detected the activity, so it was not inadequate.
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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.