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CISA Practice Question: Which TWO of the following are the MOST effective…
Which TWO of the following are the MOST effective controls to prevent unauthorized changes to production data?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISACA often tests the distinction between preventive and detective controls, and the trap here is that candidates mistakenly choose audit logging (a detective control) as a preventive measure because it provides evidence of changes, but it does not stop unauthorized changes from occurring.
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
✓
Requiring change management approval for all production changes
Requiring change management approval for all production changes is a preventive control that ensures every modification to production data is formally authorized, reviewed, and documented before implementation. This directly prevents unauthorized changes by enforcing a gatekeeping process where only approved changes proceed, reducing the risk of data integrity breaches. Without this control, even with other safeguards, an attacker or insider could bypass technical controls by simply requesting a change through official channels.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Requiring change management approval for all production changes
Why this is correct
Ensures changes are authorized before implementation.
- ✓
Enforcing segregation of duties between development and production
Why this is correct
Prevents unauthorized changes by separating roles.
- ✗
Implementing audit logging of all data changes
Why it's wrong here
Audit logs detect but do not prevent changes.
- ✗
Encrypting production data at rest
Why it's wrong here
Encryption protects confidentiality, not integrity.
- ✗
Using automated testing for all code changes
Why it's wrong here
Testing ensures quality but does not prevent unauthorized changes.
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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.