CISM Information Security Governance Practice Question
A CISO is developing a multi-year security roadmap aligned with business strategy. The organization is in a highly regulated industry with frequent regulatory changes. Which of the following should be the PRIMARY driver for prioritizing security initiatives?
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
✓
Alignment with current and upcoming regulatory requirements
While risk reduction is important, in a highly regulated environment with frequent changes, compliance alignment ensures the organization avoids legal penalties and maintains business continuity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reduction of the mean time to detect (MTTD) security incidents
Why it's wrong here
MTTD improvement is an operational metric but not the primary driver for prioritizing initiatives in a regulatory-focused context.
- ✗
Cost savings from consolidating security tools
Why it's wrong here
Cost efficiency is secondary to meeting legal obligations and managing risk.
- ✗
Achieving a target capability maturity model (CMM) level
Why it's wrong here
CMM improvement is a means to an end, not a primary driver; compliance and risk reduction should guide the roadmap.
- ✓
Alignment with current and upcoming regulatory requirements
Why this is correct
Regulatory compliance is a critical business requirement; non-compliance can result in fines, legal action, and reputational damage.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CISM 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 CISM exam.