CISM Information Security Governance Practice Question
A CISO is reporting to the board on the effectiveness of the security programme. Which TWO metrics are MOST appropriate for board-level reporting? (Select TWO)
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
✓
Mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR)
Board-level metrics should focus on strategic impact, such as overall risk posture and financial implications.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Number of firewall rules changed
Why it's wrong here
This is too operational for board reporting.
- ✓
Mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR)
Why this is correct
These reflect the effectiveness of detection and response capabilities.
- ✗
Number of employees who completed security training
Why it's wrong here
This is a metric for the awareness programme, not typically board-level.
- ✓
Security investment vs. loss avoidance
Why this is correct
This demonstrates the value (ROI) of security spending.
- ✗
Patch compliance percentage
Why it's wrong here
While important, patch compliance alone is not strategic enough for the board.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CISM question is part of Courseiva's 871-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.