CISM Information Security Programme Practice Question
A company has implemented a security awareness program with quarterly phishing simulations. The click rate has remained at 15% for the past two quarters. What is the most effective next step?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISM often tests the instinct to escalate volume (more simulations) rather than change the intervention — the trap is confusing increased activity with improved effectiveness, when the data shows the current approach is not working.
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
✓
Implement mandatory remediation training for users who click
A stagnant 15% click rate indicates that awareness alone is not changing behavior; the program needs reinforcement through consequence and remediation. Mandatory remediation training for users who click — typically a short, targeted module delivered immediately after the failure — converts the teachable moment into learning and has been shown to reduce repeat click rates. This is the most effective next step because it addresses the root cause: users who click are not internalizing the training.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Increase the frequency of simulations to monthly
Why it's wrong here
Raising frequency to monthly repeats the same intervention without diagnosing why 15% still click, so the underlying gap persists. It is tempting because more exposure appears to build habit, but it would be correct only after root-cause analysis showed that insufficient repetition, not content or delivery, drove the plateau.
- ✓
Implement mandatory remediation training for users who click
Why this is correct
A static 15% click rate shows awareness training alone is not changing behaviour, so mandatory remediation training targets the users who actually click. This satisfies the need to intervene directly with the at-risk cohort rather than repeating the same ineffective simulation cycle.
- ✗
Discontinue simulations as they are not effective
Why it's wrong here
Discontinuing removes the measurement mechanism entirely, leaving no visibility into whether click behaviour improves or worsens. It is tempting when results plateau and the programme looks ineffective, but it would be correct only if simulations caused demonstrable harm or the organisation had replaced them with an equivalent behavioural control.
- ✗
Reduce the difficulty of simulations to lower the click rate
Why it's wrong here
Reducing simulation difficulty would mask the click rate without addressing the underlying security culture, failing the requirement to improve actual user detection of real phishing attempts. This approach is tempting because lowering difficulty often yields immediate metric improvements in training environments, and it would be correct if the goal were solely to demonstrate compliance with a low click-rate target rather than to build genuine resilience.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISACA exam blueprint
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.