CISM Information Security Programme Practice Question
A company is developing security metrics to present to the C-suite. Which metric is a leading indicator of security performance?
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
✓
Percentage of user access reviews completed on time
Leading indicators predict future security outcomes. Access review completion rates indicate how well access controls are managed, which reduces risk of unauthorized access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Percentage of user access reviews completed on time
Why this is correct
This is a leading indicator because timely access reviews prevent unauthorized access.
- ✗
Mean time to detect (MTTD) security incidents
Why it's wrong here
MTTD is a lagging indicator, measuring detection speed after an incident.
- ✗
Total cost of security incidents
Why it's wrong here
This is a lagging indicator, measuring financial impact after incidents.
- ✗
Number of data breaches in the past quarter
Why it's wrong here
This is a lagging indicator, as it measures past incidents.
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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.