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CISM Practice Question: A multinational corporation is experiencing…
A multinational corporation is experiencing significant security incidents due to inconsistent security policies across subsidiaries. The CISO proposes implementing a centralized governance model. However, business unit leaders argue that local regulations require autonomy. Which approach best balances governance with local compliance?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently choose Option A, mistakenly believing that a single global policy is the only way to achieve consistency, without considering that local regulations may legally override corporate mandates.
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
✓
Develop a framework of minimum security requirements, allowing local augmentation
A framework of minimum security requirements establishes a baseline that satisfies corporate governance needs while explicitly allowing local business units to add controls to meet regional regulations (e.g., GDPR, PIPL). This approach preserves the principle of subsidiarity in governance, ensuring that local compliance obligations are met without fragmenting the overall security posture.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Implement a single global security policy with mandatory compliance
Why it's wrong here
A single global policy may violate local laws and does not allow for necessary flexibility.
- ✗
Delegate all security decisions to local business units
Why it's wrong here
This would exacerbate inconsistency and lack of oversight.
- ✓
Develop a framework of minimum security requirements, allowing local augmentation
Why this is correct
This approach balances global consistency with local regulatory needs.
- ✗
Outsource security governance to a third-party managed service
Why it's wrong here
Outsourcing shifts responsibility but does not inherently resolve local vs global tension.
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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.