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CISM Practice Question: A multinational corporation is implementing a…
A multinational corporation is implementing a risk-based approach to information security governance. The chief information security officer (CISO) has been asked to prioritize security initiatives based on business impact. Which of the following actions should the CISO take FIRST to align security governance with business objectives?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse tactical security controls (like MFA or SIEM) with the strategic governance step of first understanding business impact, leading them to select a technically correct but sequentially premature answer.
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
✓
Conduct a business impact analysis (BIA) to identify critical processes and their security requirements.
Conducting a business impact analysis (BIA) is the foundational step in a risk-based governance approach because it identifies critical business processes, their recovery time objectives (RTOs), and the specific security requirements needed to protect them. Without this analysis, the CISO cannot align security initiatives with business impact, as the BIA directly links security controls to the organization's most valuable assets and operational priorities.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enforce multifactor authentication (MFA) for all remote access.
Why it's wrong here
MFA is a security control that should be prioritized based on business risk, not as a first step.
- ✗
Implement a compliance management tool to track regulatory requirements.
Why it's wrong here
Compliance is important but not the primary driver for business alignment.
- ✗
Deploy a security information and event management (SIEM) system to centralize log analysis.
Why it's wrong here
Deploying a SIEM is a tactical step that should follow a clear understanding of business priorities.
- ✓
Conduct a business impact analysis (BIA) to identify critical processes and their security requirements.
Why this is correct
A BIA identifies critical business processes and their dependencies, enabling risk-based prioritization.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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