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CISM Practice Question: A multinational corporation is implementing an…
A multinational corporation is implementing an information security governance framework. The board has requested a mechanism to ensure that security investments align with business objectives. Which of the following is the BEST approach to achieve this alignment?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'adopting a best-practice framework' (Option B) with proper governance, but CISM emphasizes that frameworks must be tailored to the organization's risk appetite, not implemented wholesale.
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 risk-based prioritization framework linking security initiatives to business risk appetite.
A risk-based prioritization framework directly maps security initiatives to the organization's risk appetite, ensuring that investments target the most critical business risks. This aligns with the CISM principle that governance must link security activities to business objectives through risk management, not through arbitrary cost-cutting or blanket compliance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Minimize security spending to maximize ROI.
Why it's wrong here
Cutting spend to maximise ROI removes the risk-treatment funding the board needs to weigh against business objectives, so alignment becomes cost minimisation. It is tempting because ROI framing appeals to boards, and would be correct where security is treated purely as a cost centre with no material risk exposure to manage.
- ✗
Adopt a best-practice framework such as NIST CSF and implement all controls.
Why it's wrong here
Implementing every NIST CSF control ignores cost, risk appetite and business priorities, so spend is driven by the catalogue rather than by objectives. It is tempting because NIST CSF is a recognised baseline for structuring a security programme, and would suit an organisation needing a comprehensive maturity benchmark rather than investment alignment.
- ✗
Focus on regulatory compliance to ensure legal requirements are met.
Why it's wrong here
Compliance sets the floor of legal obligation, not the mechanism linking investment to business objectives; controls are chosen to satisfy auditors rather than to support strategy. It is tempting because regulation is concrete and board-visible, and would be correct for an organisation whose only driver is meeting a specific mandated standard.
- ✓
Develop a risk-based prioritization framework linking security initiatives to business risk appetite.
Why this is correct
A risk-based prioritisation framework maps each security initiative to the board's stated risk appetite, so funding decisions trace directly to business objectives. This governance mechanism gives the board measurable alignment evidence, satisfying the stem's requirement for a mechanism ensuring security investment matches business goals.
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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.