CISM Information Security Programme Practice Question
A newly appointed CISO at a healthcare provider must establish an information security governance structure. Which action should be performed FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is equating governance with buying security technology or insurance instead of establishing strategy, charter, and accountability first.
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
✓
Define the security strategy and obtain executive approval for the governance framework and charter.
Governance is about direction, accountability, and decision rights. A newly appointed security leader must first secure executive approval of a strategy and governance charter so the programme has authority and alignment. Technical assessments, tools, and insurance are treatments applied once governance establishes priorities, risk appetite, and responsibilities, and performing them first inverts the correct sequence.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Commission a penetration test of the electronic health record system.
Why it's wrong here
A penetration test is a point-in-time technical assessment and produces findings without the mandate to remediate or prioritize them. Conducting it before governance exists means results may be disputed, unfunded, or ignored, and it consumes scarce resources without addressing the structural accountability the CISO was hired to create.
- ✗
Purchase cyber insurance to transfer residual risk to a third party.
Why it's wrong here
Insurance transfers some financial consequence but does nothing to establish direction, accountability, or decision rights. Buying coverage first can even create a false sense of security and may be priced without knowing the actual risk posture. Risk transfer is a treatment option chosen after risks are identified and evaluated under an approved framework.
- ✗
Deploy an endpoint detection and response tool across all clinical workstations.
Why it's wrong here
Tooling is a downstream decision that should follow an approved strategy and risk assessment. Buying and deploying endpoint detection before governance exists commits budget and operational effort without agreed priorities, and it may not address the highest risks to patient data. Governance defines direction first, then technology supports it.
- ✓
Define the security strategy and obtain executive approval for the governance framework and charter.
Why this is correct
Governance begins with an approved strategy, charter, and clear accountability, which give the security programme authority and direction. Establishing these first ensures subsequent risk assessments, policies, and control investments are sanctioned by leadership and aligned with the provider's obligations, rather than emerging piecemeal from technical teams.
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About these practice questions
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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.