CISM Information Security Risk Management Practice Question
A risk assessment identifies that the organization's email system has a high likelihood of phishing attacks. The current controls include spam filtering and user awareness training. What should the organization do NEXT to manage this risk effectively?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume existing controls are sufficient and jump to acceptance (Option A) or repeat training (Option D), without recognizing that the CISM process mandates a formal residual risk evaluation before any risk response decision.
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
✓
Evaluate the residual risk and decide on additional controls
After implementing initial controls (spam filtering and user awareness training), the organization must evaluate the residual risk—the risk that remains after controls are applied. This step is required by the CISM risk management process to determine whether the residual risk level is acceptable or if additional controls are needed. Option B correctly follows the risk assessment lifecycle: identify risk, apply controls, assess residual risk, then decide on further action.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Accept the risk as it is already controlled
Why it's wrong here
Acceptance leaves the high likelihood unaddressed; existing spam filtering and awareness training are the controls already assessed, so residual risk remains high. Acceptance suits low-likelihood or low-impact risks within appetite, where further treatment costs exceed benefit.
- ✓
Evaluate the residual risk and decide on additional controls
Why this is correct
With spam filtering and awareness training already applied, the next step is evaluating residual risk and deciding whether additional controls are warranted. This satisfies the stem's constraint of determining what to do next to manage the phishing risk.
- ✗
Transfer the risk to a cyber insurance provider
Why it's wrong here
Cyber insurance reimburses financial losses after a phishing incident; it does not reduce the likelihood of phishing attacks, which the stem identifies as high. Insurance is the right choice when residual financial impact cannot be absorbed, but here the requirement is to strengthen preventive controls beyond spam filtering and awareness training.
- ✗
Conduct another round of user awareness training
Why it's wrong here
Repeating awareness training duplicates a control already in place and assessed, so residual likelihood stays high. Refresher training suits scenarios where assessment shows awareness decay or new staff, not as the next step after controls are already counted.
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About these practice questions
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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.