CISM Information Security Programme Practice Question
A security dashboard is being designed for the C-suite. Which metric is most appropriate for a one-page executive summary?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse operational metrics (like patch compliance or incident counts) with strategic metrics, failing to recognize that the C-suite requires a synthesized risk indicator rather than detailed technical data.
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
✓
Security scorecard with overall risk level
The security scorecard with overall risk level is the most appropriate metric for a one-page executive summary because it provides a high-level, aggregated view of the organization's security posture. Executives need a concise, actionable summary that distills complex security data into a single risk indicator, enabling quick decision-making without technical details.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Number of phishing simulation campaigns
Why it's wrong here
Operational metric, not strategic.
- ✗
List of all security incidents in the quarter
Why it's wrong here
Too granular; better to summarize trends.
- ✓
Security scorecard with overall risk level
Why this is correct
Provides a concise, high-level status of security posture.
- ✗
Detailed patch compliance by system
Why it's wrong here
Too detailed for an executive summary.
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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.