Question 708 of 871
CISM Information Security Risk Management Practice Question
A security manager is preparing a risk report for the board of directors. Which of the following should be included to best support strategic risk-based decisions?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse operational or technical details (like vulnerability scans or incident lists) with strategic risk information, failing to recognize that the board needs aggregated, business-aligned summaries to make informed decisions.
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
✓
Summary of top risks, risk appetite alignment, and treatment status
The board requires strategic-level information to make risk-based decisions. Option D provides a summary of top risks, alignment with risk appetite, and treatment status, which directly supports strategic oversight. Operational details like firewall counts or patch levels are tactical and do not convey the business impact or risk posture needed for board-level decisions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Operational metrics such as number of firewalls and intrusion detection alerts
Why it's wrong here
Operational, not strategic.
- ✗
List of all past security incidents and their root causes
Why it's wrong here
Historical, not strategic.
- ✗
Detailed vulnerability scan results and patch levels
Why it's wrong here
Too technical for board.
- ✓
Summary of top risks, risk appetite alignment, and treatment status
Why this is correct
Board requires strategic overview.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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