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CISM Practice Question: An organization's information security governance…
An organization's information security governance committee has not met for the past six months. Which of the following is the most significant risk associated with this situation?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse operational risks (like delayed incident response) with governance risks, failing to recognize that the committee's primary role is strategic oversight, not day-to-day operations.
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
✓
Lack of oversight leading to misalignment with business strategy
The governance committee's failure to meet for six months directly undermines the strategic alignment of security initiatives with business objectives. Without regular oversight, security investments and priorities may drift from the organization's risk appetite and strategic goals, leading to misallocation of resources and increased exposure to unmanaged risks. This misalignment is the most significant risk because it affects the entire security program's effectiveness and long-term viability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Increased operational costs due to uncoordinated security investments
Why it's wrong here
While possible, cost overruns are a symptom of the governance gap, not the most significant risk.
- ✗
Regulatory fines from noncompliance
Why it's wrong here
Noncompliance could result, but the most significant risk is the strategic misalignment.
- ✗
Delayed response to security incidents
Why it's wrong here
Incident response is typically managed by operational teams, not the governance committee.
- ✓
Lack of oversight leading to misalignment with business strategy
Why this is correct
The committee is responsible for ensuring security supports business goals; without meetings, oversight is lost.
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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.