CISM Information Security Program Practice Question
An organization's information security program has been in place for two years. During a recent audit, several findings indicated that security controls are not consistently applied across business units. The CISO has been asked to improve the program. Which of the following should the CISO do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISACA often tests the principle that a risk assessment must precede any control implementation or policy change, tempting candidates to jump to automation or enforcement actions without first understanding the specific gaps.
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
✓
Conduct a risk assessment to identify gaps and prioritize remediation.
Conducting a risk assessment first (Option C) is the correct initial step because it systematically identifies where controls are failing or missing across business units, quantifies the associated risks, and prioritizes remediation based on business impact. Without this foundational analysis, any subsequent actions—such as automation, policy updates, or new controls—would lack direction and could waste resources on low-priority areas. This aligns with the CISM program lifecycle, where risk assessment drives all other program improvements.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Automate security compliance monitoring across all business units.
Why it's wrong here
Automating compliance monitoring addresses detection, not the inconsistent application the audit found; it presupposes standardised controls already exist to monitor against. It is tempting because continuous monitoring suits mature programmes seeking assurance at scale, and would be correct once controls are defined and consistently deployed. Here, the CISO must first establish that common baseline across business units.
- ✗
Update the information security policy to mandate compliance.
Why it's wrong here
Updating policy adds no mechanism to enforce consistent application, so the existing gap between documented controls and business-unit practice persists. Policy revision is tempting because it is the standard response to audit findings, and it would be correct where no mandate exists or where scope, ownership, or accountability are undefined. Here, the mandate already exists.
- ✓
Conduct a risk assessment to identify gaps and prioritize remediation.
Why this is correct
A risk assessment establishes which control gaps matter most and their business impact, giving the CISO evidence to prioritise remediation across business units. Acting on audit findings without this analysis risks misallocating limited resources to lower-impact issues.
- ✗
Implement additional security controls across all business units.
Why it's wrong here
Adding controls addresses symptoms rather than the inconsistent application the audit found, so it leaves the underlying governance gap untouched. It tempts because control deployment is the standard remedy when genuine coverage gaps exist — for example, after a risk assessment identifies an unmitigated threat. Here, existing controls already exist; consistency, not coverage, is the deficiency.
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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.