CISM Information Security Programme Practice Question
An organization's security budget is 12% of the IT budget. Which of the following best describes the maturity of this security program?
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
✓
Mature, as it aligns with the 10-15% benchmark
Industry benchmarks indicate that mature security programs allocate 10-15% of IT budget to security. 12% falls within this range, suggesting a mature program.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Immature, because security should be less than 5% of IT budget
Why it's wrong here
Mature programs allocate more than 5%.
- ✗
Mature, but only if it also includes a separate budget for compliance
Why it's wrong here
Maturity is determined by total percentage, not separate budgets.
- ✓
Mature, as it aligns with the 10-15% benchmark
Why this is correct
12% is within the typical range for mature programs.
- ✗
Overbudgeted, as the ideal is 8% of IT budget
Why it's wrong here
8% is below the mature range.
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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.