CISM Information Security Programme Practice Question
An organization wants to measure the effectiveness of its security awareness programme. Which metric is a leading indicator of improved security culture?
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
✓
Number of phishing emails reported by employees
An increase in the number of phishing emails reported by employees indicates that they are actively recognizing and reporting suspicious activity, which is a leading indicator of improved security awareness and culture.
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 security incidents attributed to human error
Why it's wrong here
Incident count is a lagging indicator.
- ✓
Number of phishing emails reported by employees
Why this is correct
Increased reporting indicates better recognition and engagement.
- ✗
Percentage of employees who completed annual training
Why it's wrong here
Completion is a process metric, not a behavior indicator.
- ✗
Average score on knowledge assessment tests
Why it's wrong here
Knowledge scores may not translate to sustained behavior.
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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.