The answer is to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of the target company. This is the highest priority action because merger integration security priority risk assessment must come first to identify unknown vulnerabilities, compliance gaps, and cultural differences between the two security programs before any integration planning begins. On the Certified Information Security Manager CISM exam, this concept tests your understanding of the risk-based approach to governance and integration, where tactical steps like policy alignment or tool consolidation are premature without first understanding the threat landscape. A common trap is choosing to immediately align policies or deploy monitoring tools, but these are downstream activities that depend on risk findings. Remember the mnemonic: Assess before you address—never integrate blind.
CISM Information Security Program Practice Question
This CISM practice question tests your understanding of information security program. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
During a merger, the acquiring company's security program must integrate with the target company's program. What is the HIGHEST priority action?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of the target
Option B is correct because a comprehensive risk assessment of the target company's environment identifies integration risks and informs the integration plan. Option A is premature without understanding risks. Option C and D are tactical steps that should follow risk assessment.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Consolidate all security tools
Why it's wrong here
Tool consolidation is a later step after risk assessment and planning.
✓
Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of the target
Why this is correct
Risk assessment provides the basis for all integration decisions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Merge the security teams into one reporting structure
Why it's wrong here
Structural changes should follow understanding of risks and needs.
✗
Standardize security policies immediately
Why it's wrong here
Standardization without risk assessment may overlook critical differences.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the CISM exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which CISM exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Information Security Program — This question tests Information Security Program — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of the target — Option B is correct because a comprehensive risk assessment of the target company's environment identifies integration risks and informs the integration plan. Option A is premature without understanding risks. Option C and D are tactical steps that should follow risk assessment.
What should I do if I get this CISM question wrong?
Identify which CISM exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. After a data breach, the CISO reviews the security program. The breach exploited a known vulnerability in a legacy system that was deemed 'acceptable risk' two years ago. What should the CISO do to improve the program?
hard
A.Establish a policy that legacy systems must be upgraded annually.
B.Disconnect the legacy system from the network immediately.
✓ C.Implement a process for periodic reassessment of accepted risks.
D.Require immediate remediation of all legacy systems.
Why C: Periodic reassessment ensures that risk acceptance decisions remain valid as threat and business environments change.
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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.
Question Discussion
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