CISM Information Security Programme Practice Question
Which of the following is the BEST reporting structure for a CISO to ensure independent oversight and alignment with business strategy?
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
✓
Reporting to the CEO or board of directors
Reporting to the CEO or board ensures the CISO has the authority and independence to influence security strategy without conflicting priorities from IT operations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reporting to the CIO
Why it's wrong here
This can create conflicts because the CISO may be subordinated to IT operational goals.
- ✗
Reporting to the head of legal
Why it's wrong here
Legal focuses on compliance, not overall security strategy.
- ✓
Reporting to the CEO or board of directors
Why this is correct
This provides independence and direct alignment with business strategy.
- ✗
Reporting to the CFO
Why it's wrong here
The CFO focuses on financial management, not security strategy.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CISM question is part of Courseiva's 871-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.