CISM Information Security Program Practice Question
Which THREE are components of the Plan phase in a security program lifecycle (e.g., ISO 27001 PDCA)?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse the Plan phase with the Do phase, incorrectly selecting 'Implementation of controls' (Option D) because they assume planning includes deploying controls, whereas in the PDCA model, implementation is strictly a Do-phase activity.
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
✓
Risk assessment
Risk assessment is a core component of the Plan phase in the ISO 27001 PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) security program lifecycle. During this phase, the organization identifies, analyzes, and evaluates information security risks to establish the context, scope, and risk treatment criteria that will guide the selection of controls and objectives. Without a formal risk assessment, the subsequent phases lack a risk-based foundation, making the program reactive rather than proactive.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Risk assessment
Why this is correct
Risk assessment is foundational to planning.
- ✓
Strategy alignment with business objectives
Why this is correct
Aligning security strategy with business is a planning activity.
- ✗
Monitoring and review
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring occurs in Check/Act phases.
- ✗
Implementation of controls
Why it's wrong here
Implementation is part of the Do phase.
- ✓
Policy development
Why this is correct
Policies are established during the Plan phase.
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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.