ISC Risk Management Practice Question
You are assessing a system that uses hardware security modules (HSM) for signing code. An attacker is attempting a 'side-channel' attack on the HSM. Which mitigation strategy should be implemented to protect the signing keys?
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
✓
Implement constant-time cryptographic algorithms to eliminate timing signatures.
Side-channel attacks often rely on power consumption or timing differences during cryptographic operations. Implementing constant-time algorithms and power-smoothing circuits within the HSM environment helps mask these signals.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Implement a dual-factor authentication requirement for HSM access.
Why it's wrong here
MFA prevents unauthorized API access, not side-channel analysis of crypto operations.
- ✓
Implement constant-time cryptographic algorithms to eliminate timing signatures.
Why this is correct
Constant-time algorithms remove the variability that attackers use for side-channel analysis.
- ✗
Increase the length of the RSA keys.
Why it's wrong here
Longer keys do not prevent physical side-channel leakage.
- ✗
Use a larger number of HSMs in a cluster.
Why it's wrong here
Clustering is for redundancy, not side-channel mitigation.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official (ISC)² exam blueprint
This ISC practice question is part of Courseiva's free (ISC)² 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 ISC exam.