Quick Answer
The board of directors is the correct choice because ultimate authority and responsibility for the cybersecurity program must reside at the highest level of governance to ensure alignment with business objectives and risk appetite. In security governance, the board holds fiduciary duty to oversee strategic risk, meaning cybersecurity cannot be delegated solely to IT or the CISO; it is a board-level accountability that integrates security into enterprise strategy. On the CISSP exam, this concept tests your understanding of governance structures versus management roles, often appearing in questions that contrast the board’s strategic oversight with senior management’s operational implementation. A common trap is selecting the CISO or CEO, but remember: the board sets policy and accepts residual risk, while management executes. Memory tip: think “BOD = Bucket of Duty” — the board holds the ultimate bucket for security governance responsibility.
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of security and risk management. 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.
An organization is developing a security governance framework to align with business objectives. Which group should have ultimate authority and responsibility for the cybersecurity program?
IT steering committee
Why wrong: Steering committees advise but lack board-level authority.
Board of directors
The board holds ultimate fiduciary duty for risk management, including cybersecurity.
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Why wrong: The CISO implements the program but does not have ultimate authority.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Why wrong: The CEO is accountable to the board; the board has ultimate authority.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Board of directors
Security governance is a board-level responsibility. The board of directors ensures that cybersecurity aligns with business strategy and risk appetite.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
IT steering committee
Why it's wrong here
Steering committees advise but lack board-level authority.
Board of directors
Why this is correct
The board holds ultimate fiduciary duty for risk management, including cybersecurity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Why it's wrong here
The CISO implements the program but does not have ultimate authority.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Why it's wrong here
The CEO is accountable to the board; the board has ultimate authority.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Identify which CISSP 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.
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FAQ
Security and Risk Management — This question tests Security and Risk Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Board of directors — Security governance is a board-level responsibility. The board of directors ensures that cybersecurity aligns with business strategy and risk appetite.
Identify which CISSP 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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This CISSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CISSP exam.
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