CISA Exam Dumps - Certified Information Systems Auditor

The best answer is B. Residual risk.

ISACA defines residual risk as the amount of risk remaining after controls and mitigation efforts are put in place. Because risk management strategies are implemented to mitigate risk, the type of risk most directly reduced is residual risk. Inherent risk exists before controls are applied, so it is not the risk category most directly reduced by control implementation. Sampling risk and detection risk are audit risks, not the primary target of enterprise risk treatment strategies.

Option C is incorrect because inherent risk is the baseline level of risk absent controls. Option A and D relate to audit methodology and audit assurance rather than enterprise risk treatment outcomes. ISACA’s risk guidance consistently describes controls and mitigation efforts as mechanisms to reduce remaining exposure to an acceptable level, which is residual risk.

References (Official ISACA):

ISACA Journal, Quantifying the Qualitative Technology Risk Assessment.

ISACA Journal, Risk Assessment and Analysis Methods.

ISACA Journal, From Measurement to Management.

A data warehouse is a centralized repository of data that is collected from various sources and organized for analysis and reporting purposes. A data warehouse can help an organization gain insights into its business performance, trends, and opportunities. However, building a data warehouse requires careful planning, design, and implementation to ensure that it meets the needs of the organization.

One of the best practices that would provide management with the most reasonable assurance that a new data warehouse will meet the needs of the organization is A. Integrating data requirements into the system development life cycle (SDLC). The SDLC is a framework that defines the phases and activities involved in developing a software system, such as planning, analysis, design, testing, deployment, and maintenance1. By integrating data requirements into the SDLC, an organization can ensure that the data warehouse is aligned with the business objectives and expectations, and that it delivers value to the end users.

Some of the benefits of integrating data requirements into the SDLC are:

It helps to identify and prioritize the key business questions and metrics that the data warehouse should support2.

It helps to define and validate the data sources, models, structures, and quality standards that the data warehouse should follow3.

It helps to design and implement the data integration, transformation, and loading processes that the data warehouse should use4.

It helps to test and verify the functionality, performance, and accuracy of the data warehouse before deploying it to production.

It helps to monitor and maintain the data warehouse after deployment and incorporate feedback and changes as needed.

 The most critical finding for an IS auditor following up on a recent security incident is that the security weakness facilitating the attack was not identified. This finding indicates that the root cause of the incident was not analyzed, and the vulnerability that allowed the attack to succeed was not remediated. This means that the organization is still exposed to the same or similar attacks in the future, and its security posture has not improved. Identifying and addressing the security weakness is a key step in the incident response process, as it helps to prevent recurrence, mitigate impact, and improve resilience.

The other findings are not as critical as the failure to identify the security weakness, but they are still important issues that should be addressed by the organization. The attack was not automatically blocked by the intrusion detection system (IDS) is a finding that suggests that the IDS was not configured properly, or that it did not have the latest signatures or rules to detect and prevent the attack. The attack could not be traced back to the originating person is a finding that implies that the organization did not have sufficient logging, monitoring, or forensic capabilities to identify and attribute the attacker. Appropriate response documentation was not maintained is a finding that indicates that the organization did not follow a consistent and formal incident response procedure, or that it did not document its actions, decisions, and lessons learned from the incident.

The best recommendation to prevent fraudulent electronic funds transfers by accounts payable employees is dual control. Dual control is a segregation of duties control that requires two or more individuals to perform or authorize a transaction or activity. Dual control can prevent fraudulent electronic funds transfers by requiring independent verification and approval of payment requests, amounts, and recipients by different accounts payable employees. The other options are not as effective as dual control in preventing fraudulent electronic funds transfers, as they do not involve independent checks or approvals. Periodic vendor reviews are detective controls that can help identify any irregularities or anomalies in vendor payments, but they do not prevent fraudulent electronic funds transfers from occurring. Independent reconciliation is a detective control that can help compare and confirm payment records with bank statements, but it does not prevent fraudulent electronic funds transfers from occurring. Re-keying of monetary amounts is an input control that can help detect any errors or discrepancies in payment amounts, but it does not prevent fraudulentelectronic funds transfers from occurring. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version), Chapter 3, Section 3.2

The greatest concern for an IS auditor in this scenario is that the user department will manage access rights to the new accounting system. This could pose a significant risk of unauthorized access, segregation of duties violations, data tampering and fraud. The IS auditor should ensure that access rights are defined, approved and monitored by an independent function, such as IT security or internal audit. The other options are not as concerning as option C, as they can be mitigated by other controls or procedures. Data migration is an important part of the system replacement project, but it can be performed by another party or verified by the IS auditor. The timing of the replacement near year-end reporting is a challenge, but it can be managed by proper planning, testing and contingency plans. Testing performed by the third-party consultant is acceptable, as long as it is reviewed and validated by the IS auditor or another independent party. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) 1, Chapter 3: Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation, Section 3.4: System Implementation.

The metric that would best measure the agility of an organization’s IT function is average time to turn strategic IT objectives into an agreed upon and approved initiative. IT agility is the ability of an IT function to respond quickly and effectively to changing business needs and opportunities. By measuring how fast an IT function can translate strategic IT objectives into actionable initiatives, such as projects or programs, an organization can assess how well its IT function can align with and support its business strategy. Average number of learning and training hours per IT staff member, frequency of security assessments against the most recent standards and guidelines, and percentage of staff with sufficient IT-related skills for the competency required of their roles are metrics that may indicate other aspects of IT performance, such as capability development, security maturity, and skills gap analysis, but they do not directly measure IT agility. References: ISACA Journal Article: Measuring IT Agility

Stakeholder satisfaction is a key indicator of the effectiveness of a QMS, as it reflects the extent to which the QMS meets the expectations and prioritiesof the customers and other interested parties. A high percentage of stakeholder satisfaction implies that the QMS is delivering consistent and reliable products or services that meet the quality standards and requirements.

References

ISACA CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 253

The Four Main Components of A Quality Management System

The Road to Developing an Effective Quality Management System (QMS)

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

In Zero Trust architecture (ZTA), the principle is “never trust, always verify.” The most important aspect for an IS auditor to evaluate is whether access control policies are properly designed, aligned with industry standards, and consistently enforced. These policies define how identities, devices, and contexts are authenticated and authorized before gaining access.

Option A: Perimeter firewalls are less relevant in Zero Trust, which minimizes reliance on network boundaries.

Option C: Access reviews are important but are periodic, not continuous enforcement.

Option D: Secure remote protocols are necessary but part of broader access policy enforcement.

Option B: Correct — policies are the foundation of Zero Trust security.

📖 ISACA Reference: ISACA’s “Zero Trust and Audit Considerations” guidance; CISA Review Manual 27th Edition, Domain 5, section on identity, access, and authentication controls.