CISM Exam Dumps - Certified Information Security Manager

The best way to support the justification for investment in a new security solution is to show how the solution contributes to the business strategy of the organization. The business strategy defines the vision, mission, goals, and objectives of the organization, and the security solution should align with and support them. The security solution should also demonstrate how it adds value to the organization, such as by enabling new business opportunities, enhancing customer satisfaction, or increasing competitive advantage. The business case should include the expected benefits, costs, risks, and alternatives of the security solution, and provide a clear rationale for choosing the preferred option1.

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition eBook2, Chapter 1: Information Security Governance, Section: Information Security Strategy, Subsection: Business Case Development, Page 33.

Senior management support is the most important factor to have in place for an organization’s information security program to be effective because it helps to establish the vision, direction, and goals of the program, as well as to allocate the necessary resources and authority to implement and maintain it. Senior management support also helps to foster a security culture within the organization, where security is seen as a shared responsibility and a business enabler. Senior management support also helps to ensure compliance with internal and external security policies and standards, as well as to communicate the value and impact of security to stakeholders. Therefore, senior management support is the correct answer.

The reduction of organizational risk is the desired outcome that best supports a decision to invest in a new security initiative. The organizational risk is the level of exposure or uncertainty that the organization faces in achieving its objectives. The organizational risk is influenced by various factors, such as the threat landscape, the vulnerability of the assets, the impact of the incidents, and the effectiveness of the controls. The information security manager should evaluate the organizational risk and propose security initiatives that can reduce the risk to an acceptable level. The security initiatives should be aligned with the business goals, the risk appetite, and the available resources of the organization. The security initiatives should also provide a positive return on investment (ROI) or value for money (VFM) for the organization. The reduction of organizational risk is the ultimate goal and benefit of any security initiative, as it enhances the security posture, performance, and resilience of the organization. Enhanced security monitoring and reporting, reduced control complexity, and enhanced threat detection capability are all possible outcomes of security initiatives, but they are not the best ones to support a decision to invest in a new security initiative. These outcomes are more specific and technical, and they may not directly relate to the business objectives or the risk appetite of the organization. These outcomes are also intermediate or enabling, rather than final or ultimate, as they may not necessarily lead to the reduction of organizational risk. For example, enhanced security monitoring and reporting may improve the visibility and awareness of the security status, but it may not prevent or mitigate the incidents. Reduced control complexity may simplify the security management and maintenance, but it may not address the emerging or evolving threats. Enhanced threat detection capability may increase the speed and accuracy of identifying the attacks, but it may not reduce the impact or the likelihood of the attacks. Therefore, the reduction of organizational risk is the best outcome to support a decision to invest in a new security initiative, as it demonstrates the value and effectiveness of the security initiative for the organization. References = CISM Review Manual 2023, page 40 1; CISM Practice Quiz 2

= According to the CISM Manual1, risk is defined as the combination of the probability of an event and its consequence. Therefore, determining the risk for a particular threat/vulnerability pair before controls are applied can be expressed as a function of the likelihood and impact, should a threat exploit a vulnerability. Likelihood is the probability or frequency of a threat occurring, while impact is the magnitude or severity of the harm or loss that would result from a threat exploiting a vulnerability. The higher the likelihood and impact, the higher the risk. The lower the likelihood and impact, the lower the risk.

The other options are not correct because they do not capture the full expression of risk. Option B only considers the impact, but not the likelihood, of a threat exploiting a vulnerability. Option C confuses the risk with the risk response, which is the action taken to reduce or mitigate the risk. Option D only considers the likelihood, but not the impact, of a threat attempting to exploit a vulnerability.

References = CISM Manual1, Chapter 2: Information Risk Management (IRM), Section 2.1: Risk Concepts2

1: https://store.isaca.org/s/store#/store/browse/cat/a2D4w00000Ac6NNEAZ/tiles 2: 2

 When a new information security manager is developing an information security strategy for a non-regulated organization, reviewing the management’s business goals and objectives would be the most helpful. This is because the information security strategy should be aligned with and support the organization’s vision, mission, values, and strategic direction. The information security strategy should also enable the organization to achieve its desired outcomes, such as increasing revenue, reducing costs, enhancing customer satisfaction, or improving operational efficiency. By reviewing the management’s business goals and objectives, the information security manager can understand the business context, needs, and expectations of the organization, and design the information security strategy accordingly. The information security manager can also communicate the value proposition and benefits of the information security strategy to the management and other stakeholders, and gain their support and commitment.

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, Chapter 1: Information Security Governance, Section: Information Security Strategy, page 211; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, Question 48, page 452.

Performing a vulnerability analysis is the best option to ensure that a new application complies with information security policy because it helps to identify and evaluate any security flaws or weaknesses in the application that may expose it to potential threats or attacks, and provide recommendations or solutions to mitigate them. Reviewing the security of the application before implementation is not a good option because it may not detect or prevent all security issues that may arise after implementation or deployment. Integrating security functionality at the development stage is not a good option because it may not account for all security requirements or challenges of the application or its environment. Periodically auditing the security of the application is not a good option because it may not address any security issues that may occur between audits or after deployment. References: https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2017/volume-2/secure-software-development-lifecycle https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2016/volume-4/integrating-assurance-functions

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are measurable values that demonstrate how effectively an organization is achieving its key objectives and goals. KPIs can help senior management understand the status of information security compliance by providing quantifiable and relevant data on the performance and progress of the information security program and processes. KPIs can also help senior management to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the information security controls and activities, identify strengths and weaknesses, and make informed decisions and adjustments. KPIs should be aligned with the organization’s strategy, vision, and mission, and should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). Some examples of information security KPIs are: percentage of compliance with policies and standards, number of security incidents and breaches, mean time to detect and respond to incidents, percentage of systems and applications patched, number of security awareness trainings completed, etc.

Industry benchmarks, business impact analysis (BIA) results, and risk assessment results are not the most useful to help senior management understand the status of information security compliance, although they may provide some useful information or insights. Industry benchmarks are comparative measures of the performance or practices of other organizations in the same industry or sector. Industry benchmarks can help senior management to compare and contrast their own information security performance or practices with those of their peers or competitors, and identify gaps or opportunities for improvement. However, industry benchmarks may not reflect the specific goals, needs, or context of the organization, and may not be readily available or reliable. Business impact analysis (BIA) results are the outcomes of the process of analyzing the potential impacts of disruptive events on the organization’s critical business functions and processes. BIA results can help senior management to understand the dependencies, priorities, and recovery objectives of the organization’s business functions and processes, and to plan for business continuity and disaster recovery. However, BIA results do not directly measure or indicate the status of information security compliance, and may not be updated or accurate. Risk assessment results are the outcomes of the process of identifying, analyzing, and evaluating the information security risks that the organization faces. Risk assessment results can help senior management to understand the sources, causes, and consequences of information security risks, and to determine the appropriate risk responses and controls. However, risk assessment results do not directly measure or indicate the status of information security compliance, and may vary depending on the risk assessment methodology, criteria, and frequency. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, pages 47-481, 54-551, 69-701, 72-731; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 832

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are metrics that measure the effectiveness and ef-ficiency of information security processes and activities. They help senior manage-ment understand the status of information security compliance by providing relevant, timely and accurate information on the performance of security controls, the level of risk exposure, the return on security investment and the progress toward security ob-jectives. KPIs can also be used to benchmark the organization’s security performance against industry standards or best practices. KPIs should be aligned with the organiza-tion’s strategic goals and risk appetite, and should be reported regularly to senior man-agement and other stakeholders.