CISM Exam Dumps - Certified Information Security Manager

 Introducing security requirements during the initiation phase would BEST ensure that security is integrated during application development because it would allow the security objectives and controls to be defined and aligned with the business needs and risk appetite before any design or coding is done. This would also facilitate the security by design approach, which is the most effective method to enhance the security of applications and application development activities1. Introducing security requirements early would also enable the collaboration between security professionals and developers, the identification and specification of security architectures, and the integration and testing of security controls throughout the development life cycle2. Employing global security standards during development processes (A) would help to ensure the consistency and quality of security practices, but it would not necessarily ensure that security is integrated during application development. Providing training on secure development practices to programmers (B) would help to raise the awareness and skills of developers, but it would not ensure that security is integrated during application development. Performing application security testing during acceptance testing © would help to verify the security of the application before deployment, but it would not ensure that security is integrated during application development. It would also be too late to identify and remediate any security issues that could have been prevented or mitigated earlier in the development process. References = 1: Five Key Components of an Application Security Program - ISACA1; 2: CISM Domain – Information Security Program Development | Infosec2

The primary objective of timely declaration of a disaster is to ensure the continuity of the organization’s essential services, which are the services that are critical for the survival and operation of the organization, and that cannot be interrupted or delayed without causing severe consequences. By declaring a disaster, the organization can activate its disaster recovery plan (DRP), which is a set of documented procedures and resources to recover the essential services in the event of a disaster. The DRP should include the roles and responsibilities, the communication channels, the recovery strategies, the backup and restoration procedures, and the testing and maintenance activities for the disaster recovery process1.

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition eBook2, Chapter 9: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery, Section: Disaster Recovery Planning, Subsection: Disaster Declaration, Page 372.

Strong encryption methods are the BEST control to protect customer personal information that is stored in the cloud, because they help to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, modification, or deletion of the data by encrypting it at rest and in transit. Encryption is the process of transforming data into an unreadable format using a secret key or algorithm, so that only authorized parties can decrypt and access the data. Encryption can help to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data, as well as to comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

References =

CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, ISACA, 2020, p. 72: “Encryption is the process of transforming data into an unreadable format using a secret key or algorithm.”

CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, ISACA, 2020, p. 73: “Encryption can help to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, as well as to comply with legal and regulatory requirements for data protection.”

Saas Data Security: Protecting Your Customers’ Information In The Cloud - Fresent’s Blog: “Encryption and Data Protection: One of the most effective ways to protect sensitive data in the cloud is to encrypt it both at rest and in transit. Encryption is the process of transforming data into an unreadable format using a secret key or algorithm, so that only authorized parties can decrypt and access the data.”

Declaring an incident is the best course of action when confidential information is inadvertently disseminated outside the organization, as it triggers the incident response process, which aims to contain, analyze, eradicate, recover, and learn from the incident. Declaring an incident also helps to communicate the exposure to the relevant stakeholders, such as senior management, legal authorities, customers, or regulators, and to comply with the applicable laws and regulations regarding notification and disclosure. Changing the encryption keys, reviewing compliance requirements, or communicating the exposure are possible steps within the incident response process, but they are not the first course of action.

References = CISM Review Manual 2022, page 3121; CISM Exam Content Outline, Domain 4, Task 4.12; CISM 2020: Incident Management; How to Respond to a Data Breach

 Replacing key controls with weaker compensating controls may introduce new vulnerabilities or increase the likelihood or impact of existing threats, thus raising the risk levels beyond the acceptable limits defined by the risk appetite and tolerance of the organization. This may expose the organization to unacceptable losses or damages, such as financial, reputational, legal, or operational. Therefore, the information security manager should be most concerned about the potential elevation of risk levels and ensure that the risk owner is aware of the consequences and accountable for the decision.

References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, Chapter 2: Information Risk Management, Section: Risk Treatment, page 941.

 The primary basis for determining the value of assets should be the business cost when assets are not available. This is because the value of assets is not only determined by their acquisition or replacement cost, but also by their contribution to the organization’s business objectives and processes. The business cost when assets are not available reflects the potential impact of losing or compromising the assets on the organization’s operations, performance, reputation, and compliance. The business cost when assets are not available can be estimated by conducting a business impact analysis (BIA), which identifies the criticality, dependencies, and recovery requirements of the assets. By using the business cost when assets are not available as the primary basis for determining the value of assets, the organization can prioritize the protection and management of the assets according to their importance and risk level. References = CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 64, page 65.

A security maturity assessment evaluates not only current vulnerabilities but also governance structures, risk management practices, incident response, and ongoing improvement processes. It provides a holistic and strategic view of the security posture.

“Maturity assessments provide a comprehensive evaluation of an organization’s security controls and their alignment with business objectives.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 1: Information Security Governance, Section: Maturity Models*

Other methods like penetration tests or vulnerability assessments offer snapshots of technical weaknesses, but they lack strategic depth.