View Full Isaca CISM Exam Dumps and Practice Test Dumps.

 

Question 241

What should guide incident response priorities?

1. Business risk
2. Office size
3. Staff age
4. Device color

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Incident response priorities should be guided by business risk and the potential consequences of the incident. Factors such as critical business processes, sensitive information, service availability, regulatory obligations, financial impact, and customer effects can help determine which incidents require the fastest attention. A technically serious event may not always have the highest business priority if its impact is limited, while a smaller event affecting a critical service may require immediate escalation. CISM emphasizes aligning incident management with organizational objectives so limited response resources are directed toward events that could create significant business consequences.

Question 242

Which activity helps identify unusual security events?

1. Monitoring
2. Budgeting
3. Recruiting
4. Purchasing

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Security monitoring helps identify unusual activities that may indicate potential security incidents. Monitoring can involve logs, alerts, endpoint activity, network behavior, access events, application events, or other relevant security information. Effective monitoring should be aligned with business risks and critical assets rather than collecting information without a clear purpose. Detected events still require analysis and validation because not every unusual activity represents an actual incident. CISM incident management emphasizes the importance of timely detection because delayed identification can increase the scope and impact of an incident. Monitoring should therefore support defined detection objectives and response processes.

Question 243

An alert involves a critical database but shows no confirmed compromise. What should occur first?

1. Validate it
2. Shut everything down
3. Notify customers
4. Delete logs

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

The alert should first be validated to determine whether it represents a genuine security event and whether the critical database is actually affected. Analysts should examine available evidence, determine what triggered the alert, identify potentially affected assets, and assess whether predefined incident criteria have been met. Immediately shutting down systems or notifying external parties without sufficient information may cause unnecessary disruption or inaccurate communication. At the same time, evidence such as relevant logs should be preserved. CISM promotes structured detection and analysis so organizations can make proportionate response decisions based on verified information.

Question 244

What should determine an incident response escalation threshold?

1. Defined criteria
2. Personal preference
3. Office location
4. Staff seniority

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Incident escalation thresholds should be based on documented criteria established before incidents occur. These criteria may include business impact, affected information, service disruption, regulatory implications, geographic scope, threat severity, or the potential for rapid escalation. Clearly defined thresholds help analysts make consistent decisions and ensure that serious incidents receive appropriate management attention. Personal preference or employee seniority should not determine whether an incident is escalated. CISM emphasizes governance and accountability within incident management, meaning escalation authority, triggers, and communication requirements should be clearly documented and periodically tested to ensure they remain practical.

Question 245

Which response action is most appropriate when malware is actively spreading?

1. Containment
2. Advertising
3. Budget review
4. Policy retirement

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

When malware is actively spreading, containment should be considered to limit additional damage while investigation continues. Depending on the circumstances, containment may involve isolating affected systems, disabling compromised accounts, blocking malicious communications, or separating affected network areas. The specific action should be based on the organization’s incident procedures and the potential business impact of disrupting services. Containment does not necessarily remove the underlying malware; eradication is required for that purpose. CISM incident management emphasizes timely containment because uncontrolled propagation can increase the number of affected assets, complicate recovery, and significantly increase overall business impact.

Question 246

Why should containment procedures be predefined?

1. Speed response
2. Reduce storage
3. Increase sales
4. Replace audits

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Predefined containment procedures help responders act quickly and consistently when an incident occurs. During a serious event, personnel may have limited time to evaluate options, and uncertainty about available actions can increase damage. Procedures can identify appropriate containment techniques, authorization requirements, communication steps, and considerations for critical business services. They should also account for different incident types because the safest action for malware may differ from the appropriate response to data exposure or compromised credentials. CISM emphasizes preparedness, and predefined procedures help organizations reduce response delays while maintaining appropriate control over disruptive security actions.

Question 247

What is the primary purpose of eradication?

1. Remove the threat
2. Restore sales
3. Increase staffing
4. Close tickets

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Eradication focuses on removing the underlying cause or malicious presence associated with a security incident. This may include deleting malware, removing unauthorized accounts, correcting exploited vulnerabilities, eliminating persistence mechanisms, or replacing compromised components. Eradication should be based on sufficient investigation so that responders understand how the threat entered and whether other systems may also be affected. Simply restoring a system without addressing the cause can allow the attacker or malicious software to return. CISM incident management therefore treats eradication as a distinct response activity that supports secure recovery and reduces the likelihood of recurrence.

Question 248

Which factor is essential before declaring an incident resolved?

1. Threat removed
2. Ticket opened
3. Alert received
4. Analyst assigned

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Before an incident is declared resolved, the organization should have reasonable assurance that the threat has been removed or adequately controlled and that affected services can operate securely. This may require verifying eradication, validating system integrity, checking security controls, monitoring restored systems, and confirming that business requirements have been met. Closing an incident merely because visible symptoms have disappeared can result in premature resolution and recurrence. CISM emphasizes controlled recovery and validation because incident closure should reflect an informed decision that the immediate security and business concerns have been appropriately addressed.

Question 249

Why is continuous monitoring useful after recovery?

1. Detect recurrence
2. Increase payroll
3. Reduce training
4. Replace backups

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Continuous monitoring after recovery helps detect signs that an attacker, malicious process, or vulnerability may still be present. Restored systems can remain at risk if eradication was incomplete or if the original weakness has not been corrected. Monitoring can include authentication activity, system behavior, network traffic, security alerts, and other indicators relevant to the incident. The duration and intensity of monitoring should reflect the incident’s severity and risk. CISM emphasizes post-recovery verification because returning systems to normal operation does not automatically prove that the threat has been completely eliminated.

Question 250

A major incident affects several departments. What is most important for coordination?

1. Clear leadership
2. More passwords
3. Fewer logs
4. New branding

Correct Answer: 2

Explanation

Clear incident leadership is essential when a major incident affects several departments. A designated incident leader or management structure can coordinate technical teams, business owners, communications, legal personnel, and recovery activities. Without clear leadership, departments may make conflicting decisions, duplicate work, or delay critical actions. The leadership structure should define authority, escalation paths, communication responsibilities, and decision-making processes. CISM emphasizes governance and accountability because major incidents often cross organizational boundaries. Effective coordination ensures that security response remains aligned with business priorities while allowing different teams to perform their specialized responsibilities.

Question 251

What should guide incident communication content?

1. Audience needs
2. Office size
3. Staff preference
4. Product color

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Incident communication should be tailored to the needs and responsibilities of the intended audience. Executives may require information about business impact, risk, decisions, and recovery status, while technical teams may need detailed indicators, affected systems, and response actions. Legal or regulatory stakeholders may require specific facts and timelines. Communication should remain accurate, authorized, and appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. CISM emphasizes stakeholder-focused communication because providing either too little or too much information can impair decision-making. Effective incident communication therefore considers who needs the information, why they need it, and what actions are expected.

Question 252

Which information should executives receive during a major incident?

1. Business impact
2. Source code
3. Raw logs
4. Device serials

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Executives generally need concise information about business impact, affected operations, risk exposure, response status, important decisions, and expected recovery implications. They may not require large volumes of technical data such as raw logs or detailed system identifiers unless those details support a specific decision. Executive communication should help leadership understand the organization’s current position and determine whether additional resources, approvals, or business actions are required. CISM emphasizes presenting security information in business terms so senior management can make informed decisions without becoming overwhelmed by unnecessary technical detail during a major incident.

Question 253

What should technical responders receive during an active incident?

1. Relevant details
2. Marketing plans
3. Payroll data
4. Office designs

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

Technical responders need relevant information that allows them to investigate, contain, eradicate, and recover from the incident effectively. Depending on the event, this may include affected systems, indicators of compromise, account information, timestamps, network activity, observed behaviors, known vulnerabilities, and actions already taken. Information should be accurate and shared through approved channels to prevent confusion or unauthorized disclosure. CISM recognizes that different stakeholders have different information needs. Providing responders with timely and useful operational details helps them act effectively while keeping unnecessary business or confidential information outside the response process.

Question 254

Which situation most likely requires executive escalation?

1. Critical outage
2. Minor alert
3. Routine scan
4. Failed login

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

A critical outage affecting an important business service is likely to require executive escalation because it can have significant operational, financial, customer, and reputational consequences. Executive involvement may be necessary to authorize emergency resources, approve business continuity actions, coordinate external communication, or make decisions that exceed the authority of technical responders. Minor alerts and routine security events may normally be handled through established operational procedures. CISM emphasizes predefined escalation criteria so that executives become involved when business impact or risk reaches an appropriate threshold rather than being notified indiscriminately about every security event.

Question 255

Why should incident response procedures be tested periodically?

1. Verify effectiveness
2. Increase paperwork
3. Reduce monitoring
4. Remove controls

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Periodic testing helps determine whether incident response procedures are practical, current, and effective. Organizations can identify outdated contacts, unclear responsibilities, missing technical capabilities, communication weaknesses, or unrealistic recovery assumptions through exercises and simulations. Testing also provides personnel with experience in applying procedures before a real incident creates pressure. Findings should be documented and converted into corrective actions. CISM emphasizes continuous improvement because incident response plans can become outdated as technologies, threats, regulations, personnel, and business processes change. Regular testing therefore helps maintain organizational readiness and improves confidence in the response capability.

Question 256

What should be updated when incident response weaknesses are identified?

1. Response procedures
2. Office furniture
3. Product pricing
4. Employee uniforms

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

When incident response weaknesses are identified, the relevant response procedures should be reviewed and updated. Improvements may involve escalation criteria, communication methods, role assignments, technical instructions, evidence handling, recovery steps, or coordination with business continuity teams. The organization should determine the root cause of the weakness rather than simply changing documentation without addressing the underlying issue. Updated procedures should be communicated to affected personnel and tested when appropriate. CISM promotes continuous improvement, meaning lessons from incidents and exercises should directly strengthen the organization’s ability to respond to future security events.

Question 257

Which factor should influence incident exercise frequency?

1. Risk level
2. Office color
3. Staff age
4. Building size

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Incident exercise frequency should be influenced by the organization’s risk level, business criticality, threat environment, regulatory requirements, and changes to the incident response capability. High-risk environments or organizations supporting critical services may require more frequent and comprehensive exercises. Major technology changes, acquisitions, new regulations, or significant incidents may also justify additional testing. A fixed schedule without considering organizational risk may result in either insufficient testing or unnecessary effort. CISM emphasizes risk-based management, so exercise planning should reflect the likelihood and potential consequences of incidents and the importance of maintaining effective response readiness.

Question 258

What is a key benefit of incident playbooks?

1. Faster decisions
2. Higher salaries
3. Fewer assets
4. Lower storage

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Incident playbooks can accelerate response by providing predefined guidance for common incident scenarios. They may identify initial actions, investigation steps, containment options, escalation criteria, communication requirements, and recovery considerations. Having this information available reduces the need to develop procedures from scratch during a crisis. However, playbooks should remain flexible because real incidents can differ from expected scenarios. They should be reviewed and tested regularly to ensure accuracy. CISM emphasizes preparedness and repeatable processes, and well-designed playbooks can improve response consistency while helping personnel make informed decisions under time pressure.

Question 259

A ransomware incident affects a critical service. What should management prioritize?

1. Business continuity
2. Office redesign
3. Staff relocation
4. Marketing activity

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

When ransomware affects a critical service, management should prioritize maintaining or restoring essential business operations while ensuring that security response activities continue. Business continuity considerations may include activating alternate processes, using approved recovery resources, prioritizing critical services, and coordinating with incident response and disaster recovery teams. Recovery decisions should also consider whether systems are safe to restore and whether backups or alternate environments are trustworthy. CISM emphasizes balancing security response with business resilience. The objective is not simply to restore systems quickly, but to restore essential operations in a controlled manner while minimizing further risk.

Question 260

What should happen after incident response procedures are changed?

1. Communicate and test
2. Delete old records
3. Stop monitoring
4. Ignore users

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

After incident response procedures are changed, affected personnel should be informed and the revised procedures should be tested where appropriate. Communication ensures that employees understand new responsibilities, escalation paths, communication channels, and response actions. Testing helps determine whether the revised procedures work as intended and whether additional weaknesses remain. Organizations should also maintain appropriate documentation and version control so personnel can identify the current procedures. CISM emphasizes continuous improvement, but improvements are effective only when they are implemented and understood. Regular validation ensures that updated incident management processes remain practical and aligned with organizational needs.