Isaca Updated CISA Exam Questions and Answers by elora

The most important consideration for patching mission critical business application servers against known vulnerabilities is A. Patches are implemented in a test environment prior to rollout into production. This is because patching mission critical business application servers involves a high level of risk and complexity, and requires careful planning and testing before applying the patches to the live environment. Patches may introduce new bugs, errors, or conflicts that could affect the functionality, performance, or security of the application servers, and cause system downtime, data loss, or business disruption1. Therefore, it is essential to implement patches in a test environment first, where the patches can be verified and validated for their effectiveness and compatibility, and any issues or defects can be identified and resolved before they impact the production environment2.

 Management’s commitment to information security is the most critical factor for the success of an information security program, as it sets the tone and direction for the organization’s security culture and practices. Management’s commitment is demonstrated by establishing a clear security policy, providing adequate resources, assigning roles and responsibilities, enforcing compliance, and supporting continuous improvement. The other options are important elements of an information security program, but they depend on management’s commitment to be effective. References: CISA Review Manual (Digital Version) 1, page 439.

An organization relies on an external vendor that uses a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) model to back up its data. SaaS is a model in which the software is centrally hosted and accessed by the user via a web browser using the internet1. The vendor owns and maintains the software and the data, and the organization pays for the use of the service on a subscription or usage basis1. The greatest risk to the organization related to data backup and retrieval is that the vendor may be unable to restore critical data.

Data backup and retrieval are essential processes for ensuring the availability, integrity, and security of data in case of loss, corruption, or damage2. Data backup is the process of creating and storing copies of data in a separate location from the original data2. Data retrieval is the process of accessing and restoring the backed-up data when needed2. Critical data are data that are vital for the operation, continuity, and recovery of the organization3.

If the vendor is unable to restore critical data, the organization may face severe consequences, such as:

Business disruption: The organization may not be able to perform its core functions, deliver its products or services, or meet its customer or stakeholder expectations3.

Revenue loss: The organization may lose income, market share, or competitive advantage due to reduced sales, customer dissatisfaction, or reputation damage3.

Legal liability: The organization may face lawsuits, fines, or penalties for breaching contractual, regulatory, or statutory obligations related to data protection, privacy, or security3.

Recovery cost: The organization may incur additional expenses for repairing or replacing the lost or corrupted data, restoring the system functionality, or compensating the affected parties3.

The other options are not as great as the vendor’s inability to restore critical data. The organization may be locked into an unfavorable contract with the vendor, which may limit its flexibility, control, or choice over the service quality, cost, or duration4. However, this risk can be mitigated by negotiating better terms and conditions, reviewing the contract periodically, or switching to another vendor if possible4. The vendor may be unable to restore data by recovery time objective (RTO) requirements, which are the maximum acceptable time frames for restoring data after a disruption5. However, this risk can be reduced by setting realistic and achievable RTOs, monitoring the vendor’s performance, or implementing alternative recovery strategies if needed5. The organization may not be allowed to inspect the vendor’s data center, which may limit its visibility, transparency, or assurance over the service provider’s infrastructure, security, or compliance. However, this risk can be overcome by requesting third-party audits, certifications, or reports from the vendor that demonstrate their adherence to industry standards and best practices. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

References:

What is SaaS? Software as a Service | Microsoft Azure

What is Data Backup? - Definition from Techopedia

Critical Data Definition

The Risks of Cloud Computing | Cloud Academy

Recovery Time Objective (RTO) Definition

[Cloud Computing Security Risks: What You Need To Know | CloudHealth by VMware]

Support should be given the greatest consideration when implementing the use of an open-source product, as open-source software may not have the same level of technical support, maintenance, and updates as proprietary software1. Open-source software users may have to rely on the community of developers and users, online forums, or third-party vendors for support, which may not be timely, reliable, or consistent2. Therefore, before implementing an open-source product, users should evaluate the availability and quality of support options, such as documentation, forums, mailing lists, bug trackers, chat channels, etc.3