Isaca Updated CISM Exam Questions and Answers by maxim

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

Business impact analysis (BIA) is the most helpful in determining the criticality of an organization’s business functions because it is a process of identifying and evaluating the potential effects of disruptions or interruptions to those functions. BIA helps to prioritize the recovery of the most critical functions and to estimate the resources and time needed for the recovery. Therefore, business impact analysis (BIA) is the correct answer.

The information security manager’s PRIMARY focus in this situation should be establishing a strong ongoing risk monitoring process, which is the process of tracking and evaluating the changes in the risk environment, the effectiveness of the risk responses, and the impact of the residual risk on the organization. A strong ongoing risk monitoring process can help the information security manager to identify any deviations from the expected risk level, to report any significant changes or issues to the risk owner and other stakeholders, and to recommend any adjustments or improvements to the risk management strategy. Presenting the risk profile for approval by the risk owner is not the primary focus in this situation, as it is a step that should be done before the risk owner accepts the risk, not after. Conducting an independent review of risk responses is not the primary focus in this situation, as it is a quality assurance activity that can be performed by an external auditor or a third-party expert, not by the information security manager. Updating the information security standards to include the accepted risk is not the primary focus in this situation, as it is a documentation activity that does not address the ongoing monitoring and reporting of the risk. References = CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, page 2281; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual, 10th Edition, page 1022

 Security requirements should be defined concurrently with other requirements to ensure that security is built into the software development process from the beginning and not added as an afterthought. This will also improve the efficiency of the development process by reducing the need for rework and testing. Security requirements should be based on the business objectives, risk assessment, and security policies of the organization, not on code review, security assessment tools, or functional requirements. References = CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 1241; CISM Item Development Guide, page 62