Cybersecurity-Audit-Certificate Questions and Answers

 A feature of an intrusion detection system (IDS) is automated response. This is because an IDS is a system that monitors network or system activities for malicious or anomalous behavior, and alerts or reports on any detected incidents. An IDS can also perform automated response actions, such as blocking traffic, terminating sessions, or sending notifications, to contain or mitigate the incidents. The other options are not features of an IDS, but rather different concepts or techniques that are related to intrusion detection or prevention, such as intrusion prevention (A), interface with firewalls C, or back doors into applications (D).

In the context of network communications, the two types of attack vectors are ingress and egress. Ingress refers to the unauthorized entry or access to a network, which can include various forms of cyberattacks aimed at penetrating network defenses. Egress,on the other hand, involves the unauthorized transmission of data out of a network, often as part of data exfiltration efforts by attackers1.

References: The ISACA Cybersecurity Fundamentals Glossary defines attack vectors in network communications as ingress and egress, which align with the options provided in the question1.

Procedures are detailed, step-by-step instructions that describe exactly how to perform a particular task or process. They are designed to ensure consistency and efficiency in the execution of tasks, and they are essential in maintaining the reliability of an organization’s operations, especially in the context of cybersecurity.

References: The ISACA Cybersecurity Audit resources emphasize the importance of procedures as part of an organization’s cybersecurity framework. Procedures are the operational steps that support the implementation of policies and adherence to guidelines and baselines, ensuring that tasks are performed correctly and consistently to mitigate risks123.

The feature that provides the GREATEST assurance that data can be recovered and restored in a timely manner in the event of data loss is that backups of information are regularly tested. This is because testing backups helps to ensure that they are valid, complete, and usable, and that they can be restored within the expected time frame and without errors or corruption. Testing backups also helps to identify and resolve any issues or problems with the backup process, media, or software. The other options are not features that provide the greatest assurance that data can be recovered and restored in a timely manner in the event of data loss, but rather different aspects or factors that affect the backup process, such as availability (B), execution C, or frequency (D) of backups.

The FIRST thing that an IS auditor should do to ensure cyber security-related legal and regulatory requirements are followed by an organization is to determine if the cybersecurity program is mapped to relevant legal and regulatory requirements. This is because mapping the cybersecurity program to relevant legal and regulatory requirements helps to ensure that the organization has identified and addressed all the applicable laws and regulations that affect its cybersecurity posture, such as data protection, privacy, breach notification, etc. Mapping the cybersecurity program to relevant legal and regulatory requirements also helps to evaluate the alignment and compliance of the organization’s cybersecurity policies, procedures, controls,and practices with the legal and regulatory requirements. The other options are not the first thing that an IS auditor should do to ensure cyber security-related legal and regulatory requirements are followed by an organization, but rather follow after determining if the cybersecurity program is mapped to relevant legal and regulatory requirements, such as reviewing the most recent legal and regulatory audit report (B), determining if there is a formal process to review changes in legal and regulatory requirements C, or obtaining a list of relevant legal and regulatory requirements (D).

A limitation of intrusion detection systems (IDS) is that they cannot detect application-level vulnerabilities. An IDS is a tool that monitors network traffic or system activity and alerts on any suspicious or malicious events. However, an IDS cannot analyze the logic or functionality of applications and identify vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, or broken authentication.

Replicating privileged access to a user’s own mobile device presents the greatest risk to corporate data. This is because it potentially allows unauthorized access to sensitive information if the device is lost, stolen, or compromised. Privileged access means having elevated permissions that are typically reserved for administrators. When such access is available on a personal device, it bypasses many of the security controls that a company would normally have in place.

Option A, remote wipe, is actually a security feature that can protect data if a device is lost or stolen. Option B, lack of training, can increase risk but does not directly expose data like privileged access does. Option C, devices not obtained through corporate provisioning, can be a risk, but this risk is generally less than that of replicating privileged access.

References: The information provided here is based on standard cybersecurity practices and principles, which are likely to be consistent with those found in ISACA’s Cybersecurity Audit resources. For specific references, please consult the ISACA Cybersecurity Audit Manual or related study guides1.

An objective of public key infrastructure (PKI) is to independently authenticate the validity of the sender’s public key. PKI is a system that uses cryptographic keys to secure communications and transactions. PKI involves a trusted third party called a certificate authority (CA) that issues digital certificates that link a public key with an identity. The recipient can use the CA’s public key to verify the sender’s certificate and public key.

The second line of defense in cybersecurity includes risk management monitoring, and measurement of controls. This is because the second line of defense is responsible for ensuring that the first line of defense (the operational managers and staff who own and manage risks) is effectively designed and operating as intended. The second line of defense also provides guidance, oversight, and challenge to the first line of defense. The other options are not part of the second line of defense, but rather belong to the first line of defense (A), the third line of defense C, or an external service provider (D).

The risk of an evil twin attack on mobile devices is PRIMARILY due to the use of generic names that mobile devices will accept without verification. An evil twin attack is a type of wireless network attack where an attacker sets up a rogue access point that mimics a legitimate one. The attacker can then lure unsuspecting users to connect to the rogue access point and intercept their data or launch further attacks. Mobile devices are vulnerable to evil twin attacks because they often use generic names for their wireless networks, such as “Free WiFi” or “Public Hotspot”. These names can be easily spoofed by an attacker and accepted by mobile devices without verifying the identity or security of the access point.

When passwords are used in key generation, they serve as a component of the encryption process. The strength of the encryption algorithm itself is not inherently affected by the use of passwords for key generation. Instead, the security of the encryption relies on the strength and complexity of the password, the key generation process, and the encryption algorithm’s resilience to attacks. A strong, complex password can contribute to a robust encryption key, thereby maintaining the intended strength of the encryption algorithm.

References: While I cannot provide direct references from the ISACA Cybersecurity Audit Manual, it is generally understood in cybersecurity practices that the encryption algorithm’s strength is determined by its design and resistance to cryptanalysis, not solely by the elements used in key generation. The use of passwords in key generation is a common practice and, when implemented correctly, does not diminish the algorithm’s strength. For specific references, please consult the ISACA Cybersecurity Audit resources or related study guides.

The intrusion detection system component that is responsible for collecting data in the form of network packets, log files, or system call traces is sensors. This is because sensors are components of an intrusion detection system that are deployed on various locations or points of the network or system, such as routers, switches, servers, etc., and that capture and collect data from the network traffic or system activities. Sensors then forward the collected data to another component of the intrusion detection system, such as analyzers, for further processing and analysis. The other options are not components of an intrusion detection system that are responsible for collecting data in the form of network packets, log files, or system call traces, but rather different components or techniques that are related to intrusion detection or prevention, such as packet filters (A), analyzers (B), or administration modules C.

When defining actions for an IDS policy, the most important consideration is the level of risk to the organization’s data. This involves assessing the potential impact of the intrusion on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, which guides the prioritization and response efforts.

References = ISACA’s guidance on cybersecurity incident response highlights the importance of understanding the risk to data as a key factor in shaping the response to intrusions. This includes evaluating the severity of the threat and the sensitivity of the affected data to determine the appropriate actions123.

The FIRST phase of the ISACA framework for auditors reviewing cryptographic environments is inventory and discovery. This is because the inventory and discovery phase helps auditors to identify and document the scope, objectives, and approach of the audit, as well as the cryptographic assets, systems, processes, and stakeholders involved in the cryptographic environment. The inventory and discovery phase also helps auditors to assess the maturity and effectiveness of the cryptographic governance and management within the organization. The other phases are not the first phase of the ISACA framework for auditors reviewing cryptographic environments, but rather follow after the inventory and discovery phase, such as evaluation of implementation details (A), hands-on testing (B), or risk-based shakeout C.

 In key protection/management, access should be aligned with the principle of least privilege. This means that users should only have the minimum level of access required to perform their tasks and no more. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access, misuse, or compromise of sensitive data or systems.

Cyber threat intelligence aims to research and analyze trends and technical developments in the areas of cybercrime, hacktivism, and espionage. These are the main sources of malicious cyber activities that pose risks to organizations and individuals. Cyber threat intelligence helps to understand the motivations, capabilities, tactics, techniques, and procedures of various threat actors and groups.

The MOST important consideration when choosing between different types of cloud services is the overall risk and benefits. This is because choosing between different types of cloud services involves weighing the trade-offs between the risk and benefits of each type of cloud service, such as Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), or Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). For example, SaaS may offer more benefits in terms of cost savings, scalability, and usability, but also more risks in terms of security, privacy, and compliance. On the other hand, IaaS may offer more benefits in terms of flexibility, customization, and control, but also more risks in terms of complexity, management, and maintenance. The other options are not the most important consideration when choosing between different types of cloud services, but rather different aspects or factors that affect the choice of cloud services, such as emerging risk and infrastructure scalability (A), security features available on demand (B), or reputation of the cloud providers (D).

In cloud computing, the type of hosting that is MOST appropriate for a large organization that wants greater control over the environment is private hosting. Private hosting is a type of cloud service model where the cloud infrastructure is dedicated to a single organization and hosted either on-premise or off-premise by a third-party provider. Private hosting offers more control over the security, performance, customization, and compliance of the cloud environment than other types of hosting.

Specific, mandatory controls or rules to support and comply with a policy are known as standards. This is because standards define the minimum level of performance or behavior that is expected from an organization or its employees in order to achieve a policy objective or requirement. Standards also provide clear and measurable criteria for auditing and monitoring compliance with policies. The other options are not specific, mandatory controls or rules to support and comply with a policy, but rather different types of documents or tools that provide guidance or recommendations for implementing policies or controls, such as frameworks (A), guidelines (B), or baselines C.

Standards define the minimum acceptable rules for policy compliance. They are established by consensus and approved by a recognized body that provides forcommon and repeated use, rules, guidelines, or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.

References: The information aligns with the ISACA’s definitions and usage of terms related to cybersecurity audits, where standards are often referred to as the mandatory requirements that must be followed to ensure policy compliance12.

Broad network access refers to the computing capabilities that are available over a network and can be accessed by diverse client platforms, such as personal computers, mobile phones, and tablets. This characteristic is one of the essential features of cloud computing, which allows users to access services using a variety of devices through standard mechanisms.

References: The concept of broad network access is integral to the understanding of cloud services and is often discussed in cybersecurity resources, including those provided by ISACA, which emphasize the importance of securing access to these services across different platforms1

An information security procedure that indicates a requirement to sandbox emails means that the emails need to be isolated and tested for malicious content. This is because sandboxing is a technique that creates a virtual or isolated environment, where suspicious or untrusted emails can be executed or analyzed without affecting the rest of the system or network. Sandboxing helps to detect and prevent malware, phishing, or spam attacks that may be embedded inemails, and protect the users and the organization from potential harm. The other options are not what sandboxing emails means, but rather different concepts or techniques that are related to information security, such as encryption and nonrepudiation (A), backup and recovery (B), or firewall and delivery (D).

Change management processes are designed to ensure that changes are introduced in a controlled and coordinated manner. The main objective is to minimize the impact of changes on the business and its operations. This involves careful planning, testing, communication, and implementation to ensure that business processes continue to operate smoothly during and after the transition.

References: The importance of minimizing disruptions in a change management process is highlighted in various resources, including those from Harvard Business School Online and Bloomfire. They emphasize the need for preparing the organization for change, planning, implementation, embedding the change, and review & analysis to ensure a smooth transition12.

 The presence of known dangerous artifacts like malicious IP addresses or domain names on a network typically indicates that a security breach has occurred or is in progress. These artifacts are often recognized as indicators of compromise (IoCs), which are pieces of forensic data, such as system log entries or files, that identify potentially malicious activity on a system or network. Identifying IoCs is crucial for cybersecurity as it allows organizations to detect breaches quickly and respond to them promptly.

References: The concept of indicators of compromise is a fundamental aspect of cybersecurity audits, as it relates to the identification and analysis of evidence that points to a security incident. This is covered in various ISACA resources, including the Cybersecurity Audit Certificate Study Guide, which provides guidance on understanding risk and implementing controls to protect against cyber threats1.

A feature of a stateful inspection firewall is that it is capable of detecting and blocking sophisticated attacks. A stateful inspection firewall is a type of firewall that monitors and analyzes the state and context of network traffic. It keeps track of the source, destination, protocol, port, and session information of each packet and compares it with a set of predefined rules. A stateful inspection firewall can detect and block attacks that exploit the logic or behavior of network protocols or applications, such as fragmentation attacks, session hijacking, or application-layer attacks.

Security awareness training is MOST effective against social engineering threats. This is because social engineering is a type of attack that exploits human psychology and behavior tomanipulate or trick users into revealing sensitive or confidential information, or performing actions that compromise security. Security awareness training helps to educate users about the common types and techniques of social engineering attacks, such as phishing, vishing, baiting, etc., and how to recognize and avoid them. Security awareness training also helps to foster a culture of security within the organization and empower users to report any suspicious or malicious activities. The other options are not types of threats that security awareness training is most effective against, but rather types of attacks that exploit technical vulnerabilities or flaws in systems or applications, such as command injection (A), denial of service (B), or SQL injection (D).

 Imaging is the process used by an IS auditor to create a bit-for-bit copy of data. This method ensures that an exact replica of the data is made, preserving all the information in the same structure and format as the original. Imaging is essential for tasks such as digital forensics, where maintaining the integrity of the data is critical.

References: The Cybersecurity Audit resources by ISACA cover the importance of accurate data replication in the context of an audit. Imaging is a standard practice in cybersecurity audits for preserving the state of data at a specific point in time, which is crucial for any subsequent analysis or investigation1.

A firewall is a network security device that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. It establishes a barrier between a secure internal network and an untrusted external network, such as the internet. This system is designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from private networks and is a fundamental piece of a comprehensive security framework for any organization.

References: The concept of a firewall as a system that enforces a boundary between networks is well-established in cybersecurity literature. It is recognized as a critical component for protecting network resources by filtering traffic and blocking unauthorized access while allowing legitimate communication to pass123.

Key risk indicators (KRIs) are metrics that can provide an early signal of increasing risk exposures for an organization. KRIs are designed to measure and predict potential losses, and they help in identifying trends that could lead to future risks. They aredifferent from Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which measure the performance related to the achievement of strategic goals. KRIs, on the other hand, are specifically focused on risk and are used to monitor changes in the level of risk exposure.

References: The information is supported by ISACA’s resources, which state that KRIs with thresholds and corresponding trigger actions can enable companies to gain visibility into risks before they occur. These metrics best position enterprises to deal with substantial cyber risks associated with digital transformation and implementing emerging technologies1.

From a regulatory perspective, the MOST important thing for the healthcare organization to determine when outsourcing its patient information processing to a third-party Software as a Service (SaaS) provider is the incident escalation procedures. This is because incident escalation procedures define how security incidents involving patient information are reported, communicated, escalated, and resolved between the healthcare organization and the SaaS provider. This is essential for complying with regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, which mandate timely notification and response to breaches of protected health information. The other options are not as important as incident escalation procedures from a regulatory perspective, because they either relate to technical aspects that may not affect compliance (A, B), or operational aspects that may not affect patient information security (D).

When roles and responsibilities for cybersecurity are not clearly identified and formalized, it can lead to confusion and gaps in the cybersecurity posture of anorganization. Without clear accountability, certain risks may not be identified, managed, or mitigated effectively, leading to potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited.

References = The importance of defining roles and responsibilities is highlighted in various cybersecurity frameworks and best practices, including those recommended by ISACA. It is a common theme in cybersecurity governance to ensure that all individuals within an organization understand their role in maintaining cybersecurity1.

Using a data loss prevention (DLP) solution to monitor data saved to a USB memory device is an example of managing data at rest. Data at rest is data that is stored on a device or media, such as hard disks, flash drives, tapes, or CDs. Data at rest can be exposed to unauthorized access, theft, orloss if not properly protected. A DLP solution is a tool that monitors and controls the movement and usage of data across an organization’s network or endpoints. A DLP solution can prevent users from saving sensitive data to removable devices or alert on any violations of data policies.

When employees use personal mobile devices to access a VPN, the greatest concern for an IS auditor is the potential for sensitive data to be stored in an unsecured manner. If data is stored in plain text, it could be easily accessed by unauthorized parties if the device is lost, stolen, or compromised. This risk is heightened when the devices are not managed by the organization’s IT department, which would typically enforce security policies such as encryption.

References: ISACA’s resources on securing mobile devices and VPN technology assurance emphasize the importance of implementing strong security controls to protect sensitive data on mobile devices. This includes ensuring that data is not stored in plain text and is instead encrypted to prevent unauthorized access1234. The use of mobile device management (MDM) software is also advocated to remotely manage and secure mobile devices used for corporate access1.

The greatest concern for an IS auditor when a VPN is implemented on employees’ personal mobile devices would likely be B. Users may store the data in plain text on their mobile devices. This is because storing sensitive data in plain text can lead to security breaches if the device is lost, stolen, or compromised.

Detailed Step by Step Explanation:

• Data at Rest: Personal devices often lack the same level of security as corporate devices, making stored data more vulnerable.

• Device Loss or Theft: Personal devices are more likely to be lost or stolen, and if data is stored in plain text, it could be easily accessed.

• Compliance and Data Protection: Storing data in plain text may violate compliance requirements and data protection laws, which mandate encryption of sensitive information.

The MOST critical thing to guiding and managing security activities throughout an organization to ensure objectives are met is establishing metrics to measure and monitor security performance. This is because metrics provide quantifiable and objective data that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of security activities, as well as identify gaps and areas for improvement. Metrics also enable communication and reporting of security performance to stakeholders, such as senior management, board members, auditors, regulators, customers, etc. The other options are not as critical as establishing metrics, because they either involve spending money without knowing the return on investment (A), adopting standards without customizing them to fit the organization’s context and needs (B), or conducting training without assessing its impact on behavior change (D).