Isaca CISM Practice Test - Questions Answers, Page 13

Threat intelligence is the most helpful method for protecting an enterprise from advanced persistent threats (APTs), as it provides relevant and actionable information about the sources, methods, and intentions of the adversaries who conduct APTs. Threat intelligence can help to identify and anticipate the APTs that target the enterprise, as well as to enhance the detection, prevention, and response capabilities of the information security program. Threat intelligence can also help to reduce the impact and duration of the APTs, as well as to improve the resilience and recovery of the enterprise. Threat intelligence can be obtained from various sources, such as internal data, external feeds, industry peers, government agencies, or security vendors.

The other options are not as helpful as threat intelligence, as they do not provide a specific and timely way to protect the enterprise from APTs. Updated security policies are important to establish the rules, roles, and responsibilities for information security within the enterprise, as well as to align the information security program with the business objectives, standards, and regulations. However, updated security policies alone are not enough to protect the enterprise from APTs, as they do not address the dynamic and sophisticated nature of the APTs, nor do they provide the technical or operational measures to counter the APTs. Defined security standards are important to specify the minimum requirements and best practices for information security within the enterprise, as well as to ensure the consistency, quality, and compliance of the information security program. However, defined security standards alone are not enough to protect the enterprise from APTs, as they do not account for the customized and targeted nature of the APTs, nor do they provide the situational or contextual awareness to deal with the APTs. Regular antivirus updates are important to keep the antivirus software up to date with the latest signatures and definitions of the known malware, viruses, and other malicious code. However, regular antivirus updates alone are not enough to protect the enterprise from APTs, as they do not detect or prevent the unknown or zero-day malware, viruses, or other malicious code that are often used by the APTs, nor do they provide the behavioral or heuristic analysis to identify the APTs.Reference=

CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, ISACA, 2022, pp. 211-212, 215-216, 233-234, 237-238.

CISM Questions, Answers & Explanations Database, ISACA, 2022, QID 1021.

Advanced Persistent Threats and Nation-State Actors1

Book Review: Advanced Persistent Threats2

Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) Protection3

Establishing Advanced Persistent Security to Combat Long-Term Threats4

What is the difference between Anti - APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) and ATP (Advanced Threat Protection)5

Information security controls should be designed primarily based on business risk scenarios, because they help to identify and prioritize the most relevant and significant threats and vulnerabilities that may affect the organization's information assets and business objectives. Business risk scenarios are hypothetical situations that describe the possible sources, events, and consequences of a security breach, as well as the likelihood and impact of the occurrence. Business risk scenarios can help to:

Align the information security controls with the business needs and requirements, and ensure that they support the achievement of the strategic goals and the mission and vision of the organization

Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the existing information security controls, and identify the gaps and weaknesses that need to be addressed or improved

Select and implement the appropriate information security controls that can prevent, detect, or mitigate the risks, and that can provide the optimal level of protection and performance for the information assets

Evaluate and measure the return on investment and the value proposition of the information security controls, and communicate and justify the rationale and benefits of the controls to the stakeholders and management

Information security controls should not be designed primarily based on a business impact analysis (BIA), regulatory requirements, or a vulnerability assessment, because these are secondary or complementary factors that influence the design of the controls, but they do not provide the main basis or criteria for the design. A BIA is a method of estimating and comparing the potential effects of a disruption or a disaster on the critical business functions and processes, in terms of financial, operational, and reputational aspects. A BIA can help to determine the recovery objectives and priorities for the information assets, but it does not identify or address the specific risks and threats that may cause the disruption or the disaster. Regulatory requirements are the legal, contractual, or industry standards and obligations that the organization must comply with regarding information security. Regulatory requirements can help to establish the minimum or baseline level of information security controls that the organization must implement, but they do not reflect the specific or unique needs and challenges of the organization. A vulnerability assessment is a method of identifying and analyzing the weaknesses and flaws in the information systems and assets that may expose them to exploitation or compromise. A vulnerability assessment can help to discover and remediate the existing or potential security issues, but it does not consider the business context or impact of the issues.

Reference= CISM Review Manual, 16th Edition, ISACA, 2021, pages 119-120, 122-123, 125-126, 129-130.

= A security exception is a formal authorization to deviate from a security policy, standard, or control, due to a valid business reason or requirement. The primary reason for granting a security exception is that the risk associated with the deviation is justified by the benefit to the business, such as increased efficiency, productivity, customer satisfaction, or competitive advantage. The security exception should be approved by the appropriate authority, such as the senior management or the risk committee, based on a risk assessment and a cost-benefit analysis.The security exception should also be documented, communicated, monitored, and reviewed periodically123.Reference=

1: CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 364

2: CISM Practice Quiz, question 1132

3: Security Policy Exception Management, section ''Security Policy Exception Management Process''

The information security manager should first evaluate the information security laws that apply to the acquired company, as they may differ from the laws of the parent organization. This will help the information security manager to understand the legal and regulatory requirements, risks, and challenges that the acquired company faces in its operating environment. The information security manager can then determine the best approach to align the information security programs of the two entities, taking into account the different laws and regulations, as well as the business objectives and strategies of the acquisition.Reference= : CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 32.

= The application owner is primarily accountable for the associated task because they are responsible for ensuring that the application meets the business requirements and objectives, as well as the security and compliance standards. The application owner is also the one who defines the roles and responsibilities of the application team, including the security engineer, and oversees the development, testing, deployment, and maintenance of the application. The application owner should work with the cloud provider to address the security vulnerability and mitigate the risk. The information security manager, the data owner, and the security engineer are not primarily accountable for the associated task, although they may have some roles and responsibilities in supporting the application owner. The information security manager is responsible for establishing and maintaining the information security program and aligning it with the business objectives and strategy. The data owner is responsible for defining the classification, usage, and protection requirements of the data. The security engineer is responsible for implementing and testing the security controls and features of the application.Reference= CISM Review Manual 2023, Chapter 1, Section 1.2.2, page 18; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription, Question ID: 115.

Network isolation techniques are immediately implemented after a security breach to reduce the extent of further damage by limiting the access and communication of the compromised systems or networks with the rest of the environment. This can help prevent the spread of malware, the exfiltration of data, or the escalation of privileges by the attackers. Network isolation techniques can include disconnecting the affected systems or networks from the internet, blocking or filtering certain ports or protocols, or creating separate VLANs or subnets for the isolated systems or networks.Network isolation techniques are part of the incident response process and should be performed as soon as possible after detecting a security breach.Reference= CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 308-3091; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription, Question ID: 1162

= End users are the primary stakeholders of the business processes and functions that need to be protected and recovered in the event of a disruption. They have the most knowledge and experience of the specific business needs, requirements, and dependencies that affect the continuity planning. Involving them in the planning process can help to ensure that the continuity plan is aligned with the business objectives and expectations, and that the critical activities and resources are prioritized and protected accordingly.End users can also provide valuable feedback and suggestions to improve the plan and its implementation.Reference= CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 2291; CISM Practice Quiz, question 1182

A security awareness program is a set of activities designed to educate and motivate employees to adopt secure behaviors and practices. A security awareness program should be aligned with the organization's business strategy, which defines the vision, mission, goals and objectives of the organization. The most important factor to consider when aligning a security awareness program with the business strategy is the people and culture of the organization, because they are the primary target audience and the key enablers of the program. The people and culture of the organization influence the level of awareness, the attitude and the behavior of the employees towards information security. Therefore, a security awareness program should be tailored to the specific needs, preferences, values and expectations of the people and culture of the organization, and should use appropriate methods, channels, messages and incentives to engage and influence them. A security awareness program that is aligned with the people and culture of the organization will have a higher chance of achieving its objectives and improving the overall security posture of the organization.

Reference=

CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 1631

CISM 2020: Information Security & Business Process Alignment, video 22