CISM Exam Dumps - Certified Information Security Manager

The greatest benefit of information asset classification is providing a basis for imple-menting a need-to-know policy. Information asset classification is a process of catego-rizing information based on its level of sensitivity and importance, and applying appro-priate security controls based on the level of risk associated with that information1. A need-to-know policy is a principle that states that access to information should be granted only to those individuals who require it to perform their official duties or tasks2. The purpose of a need-to-know policy is to limit the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized or unnecessary parties, and to reduce the risk of data breaches, leaks, or misuse. Information asset classification provides a basis for implementing a need-to-know policy by:

•Defining the value and protection requirements of different types of information

•Labeling the information with the appropriate classification level, such as public, internal, confidential, secret, or top secret

•Establishing the roles and responsibilities of information owners, custodians, and users

•Enforcing access controls and encryption for the information

•Documenting the security policies and procedures for the information

By providing a basis for implementing a need-to-know policy, information asset classi-fication can help organizations to protect their sensitive information, comply with rele-vant laws and regulations, and achieve their business objectives. The other options are not the greatest benefits of information asset classification. Helping to determine the recovery point objective (RPO) is not a benefit, but rather a consequence of applying security controls based on the classification level. RPO is the acceptable amount of data loss in case of a disruption3. Supporting segregation of duties is not a benefit, but rather a prerequisite for implementing a need-to-know policy. Segregation of duties is a principle that states that no single individual should have control over two or more phases of a business process or transaction that are susceptible to errors or fraud4. De-fining resource ownership is not a benefit, but rather a component of information asset classification. Resource ownership is the assignment of accountability and authority for an information asset to an individual or a group5. References: 1: Information Classifi-cation - Advisera 2: Need-to-Know Principle - NIST 3: Recovery Point Objective - NIST 4: Segregation of Duties - NIST 5: Resource Ownership - NIST : Information Classification in Information Security - GeeksforGeeks : Information Asset Classification Policy - UCI

The primary objective of implementing standard security configurations is to control vulnerabilities and reduce threats from changed configurations. Standard security configurations are the baseline settings and parameters that define the desired security level and functionality of information systems and devices. By implementing standard security configurations, the organization can ensure that the information systems and devices are configured in a consistent and secure manner, and that any deviations or changes from the standard are detected and corrected. This can help to prevent or mitigate potential security incidents caused by misconfigurations, unauthorized modifications, or malicious attacks.

According to the CISM Manual, updating procedures for managing security devices should be based on changes in risk technology and process, not on the organization’s security framework, notification to management of the procedural changes, or review and approval of procedures by management1. These are not the most important considerations when updating procedures for managing security devices, as they do not reflect the actual impact of the changes on the security posture of the organization.

The CISM Manual states that “procedures for managing security devices should be updated whenever there are significant changes in the risk technology or process that affect the security devices” (IR 8287A)1. For example, if a new security device is introduced or an existing one is replaced, its procedures should be updated accordingly. Similarly, if a new risk technology or process is implemented that affects how security devices are configured, monitored, or maintained, its procedures should be updated as well1.

The CISM Manual also provides guidance on how to update procedures for managing security devices in a systematic and consistent manner. It recommends using a change management process that involves identifying, analyzing, approving, implementing, and evaluating changes to security device procedures1. It also suggests using a change control board (CCB) that consists of representatives from different stakeholders who review and approve changes to security device procedures before they are implemented1.

Risk treatment should be prioritized based on risk criticality. Addressing the most severe and likely risks first ensures that resources are focused where they can have the greatest impact.

“Risk treatment efforts should focus on the most significant risks first, based on likelihood and impact.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 2: Risk Management, Section: Risk Treatment Options*

The core objective of a post-incident review (PIR) is to identify gaps and weaknesses in the response process. This includes missteps, delays, communication failures, or policy limitations — all of which provide insight to improve future incident handling.

"Post-incident reviews focus on identifying root causes and areas for improvement to enhance the organization’s preparedness for future incidents.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 4: Post-Incident Activities*

Though training, reporting, and budgeting may follow, they are secondary outcomes of this process.

The Recovery Time Objective (RTO) defines the maximum acceptable downtime for a business function or system following a disruption. If the organization requires recovery in 30 minutes, that is the system’s RTO.

This metric guides the selection of technologies, staffing, and procedures needed to meet recovery expectations.

“RTO defines the target time set for the recovery of IT and business activities after a disruption. It is a key BCP design parameter.”

— CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, Chapter 3: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning*

Definition of trigger events is the best way to enable the timely execution of an incident response plan because it helps to specify the conditions or criteria that initiate the incident response process. Trigger events are predefined scenarios or indicators that signal the occurrence or potential occurrence of a security incident, such as a ransomware attack, a data breach, a denial-of-service attack, or an unauthorized access attempt. Definition of trigger events helps to ensure that the incident response team is alerted and activated as soon as possible, as well as to determine the appropriate level and scope of response based on the severity and impact of the incident. Therefore, definition of trigger events is the correct answer.

A disaster recovery plan (DRP) test is a simulation of a disaster scenario to evaluate the effectiveness and readiness of the DRP. The greatest inherent risk when performing a DRP test is the disruption to the production environment, which could cause operational issues, data loss, or system damage. Therefore, it is essential to plan and execute the DRP test carefully, with proper backup, isolation, and rollback procedures. Poor documentation, lack of communication, and lack of coordination are also potential risks, but they are not as severe as disrupting the production environment. References = CISM Review Manual 15th Edition, page 253; CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Database - 12 Month Subscription, QID 224.

The greatest inherent risk when performing a disaster recovery plan (DRP) test is disruption to the production environment. A DRP test involves simulating a disaster scenario to ensure that the organization's plans are effective and that it is able to recover from an incident. However, this involves running tests on the production environment, which has the potential to disrupt the normal operations of the organization. This inherent risk can be mitigated by running tests on a non-production environment or by running tests at times when disruption will be minimized.