CISA Pre-Exam Practice Tests (Updated 1435 Questions) [Q490-Q505]

The primary reason an IS auditor would recommend replacing universal PIN codes with an RFID access card system at a data center is to improve traceability (A). Traceability is the ability to track and monitor the activities and movements of individuals or objects within a system or environment. Traceability is important for ensuring security, accountability, and compliance in a data center, where sensitive and critical data are stored and processed.
An RFID access card system can improve traceability by using RFID technology to verify and record the identity and access of each user who enters or exits the data center. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification, and it enables wireless communication between a reader and an RFID tag. An RFID tag is installed in a door key card or fob, which users use to gain access to the data center. An RFID reader is installed near the door, and it contains an antenna that receives data transmitted by the RFID tag. A control panel is a computer server that reads and interprets the data passed along by the RFID reader. A database is a storage system that stores the data collected by the control panel1.
An RFID access card system can provide several benefits for traceability, such as123:
It can uniquely identify each user and their access level, and prevent unauthorized access or impersonation.
It can record the date, time, and duration of each user’s access, and generate logs and reports for auditing purposes.
It can monitor the location and status of each user within the data center, and alert security personnel in case of any anomalies or emergencies.
It can integrate with other security systems, such as cameras, alarms, or biometrics, to enhance verification and protection.
A universal PIN code system, on the other hand, can compromise traceability by using a single or shared personal identification number (PIN) to grant access to multiple users. A universal PIN code system can pose several risks for traceability, such as4:
It can be easily guessed, stolen, shared, or compromised by malicious actors or insiders.
It can not distinguish between different users or their access levels, and allow unauthorized or excessive access.
It can not record or track the activities or movements of each user within the data center, and create gaps or errors in the audit trail.
It can not integrate with other security systems, and provide limited verification and protection.
Therefore, an IS auditor would recommend replacing universal PIN codes with an RFID access card system at a data center to improve traceability.
References:
RFID Access Control Guide: 4 Best RFID Access Control Systems – ButterflyMX Choosing Card Technology in 2023 | ICT RFID Vs Magnetic Key Cards: What’s The Difference? – Go Safer Security RFID vs Barcode – Advantages, Disadvantages & Differences

Section: Protection of Information Assets
Explanation:
Because of the diversified nature of both data and application systems, the actual owner of data and applications may be hard to establish.

A hardware-based media write blocker (Option A) ensures that forensic investigators can acquire digital evidence without altering the original data, maintaining its integrity for legal proceedings.
ISACA CISA Reference: Digital forensics best practices emphasize write-blocking devices to prevent contamination of evidence.
Risk Implication: Without a write blocker, evidence may be tampered with, compromising its admissibility in court.

Explanation
The DRP is a set of procedures and resources that enable an organization to restore its critical IT functions and operations in the event of a disaster or disruption. The DRP should be tested regularly to ensure its effectiveness, validity, and readiness. Testing the DRP can help to identify and resolve any gaps, issues, or weaknesses in the plan, as well as to evaluate the performance and capability of the recovery team and resources. If the DRP has not been tested during the past three years, it may not reflect the current IT environment, business requirements, or recovery objectives, and it may fail to meet the expectations and needs of the stakeholders.
References
ISACA CISA Review Manual, 27th Edition, page 255
Disaster Recovery Plan Testing: The Ultimate Checklist
What is a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) and How Do You Write One?

The use of a database administrator (DBA) user account is normally set up to log all changes made and is most appropriate for changes made outside of normal hours. The use of a log, which records the changes, allows changes to be reviewed. The use ofthe DBA user account without logging would permit uncontrolled changes to be made to databases once access to the account was obtained. The use of a normal user account with no restrictions would allow uncontrolled changes to any of the databases. Logging would only provide information on changes made, but would not limit changes to only those that were authorized. Hence, logging coupled with review
form an appropriate set of compensating controls.

Symmetric key encryption requires that the keys be distributed. The larger the user group, the more challenging the key distribution. Symmetric key cryptosystems are generally less complicated and, therefore, use less processing power than asymmetrictechniques , thus making it ideal for encrypting a large volume of datA . The major disadvantage is the need to get the keys into the hands of those with whom you want to exchange data, particularly in e-commerce environments, where customers are unknown, untrusted entities.

Section: Information System Operations, Maintenance and Support
Explanation:
Simply said, the time difference in packet inter-arrival time to their destination can be called jitter. Jitter is specific issue that normally exists in packet switched networks and this phenomenon is usually not causing any communication problems. TCP/IP is responsible for dealing with the jitter impact on communication.
On the other hand, in VoIP network environment, or better say in any bigger environment today where we use IP phones on our network this can be a bigger problem. When someone is sending VoIP communication at a normal interval (let’s say one frame every 10 ms) those packets can stuck somewhere in between inside the packet network and not arrive at expected regular peace to the destined station.
That’s the whole jitter phenomenon all about so we can say that the anomaly in tempo with which packet is expected and when it is in reality received is jitter.
jitter

In this image above, you can notice that the time it takes for packets to be send is not the same as the period in which the will arrive on the receiver side. One of the packets encounters some delay on his way and it is received little later than it was asumed. Here are the jitter buffers entering the story. They will mitigate packet delay if required. VoIP packets in networks have very changeable packet inter-arrival intervals because they are usually smaller than normal data packets and are therefore more numerous with bigger chance to get some delay along the way.
For your exam you should know below information about Network performance:
Network performance refers to measurement of service quality of a telecommunications product as seen by the customer.
The following list gives examples of network performance measures for a circuit-switched network and one type of packet-switched network (ATM):
Circuit-switched networks: In circuit switched networks, network performance is synonymous with the grade of service. The number of rejected calls is a measure of how well the network is performing under heavy traffic loads. Other types of performance measures can include noise, echo and so on.
ATM: In an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network, performance can be measured by line rate, quality of service (QoS), data throughput, connect time, stability, technology, modulation technique and modem enhancements.
There are many different ways to measure the performance of a network, as each network is different in nature and design. Performance can also be modeled instead of measured; one example of this is using state transition diagrams to model queuing performance in a circuit-switched network. These diagrams allow the network planner to analyze how the network will perform in each state, ensuring that the network will be optimally designed.
The following measures are often considered important:
Bandwidth – Bandwidth is commonly measured in bits/second is the maximum rate that information can be transferred Throughput – Throughput is the actual rate that information is transferred Latency – Latency is the delay between the sender and the receiver decoding it, this is mainly a function of the signals travel time, and processing time at any nodes the information traverses Jitter – Jitter is the variation in the time of arrival at the receiver of the information Error Rate – Error rate is the number of corrupted bits expressed as a percentage or fraction of the total sen The following answers are incorrect:
Bandwidth – Bandwidth is commonly measured in bits/second is the maximum rate that information can be transferred Throughput – Throughput is the actual rate that information is transferred Latency – Latency is the delay between the sender and the receiver decoding it, this is mainly a function of the signals travel time, and processing time at any nodes the information traverses Reference:
CISA review manual 2014 page number 275
and
http://howdoesinternetwork.com/2013/jitter

Section: Protection of Information Assets
Explanation:
Mitigating the risk and impact of a disaster or business interruption usually takes priority over transferring risk to a third party such as an insurer.