Questions and Answers
What should be evaluated to ensure the adequacy of offsite storage?
What is a key factor in ensuring the security of transportation for backup media?
Which aspect is essential when evaluating personnel's emergency response capability?
In maintaining the business continuity plan, which of the following is not necessary?
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What should be considered when writing business continuity manuals and procedures?
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Which component is not typically reviewed in a business continuity plan?
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During a review of a business continuity plan, which of the following is critical to check?
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What ensures an effective plan maintenance process?
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Which of the following best describes why employee training is vital in emergency procedures?
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What is the primary goal of reviewing the business continuity teams?
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Study Notes
Control Measures for Segregation of Duties
- Transaction authorization involves formal approval processes for key transactions.
- Custody of assets ensures physical control over valuable resources.
- Access to data limits unauthorized personnel from viewing sensitive information.
- Authorization forms are necessary for documenting permissions and approvals.
- User authorization tables manage and track access rights for users.
Benefits of Segregation of Duties
- Safeguards assets from theft and mismanagement.
- Promotes accurate financial reporting through checks and balances.
- Reduces risk of non-compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
Compensating Controls for Insufficient Segregation
- Audit trails provide a record of system usage and changes.
- Reconciliation ensures accurate records by comparing different data sets.
- Exception reporting highlights transactions that fall outside predefined parameters.
- Transaction logs track all activities for monitoring and accountability.
- Supervisory reviews involve assessments by management to ensure compliance.
- Independent reviews bring an external perspective to the controls in place.
Indicators of Potential IT Function Problems
- Excessive costs and budget overruns signal poor financial management.
- Late projects reflect inadequate planning or resource allocation.
- High staff turnover indicates possible organizational issues.
- Inexperienced staff can lead to operational inefficiencies.
- Frequent hardware/software errors disrupt business continuity.
- Poor motivation among staff affects overall productivity.
- Slow computer response times can hinder operations.
- Unsupported or unauthorized hardware/software purchases raise security concerns.
- Frequent upgrades may indicate poor initial planning or support.
- Reliance on a few key personnel creates vulnerability in operations.
- Lack of adequate training diminishes staff competency.
Essential Documents for IT Auditing
- IT strategies, plans, and budgets provide a roadmap for technology efforts.
- Security policy documentation outlines the organization’s security measures.
- Organization/functional charts clearly depict roles and reporting structures.
- Job descriptions define employee responsibilities and expectations.
- IT Steering Committee reports outline strategic IT initiatives.
- System development and program change procedures guide the development process.
- Operations procedures detail daily operational practices.
- Human resource manuals cover policies related to employee management.
Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Structure
- BCP Governance sets controls and establishes management roles.
- Business Impact Analysis (BIA) evaluates critical services and impacts of disruptions.
- Plans detail specific measures for business continuity.
- Readiness procedures ensure preparedness for potential incidents.
- Quality assurance techniques include exercises to test and maintain the plan.
Governance in BCP
- BCP is often overseen by a committee for management commitment.
- Responsibilities include approving structures, overseeing team formation, and providing strategic direction.
- Committees review BIA results and ensure alignment with organizational priorities.
Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
- Identifies organizational mandate and ranks services for priority delivery.
- Estimates intangible losses such as reputation and market share.
- Establishes insurance needs based on potential recovery costs.
- Ranks services based on revenue loss, recovery time, and disruption impact.
- Identifies dependencies, both internal (employees, assets) and external (suppliers, utilities).
BCP Plan Testing
- Ensures BCP completeness and assesses personnel performance.
- Measures employee training and coordination with external vendors.
- Tests backup site capacity and vital records retrieval capabilities.
- Evaluates operational performance concerning business continuity.
Types of BCP Tests
- Desk-based evaluation involves discussions on potential disruption scenarios.
- Preparedness tests utilize actual resources in a simulated event.
- Full operation tests mimic real disruption conditions to validate the plan.
IS Auditor Responsibilities
- Understand the connection between BCP strategy and business objectives.
- Review BIA findings for alignment with business priorities.
- Evaluate BCP adequacy against standards and regulations.
- Verify the effectiveness of BCP through prior test results.
- Assess cloud-based and offsite storage arrangements for adequacy.
- Ensure transportation media complies with security protocols.
- Review emergency procedures and staff training effectiveness.
- Maintain an up-to-date and clear business continuity manual.
Basic Elements of a BCP
- Review documentation for compliance and thoroughness.
- Examine applications covered by the continuity plan.
- Assess the formation and preparedness of Business Continuity Teams.
- Ensure regular plan testing to validate effectiveness.
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Description
Explore key aspects of IS auditing, including evaluating offsite storage adequacy, verifying transportation security for backup media, and assessing personnel readiness for emergencies. This quiz will test your knowledge on the critical responsibilities of an IS auditor and the necessary procedures they must review.
