Chapter 5 of 5 · ISACA CISA
Protection of Information Assets
Security frameworks, physical controls, IAM, network security, DLP, encryption, PKI, cloud, testing and incident response.
- 8topics
- 25 minfast track
- 2diagrams and exhibits
- 26%of the exam
Topics in this chapter
Take them in order, or jump to the one you need.
- 1Security Frameworks and Physical ControlsSecurity frameworks such as ISO/IEC 27001 and the NIST CSF, the security program, and physical and environmental controls…3 min
- 2Identity and Access ManagementIdentification, authentication and authorization, MFA and biometrics, least privilege, RBAC, provisioning, access reviews and…3 min
- 3Network, Endpoint Security and Data Loss PreventionFirewalls, DMZs, segmentation, VPNs and zero trust, IDS and IPS, endpoint protection and EDR, and data loss prevention for data…3 min
- 4Data Encryption and Public Key InfrastructureSymmetric and asymmetric encryption, hashing, digital signatures, key management, and certificate and registration authorities…Diagram4 min
- 5Cloud, Virtualization, Mobile, Wireless and IoTCloud service models and shared responsibility, virtualization and containers, mobile device management, WPA2 and WPA3 wireless…3 min
- 6Security Awareness and Attack MethodsSecurity awareness programs and how to measure them, social engineering and phishing, malware and ransomware, application attacks…3 min
- 7Security Testing and Monitoring ToolsVulnerability scanning, penetration test types, rules of engagement, SAST and DAST, and security monitoring with SIEM, IDS…3 min
- 8Incident Response, Evidence and ForensicsThe incident response life cycle, escalation, containment and recovery, chain of custody, order of volatility and forensic…Diagram3 min
About this chapter
What this chapter covers
Protection of Information Assets is worth 26 percent of the CISA exam, tied with operations as the largest domain. It asks whether the organization's security controls protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of its information, and whether the organization can detect and respond to attacks.
Information asset security and control (5A) covers security frameworks, standards and guidelines, physical and environmental controls, identity and access management, network and end-point security, data loss prevention, data encryption, public key infrastructure, cloud and virtualized environments and mobile, wireless and IoT devices. Security event management (5B) covers security awareness training, attack methods and techniques, security testing tools, security monitoring tools, incident response management and evidence collection and forensics.
How the topics fit together
The auditor does not configure firewalls or write encryption code. The questions ask whether controls are appropriate to the risk, whether they work, and what evidence proves it.
In this domain, look for the option that addresses the risk at its source and that the auditor can verify, such as removing excess access or encrypting data, rather than options that add monitoring after the fact when prevention was possible.
How to use these pages
Each topic page has the same shape, so you can skim for what you need.
- What it is: the idea in plain words.
- How it works: the mechanism, with tables and examples.
- What to remember for the exam: the facts to memorise and how questions are phrased.
- Common mistakes: the classic traps.
- Check yourself: three questions to test your understanding.
Ready for more practice?
The full ISACA CISA question bank has 1,050 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.
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