IIA Updated IIA-CIA-Part3 Exam Questions and Answers by syeda

When implementing Mobile Device Management (MDM) software, organizations must balance security and employee privacy. Since MDM allows remote wiping of data, it is essential to ensure that personal data remains protected and is not accessible or deleted by administrators.

(A) That those employees who do not consent to MDM software cannot have an email account:

While organizations may require MDM for security, they should offer alternative access methods (e.g., web-based email) to avoid strict enforcement that could impact employee productivity.

Denying access entirely may violate employment agreements or privacy laws in certain jurisdictions.

(B) That personal data on the device cannot be accessed and deleted by system administrators (Correct Answer):

The organization should ensure that MDM software does not intrude on personal data such as photos, messages, and private applications.

Best practice is to configure MDM to only manage corporate data and applications, ensuring that personal files remain untouched.

This aligns with privacy laws such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act).

(C) That monitoring of employees' online activities is conducted in a covert way to avoid upsetting them:

Ethical and legal standards require transparency when monitoring employees.

Covert monitoring is generally illegal under privacy laws like GDPR and the U.S. Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA).

(D) That employee consent includes appropriate waivers regarding potential breaches to their privacy:

While obtaining consent is important, organizations cannot force employees to waive their legal privacy rights.

Consent alone does not justify unrestricted access to personal data.

IIA GTAG 17: Auditing IT Security – Recommends safeguarding personal and corporate data in BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies.

COBIT Framework – DSS05 (Manage Security Services) – Advises organizations to define policies that protect corporate assets without violating employee privacy.

ISO/IEC 27001: Information Security Management System – Requires organizations to implement security controls without infringing on employee rights.

Analysis of Each Option:IIA References:Conclusion:Since personal data privacy must be preserved, option (B) is the correct answer.

 Understanding Resource Coordination in Project Management:

Resource coordination involves assigning and managing human, financial, and technological resources to ensure the project runs smoothly.

The Execution phase is when project plans are implemented, and resources are actively utilized.

 Why Execution?

During execution, the project manager must coordinate resources, monitor performance, and resolve conflicts to keep the project on track.

This phase involves managing teams, distributing tasks, and ensuring resources are used efficiently.

 Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

A. Initiation: Focuses on defining project objectives, scope, and feasibility but does not involve active resource coordination.

B. Planning: Deals with creating resource allocation plans but does not handle real-time coordination.

D. Monitoring: Involves tracking performance and making adjustments but does not actively assign or manage resources.

 IIA Standards and References:

IIA Practice Guide: Auditing Project Management (2020): Recommends evaluating resource management practices during the execution phase.

IIA Standard 2110 – Governance: Internal auditors should ensure project resources are managed effectively to achieve objectives.

PMBOK Guide – Project Resource Management: Specifies that resource coordination primarily happens in the execution phase.

When conducting a cybersecurity risk assessment, an internal auditor must evaluate the most significant threats based on their potential impact on the organization. In the pharmaceutical industry, intellectual property (IP), such as research and development (R&D) data, is one of the most valuable and sensitive assets.

(A) Cybercriminals hacking into the organization's time and expense system to collect employee personal data:While the loss of employee personal data is a serious concern due to privacy and regulatory implications (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), it does not pose as critical a threat as the loss of proprietary pharmaceutical research.

(B) Hackers breaching the organization's network to access research and development reports (Correct Answer):R&D reports contain proprietary drug formulas, clinical trial results, and patent-pending innovations, making them highly valuable to competitors and cybercriminals. A breach could lead to intellectual property theft, financial losses, loss of competitive advantage, and regulatory non-compliance (e.g., FDA, EMA requirements). This is considered the most significant threat because:

It could result in billions of dollars in lost revenue.

Competitors or state-sponsored hackers could exploit stolen research.

It could disrupt drug development and approval processes.

(C) A denial-of-service (DoS) attack that prevents access to the organization's website:While DoS attacks can damage an organization's reputation and disrupt operations, they generally do not cause the same level of financial or strategic harm as the loss of critical R&D data. Most organizations have cybersecurity measures (e.g., load balancers, CDNs) to mitigate DoS risks.

(D) A hacker accessing the financial information of the company:Unauthorized access to financial data can be serious, leading to fraud or reputational damage. However, publicly traded companies already disclose much of their financial data, and financial breaches typically have a lower long-term impact compared to intellectual property theft.

IIA Global Technology Audit Guide (GTAG) 15: Information Security Governance: Recommends that internal auditors prioritize risks that impact strategic assets, such as intellectual property.

IIA Standard 2120 - Risk Management: Requires internal auditors to evaluate the organization’s risk management processes, emphasizing risks with significant financial and operational consequences.

IIA Practice Advisory 2110-2: Assessing the Adequacy of Risk Management Processes: Highlights that internal auditors must identify risks that could threaten the organization’s long-term objectives, such as IP theft.

COSO ERM Framework: Encourages prioritization of risks that have high impact on an organization’s value and strategic objectives, such as cyber threats to proprietary research.

Analysis of Each Option:IIA References:Conclusion:Given the pharmaceutical industry's reliance on proprietary R&D, a breach compromising research reports represents the most significant cyber threat. Therefore, option (B) is the correct answer.