The use of which of the following would BEST enhance a process improvement program?
Model-based design notations
Balanced scorecard
Capability maturity models
Project management methodologies
Capability maturity models (CMMs) are frameworks that help organizations assess and improve their processes in various domains, such as software development, project management, service delivery, and cybersecurity1. CMMs define different levels of process maturity, from initial to optimized, and describe the characteristics and best practices of each level. By using CMMs, organizations can benchmark their current processes against a common standard, identify gaps and weaknesses, andimplement improvement actions to achieve higher levels of process maturity2. CMMs can also help organizations align their processes with their strategic goals, measure their performance, and increase their efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction3.
Therefore, the use of CMMs would best enhance a process improvement program, as they provide a systematic and structured approach to evaluate and improve processes based on proven principles and practices. Option C is the correct answer.
Option A is not correct because model-based design notations are graphical or textual languages that help designers specify, visualize, and document the structure and behavior of systems4. While they can be useful for designing and communicating complex systems, they do not directly address the process improvement aspect of a program.
Option B is not correct because balanced scorecard is a strategic management tool that helps organizations translate their vision and mission into measurable objectives and indicators. While it can be useful for monitoring and evaluating the performance of a program, it does not provide specific guidance on how to improve processes.
Option D is not correct because project management methodologies are sets of principles and practices that help organizations plan, execute, and control projects. While they can be useful for managing the scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk of a program, they do not focus on the process improvement aspect of a program.
References:
Guide to Process Maturity Models2
What is CMMI? A model for optimizing development processes1
Capability Maturity Model (CMM): A Definitive Guide3
Model-Based Design Notations4
Balanced Scorecard
Project Management Methodologies
In which of the following sampling methods is the entire sample considered to be irregular if a single error is found?
Discovery sampling
Variable sampling
Stop-or-go sampling
Judgmental sampling
The sampling method in which the entire sample is considered to be irregular if a single error is found is discovery sampling. Discovery sampling is a type of statistical sampling that is used to test for the existence of at least one occurrence of a specific characteristic or condition in a population. Discovery sampling is often used when the auditor expects the characteristic or condition to be very rare or nonexistent, and when any occurrence would have a significant impact on the audit objective. For example, discovery sampling can be used to test for fraud, noncompliance, or material misstatement.
Discovery sampling works by setting a very low tolerable error rate (the maximum rate of occurrence of the characteristic or condition that the auditor is willing to accept) and a high confidence level (the degree of assurance that the auditor wants to obtain). The auditor then selects a sample from the population using a random or systematic method, and examines each item in the sample for the presence or absence of the characteristic or condition. If no error is found in the sample, the auditor can conclude with a high level of confidence that the characteristic or condition does not exist or is very rare in the population. However, if one or more errors are found in the sample, the auditor cannot draw any conclusion about the population and must either expand the sample size or perform alternative procedures.
Discovery sampling differs from other sampling methods in that it does not allow for any errors in the sample. Other sampling methods, such as variable sampling, stop-or-go sampling, or judgmental sampling, can tolerate some errors in the sample and use them to estimate the error rate or amount in the population. However, discovery sampling is designed to test for zero-tolerance situations, where any error would be unacceptable or material. Therefore, discovery sampling considers the entire sample to be irregular if a single error is found.
References:
Audit Sampling - Overview, Purpose, Importance, and Types1
Audit Sampling - What Is It, Methods, Example, Advantage, Reason2
ISA 530: Audit sampling | ICAEW3
Audit Sampling - AICPA4
Which of the following statements appearing in an organization's acceptable use policy BEST demonstrates alignment with data classification standards related to the protection of information assets?
Any information assets transmitted over a public network must be approved by executive management.
All information assets must be encrypted when stored on the organization's systems.
Information assets should only be accessed by persons with a justified need.
All information assets will be assigned a clearly defined level to facilitate proper employee handling.
The statement that BEST demonstrates alignment with data classification standards related to the protection of information assets is D. All information assets will be assigned a clearly defined level to facilitate proper employee handling. Data classification involves categorizing information assets based on their sensitivity, importance, and usage. Assigning clearly defined levels (such as public, internal, confidential, etc.) to information assets ensures that appropriate security controls are applied based on their classification. By doing so, organizations can manage access, encryption, and other protective measures effectively12.
References:
1. IFRC. “Information Security: Acceptable Use
2. UNSW Sydney. “Data Classification
3. Digital Guardian. “What is a Data Classification
4. Microsoft Service Trust Portal. “Data classification & sensitivity label
5. Clark University ITS Policies. “Data Classification - Data Security
A security administrator is called in the middle of the night by the on-call programmer A number of programs have failed, and the programmer has asked for access to the live system. What IS the BEST course of action?
Require that a change request be completed and approved
Give the programmer an emergency ID for temporary access and review the activity
Give the programmer read-only access to investigate the problem
Review activity logs the following day and investigate any suspicious activity
The best course of action for a security administrator who is called in the middle of the night by the on-call programmer who needs access to the live system is to give the programmer an emergency ID for temporary access and review the activity. This is because:
Requiring that a change request be completed and approved may delay the resolution of the problem and cause further damage or disruption to the system or business operations. A change request is a formal document that describes the proposed change, its rationale, impact, benefits, risks, costs, and approval process. A change request is usually required for planned or scheduled changes, not for emergency or urgent changes.
Giving the programmer read-only access to investigate the problem may not be sufficient or effective, as the programmer may need to perform actions or tests that require write or execute permissions. Read-only access means that the user can only view or copy data or files, but cannot modify or delete them.
Reviewing activity logs the following day and investigating any suspicious activity may not prevent or detect any unauthorized or malicious actions by the programmer in real time. Activity logs are records of events and actions that occur within a system or network. Activity logs can provide evidence and accountability for system activities, but they are not proactive or preventive controls.
Therefore, giving the programmer an emergency ID for temporary access and reviewing the activity is the best course of action, as it allows the programmer to access the live system and resolve the problem quickly, while also ensuring that the security administrator can monitor and verify the programmer’s activity and revoke the access when it is no longer needed. An emergency ID is a temporary account that grants a user elevated privileges or access to a system or resource for a specific purpose and duration. An emergency ID should be:
Created and authorized by a security administrator or manager
Assigned to a specific user and purpose
Limited in scope and time
Logged and audited
Revoked and deleted after use
Some of the best practices for emergency access to live systems are12:
Establish clear policies and procedures for requesting, approving, granting, monitoring, reviewing, and revoking emergency access
Define criteria and scenarios for emergency access, such as severity, impact, urgency, and risk
Implement controls to prevent unauthorized or unnecessary use of emergency access, such as multifactor authentication, approval workflows, alerts, notifications, and time restrictions
Implement controls to track and audit emergency access activities, such as logging, reporting, analysis, and investigation
Implement controls to ensure accountability and responsibility for emergency access users, such as attestation, justification, documentation, and feedback
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