1. Which of the following would an IS auditor consider to be the MOST helpful when evaluating the effectiveness and adequacy of a computer preventive maintenance program?
A) A system downtime log B) Vendors' reliability figures C) Regularly scheduled maintenance log D) A written preventive maintenance schedule
2. Which of the following exposures associated with the spooling of sensitive reports for offline printing should an IS auditor consider to be the MOST serious?
A) Sensitive data can be read by operators. B) Data can be amended without authorization. C) Unauthorized report copies can be printed. D) Output can be lost in the event of system failure.
3. Applying a retention date on a file will ensure that:
A) data cannot be read until the date is set. B) data will not be deleted before that date. C) backup copies are not retained after that date. D) datasets having the same name are differentiated.
4. Which of the following is a network diagnostic tool that monitors and records network information?
A) Online monitor B) Downtime report C) Help desk report D) Protocol analyzer
5. Which of the following will help detect changes made by an intruder to the system log of a server?
A) Mirroring the system log on another server B) Simultaneously duplicating the system log on a write-once disk C) Write-protecting the directory containing the system log D) Storing the backup of the system log offsite
1. Right Answer: A Explanation: A system downtime log provides information regarding the effectiveness and adequacy of computer preventive maintenance programs.
2. Right Answer: C Explanation: Unless controlled, spooling for offline printing may enable additional copies to be printed. Print files are unlikely to be available for online reading by operations. Data on spool files are no easier to amend without authority than any other file. There is usually a lesser threat of unauthorized access to sensitive reports in the event of a system failure.
3. Right Answer: B Explanation: A retention date will ensure that a file cannot be overwritten before that date has passed. The retention date will not affect the ability to read the file. Backup copies would be expected to have a different retention date and therefore may be retained after the file has been overwritten. The creation date, not the retention date, will differentiate files with the same name.
4. Right Answer: D Explanation: Protocol analyzers are network diagnostic tools that monitor and record network information from packets traveling in the link to which the analyzer is attached.Online monitors (choice A) measure telecommunications transmissions and determine whether transmissions were accurate and complete. Downtime reports(choice B) track the availability of telecommunication lines and circuits. Help desk reports (choice C) are prepared by the help desk, which is staffed or supported by IS technical support personnel trained to handle problems occurring during the course of IS operations.
5. Right Answer: B Explanation: A write-once CD cannot be overwritten. Therefore, the system log duplicated on the disk could be compared to the original log to detect differences, which could be the result of changes made by an intruder. Write-protecting the system log does not prevent deletion or modification, since the superuser can override the write protection. Backup and mirroring may overwrite earlier files and may not be current.
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