Ace the CISA exam & become a certified information systems auditor. This comprehensive guide covers the 5 domains of the exam syllabus, outlining the key competencies & topics you need to study.

Do you want to pass the CISA exam and become a certified information systems auditor? Congratulations! This is a great goal to have! This CISA exam is the black belt of information security. It’s a rigorous exam that will challenge you. Still, if you ace the 5 domains, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a certified information systems auditor. The job opportunities are everywhere.

But before you start studying, you should know: the CISA exam syllabus covers five different domains, each with its own complex topics. In this blog post, I’ll provide a guide to all five domains, outlining what they cover and how difficult they are.

The CISA Exam Syllabus and its 5 domains

The 5 domains of the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) exam are the building blocks of the assessment. ISACA, a trusted authority in information systems and cybersecurity worldwide, has hand-picked these domains to represent the key competencies essential for the successful management, assessment, and control of present-day information systems.

Domain 1: Information System Auditing Process (21%)

Domain 2: Governance and Management of IT (17%)

Domain 3: Information Systems, Acquisition, Development and Implementation (12%)

Domain 4: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience (23%)

Domain 5: Protection of Information Assets (27%)

Domain 1: Information System Auditing Process (21%)

Let’s begin with the 1st domain of the CISA exam syllabus! This domain covers the entire CISA audit process, from pre-audit activities to post-audit activities. It also includes:

• CISA roles and responsibilities in performing an IS audit
• IS control objectives
• risk assessment and analysis
• planning for a CISA review
• CISA review issues

This area is the most straightforward for people who already know the basics of internal auditing. However, suppose you lack that background knowledge in auditing. In that case, you may need extra time to study the essentials!

Now, let’s provide a little more information about the subtopics.

Planning

1. IS Audit Standards, Guidelines, and Codes of Ethics

This subtopic requires knowledge of commonly accepted standards. Candidates should familiarize themselves with the following:

• IS Audit and Assurance Standards
• IS Audit and Assurance Guidelines
• Code of Professional Ethics
• ITAF Framework

2. Business Processes

This subtopic requires IS auditors to understand the business processes of the company for which they are auditing. It’s also important to know how the auditor fits into the equation. Candidates need to review the basics of an audit charter and planning approach.

3. Types of Controls

Study up on control classifications, functions, and usages. This may include control objectives, preventative vs. detective vs. corrective controls, and information-specific controls.

4. Risk-Based Audit Planning

Risk-based audit planning is critical to a CISA’s success. For this subtopic, you must know how to assess and analyze risks. This helps you deploy audit resources to the highest-risk areas. Make sure to brush up on things like risk type, materiality, assessment techniques, and responses – these are all covered on the test.

5. Types of Audits and Assessments

The exam tests your knowledge of the different types of audits and assessments. A few times of audits include compliance, financial, operational, and administrative audits.

Execution

6. Audit Project Management

Project management covers the CISA’s role in an audit. This subtopic requires that you know how to keep track of an audit, report on its status, and finish the project. It also touches on quality audit programs and working papers.

7. Sampling Methodology

You’ll need to know how to select the correct sample from a population. The proper sample depends on the circumstances. You’ll see sampling approaches such as statistical, judgmental, attribute, and variable..

8. Audit Evidence Collection Techniques

Audit evidence collection requires CISA candidates to know the different techniques for gathering information. This can include physical observation, interviews, and questionnaires. You will need to know which evidence-gathering method would be best in a given scenario.

9. Data Analytics

Data analytics is the use of technology to review data. CISA candidates should understand what types of analysis can be conducted and how to interpret the results. This includes topics such as filtering, clustering, and profiling data sets. Continuous monitoring and auditing are also covered in this subtopic.

10. Reporting and Communication Techniques

This subtopic covers CISA’s role in delivering audit results. You should understand how to develop an audit report and present it to management. You’ll also need to know what information must be included in the report and how to respond if management disagrees with the CISA’s findings.

11. Quality Assurance and Improvement of the Audit Process

The CISA exam tests your knowledge of quality assurance and improvement methods used in auditing. This includes CISA’s role in promoting an effective audit process, assessing audit quality, and establishing corrective action plans.

CISA Exam Study Materials

This blog provides an overview of each domain in the CISA exam. This will give you a basic understanding of the topics you need to study. However, you’ll need a lot more information to pass the exam. I’ll get into more detail on the exam prep, and study materials in another post. But for now, if you need them, keep it simple and consider resources from ISACA:

Domain 2: Governance and Management of IT (17%)

Domain 2 of the CISA examination is a moderately tricky domain to tackle. It focuses on the auditor’s role in the governance and management of IT. This involves understanding and mastering various security policies and procedures, managing incidents and crises, and business continuity planning.

As an IS auditor, it is essential to have a strong understanding of IT governance in order to develop effective control practices and mechanisms for management oversight and review.

IT Governance

1. IT Governance and IT Strategy

This subtopic covers the CISA’s role in guiding IT strategy and policy. This can include topics such as aligning IT with business objectives, risk management, budget management, and security compliance.

Brush up on the following topics:

• Enterprise Governance of Information and Technology (EGIT)
• Strategy and strategic planning
• Business intelligence (BI) and data flows
• Data analysis models

2. IT-Related Frameworks

EGIT frameworks have been developed to protect information assets while providing value to the enterprise. Some examples of frameworks candidates may see on the exam include:

• COBIT
• ISO/IEC 27001
• ITIL
• O-ISM3
• ISO 20000

3. IT Standards, Policies, and Procedures

This subtopic covers CISA’s role in developing and implementing standards, policies, and procedures. The exam does sometimes ask about specific policies (e.g., end-user computing policy). Candidates will also need to understand the definitions of each documents and for which scenarios they will be used.

4. Organizational Structure

This subtopic references the structures, roles, and responsibilities within EGIT. CISA candidates should be familiar with C-level positions and their involvement in IT governance. They will also need to know the standard IT committees (e.g., IT Steering Committee) and fundamental roles (e.g., systems development manager).

A key thing to study in this area is the segregation of duties within IT. You need to know all IT’s roles and which responsibilities, especially ones that would cause a conflict with other positions.

5. Enterprise Architecture

The CISA examination requires a strong knowledge of enterprise architecture. This area has been receiving increasing attention. Candidates should be able to explain the various models (e.g., Zachman) and describe how they are used in CISA audit engagements. They should also understand patterns and industry standards for developing enterprise architectures.

6. Enterprise Risk Management

This subtopic focuses on CISA’s role in identifying, assessing, and managing IT risk. CISA candidates should be able to explain how CISA can evaluate the security of IT systems and identify potential threats. They should also be familiar with standard risk management methods (e.g., qualitative vs quantitative).

7. Maturity Models

The CISA certification exam does ask about maturity models such as CMM (Capability Maturity Model) and IDEAL (Initiating, Diagnosing, Establishing, acting, and learning. CISA candidates should be able to explain the importance of CMM, its implementation process, and how CISA can use it for IT audits.

8. Laws, Regulations, and Industry Standards affecting the Organization

This subtopic covers CISA’s role in understanding, interpreting, and applying laws, regulations, and industry standards. CISA candidates should know the most important laws (e.g., Sarbanes-Oxley). They should also be able to explain CISA’s role in responding to legislative changes.

IT Management

9. IT Resource Management

This subtopic covers CISA’s role in managing IT resources. Study topics include (but are not limited to):

• IT portfolio management
• IT management practices
• HR management (hiring, termination, handbook, etc.)
• Organizational change management

10. IT Service Provider Acquisition and Management

This subtopic covers CISA’s role in acquiring and managing IT service providers. CISA candidates should be familiar with standard outsourcing models (e.g., shared services) and the different phases of the vendor relationship (e.g., due diligence, SLA negotiation, transition, etc.). They should also know how to conduct an audit of an IT service provider.

11. IT Performance Monitoring and Reporting

This subtopic covers CISA’s role in monitoring and reporting on IT performance. CISA candidates need to understand the importance of IT metrics and how CISA can use them for audits and compliance reviews. They should also be familiar with information security KPIs (key performance indicators), benchmarks, and the IT balanced scorecard.

12. Quality Assurance and Quality Management of IT

This subtopic covers CISA’s role in managing IT quality. CISA candidates should be familiar with the different types of testing (functional, performance, security) and understand how CISA can use them for auditing and compliance reviews. They should also know quality assurance best practices.

QC and QA are not the same. You should know the differences.

Now, let’s take a look at the 3rd domain.

Domain 3: Information Systems, Acquisition, Development, and Implementation (12%)

This domain covers CISA’s role in the development, implementation and management of IT systems. A CISA candidate should have a sound understanding of the information systems (hardware and software) acquisition, development and implementation process. A thorough understanding of the phases of project management is also required.

This section covers a lot when it comes to project and business management, like knowing the difference between portfolio and program management, recognizing the three primary forms of organizational alignment, or understanding the roles and responsibilities of project steering. You don’t want to miss out on this info!

In terms of difficulty, this domain is on par with Domain 1. CISA candidates who have a background in project management or information systems should perform better with the material covered in this domain.

Information Systems Acquisition and Development

1. Project Governance and Management

All about managing projects. This subtopic covers CISA’s role in the project lifecycle, including project initiation, planning, execution, control, and closeout. CISA candidates should be familiar with different forms of organizational alignment (e.g., matrix, functional) and how CISA can use them for IT audits and compliance reviews. They should also understand the roles and responsibilities of project steering.

2. Business Case and Feasibility Analysis

CISA candidates should understand the importance of performing an analysis and knowing how to create a business case for IT projects. You should know the IS auditors role in this process.

3. System Development Methodologies

A systems development methodology is a set of processes, guidelines, and best practices used to develop software. CISA candidates should be familiar with different types of methods (e.g., waterfall, V-shaped) and understand their roles in the software development process.

Study the traditional phases of SDLC:

• Phase 1 – feasibility study
• Phase 2 – requirements definition
• Phase 3 – software selection, acquisition and design
• Phase 4 – configuration and development
• Phase 5 – testing and implementation
• Phase 6 – post-implementation

4. Control Identification and Design

This subtopic covers CISA’s role in identifying and designing controls that protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of IT systems. CISA candidates should be familiar with different types of controls (e.g., input/origination, processing, output) and understand how CISA can use them for IT audits and compliance reviews.

Information Systems Implementation

1. Testing Methodologies

CISA, candidates should be familiar with different types of testing (unit, interface, system, final acceptance) and understand how CISA can use them for IT audits and compliance reviews. It’s essential to brush up on data integrity and application systems testing.

2. Configuration and Release Management

Knowing the configuration status of different computing environments is vital for keeping systems reliable, available, and secure. Timely maintenance is also crucial, and that’s what these processes help with. They provide systematic, consistent, and unambiguous control over attributes of IT components that make up a system.

3. System Migration, Infrastructure Deployment, and Data Conversion

New software applications tend to be more comprehensive and integrated than older applications. Candidates should learn about:

• Data migration
• Cutover techniques
• System implementation
• System change procedures and the program migration process
• System software implementation
• Certification/accreditation

4. Post-implementation Review

Closing projects is essential for providing accurate data on project results, helping inform future projects, and freeing up resources. The exam will be looking at the IS auditor’s role in the post-implementation review phase, so make sure to watch out for that!

Domain 4: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience (23%)

Fun Fact: In 2011 ISACA merged a part of old Domain 6 into Domain 4 – specifically the disaster recovery sections.

Domain 4 focuses on making sure that processes for information systems operations, maintenance, and support are aligned with the organization’s goals. This includes looking at topics such as disaster recovery and data loss, as well as reviewing information systems and evaluating service level management & maintenance processes.

It’s no surprise that many consider Domain 4 to be one of the most important in the CISA syllabus – especially when combined with Domain 5!

Information Systems Operations

Ensuring good IT service management practices is critical for users and management to receive the expected level of service. Service level expectations originate from the organization’s set objectives, while IT service delivery involves operations, services, and management of IS with the team supporting them. 

All of this is essential information on the CISA exam and fundamental pieces in information systems operations.

The subtopics listed here provide enough specificity for the CISA certification candidates to have an overview. These are standard pieces of information systems operations.

1. Common Technology Components
2. IT Asset Management
3. Job Scheduling and Production Process Automation
4. System Interfaces
5. End-User Computing
6. Data Governance
7. Systems Performance Management
8. Problem and Incident Management
9. Change, Configuration, Release, and Patch Management
10. IT Service Level Management
11. Database Management

Business Resilience

Business resilience essentially details a business’ capability to adjust to unexpected events or incidents in order to maintain continuous operations and safeguard the organization’s possessions.

Typically, many organizations already have some level of disaster recovery procedures set up for regaining IT infrastructure and vital systems along with related data. Nevertheless, many businesses have not ventured to further plan out how critical units should execute during a period of IT malfunction.

It is essential for CISA certification exam takers to be knowledgeable of the aspects in both disaster recovery and continuity plans.

12. Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

BIA is a crucial step in evaluating the necessary procedures (and IT elements supporting them) and to identify time frames, priorities, resources and interdependencies. It is imperative for CISA certification exam takers to be knowledgeable on the considerations of BIA as well as the categorization of various systems (e.g., vital, critical, etc.) to understand how to secure systems against potential risks.

13. System Resiliency

This is the ability of a system to withstand a significant disruption within set metrics and recovery times. Look up the methods for network protection: redundancy, alternative routing, diverse routing, long-haul network diversity, last-mile circuit protection, and voice recovery.

14. Data Backup, Storage, and Restoration

To ensure that organizations are correctly safeguarding their data, understanding the backup and restoration processes is a must. It is essential to be knowledgeable on different types of backup devices, media and schemes in order to properly secure data.

15. Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

BCP is used to determine how the organization will react and respond when an unexpected disruption occurs. CISA certification exam takers should be familiar with the different steps involved in developing a business continuity plan. Areas to study include:

• planning for a disaster
• the policy
• incident management
• issues in plan development
• Plan components
• Plan testing
• and of course, how to audit BCP

16. Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP)

The CISA exam will require candidates to understand the different steps involved in developing and implementing a disaster recovery plan. This should include:

• planning
• preparation
• implementation
• testing, and
• maintenance of DRP

Great, now we move to the final domain.

Domain 5: Protection of Information Assets (27%)

The 5th and final domain in the CISA syllabus focuses on the role of IT auditors in ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of an organization’s information assets. This includes evaluating security policies, standards, and procedures, and assessing the design, implementation, and monitoring of controls like system and logical security, data classification, and physical access.

Protection of information assets is crucial to the CISA exam, considered by many as the most critical section. It’s essential to have a strong understanding of this domain, as it can make or break your performance on the exam.

Information Asset Security and Control

1. Information Asset Security Frameworks, Standards, and Guidelines

How do you audit the information security management framework? Candidates should study the baseline security evaluations.

2. Privacy Principles

This is important in light of global regulations, such as GDPR and HIPAA. Candidates will learn about the audit considerations for all things policy (e.g., privacy of person, behavior, communication, data, etc.)

3. Physical Access and Environmental Controls

Physical access controls and environmental controls are in place to safeguard the infrastructure of an organization. CISA certification exam takers should understand the different methods for protecting physical assets, as well as the standards needed to ensure proper security procedures.

4. Identity and Access Management

This includes (but is not limited to):

• system access permission
• MACs
• third parties
• logical access
• authentication
• IDs, passwords, biometrics
• SSO
• logging and monitoring
• FIM
• data leakage

5. Network and End-Point Security

This is a large subtopic – plan accordingly.

To effectively combat most network attacks, enterprises should utilize perimeter security controls such as firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs). These solutions provide protection and alert information at the borders between trusted and untrusted networks.

It is essential to understand the solution’s function, its application infrastructure, and the protocols in use for a more comprehensive security landscape. This is a large subtopic – plan accordingly.

6. Data Classification

You should be familiar with the different data classification levels, as well as the standards and methodologies for classifying data. This includes understanding the roles and responsibilities related to data classification, as well as how to audit information security procedures.

7. Data Encryption and Encryption-Related Techniques

This includes, but is not limited to:

• symmetric key cryptographic systems
• Public (asymmetric) key cryptographic systems
• transport layer security
• IP security
• Secure shell
• S/MIME

8. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

CISA certification exam takers should be familiar with the purpose of PKI and its benefits. You should also know how to assess and audit PKI solutions, including the underlying technology and its integration into existing systems.

9. Web-Based Communication Technologies

Candidates should know basic threats, risks, and controls about many technologies. Some include:

• VoIP
• PBX
• Email security
• P2P
• instant messaging
• social media
• cloud computing

10. Virtualized Environments

Virtualized environments and cloud computing open up new security challenges. You should know the key risk areas and typical controls (e.g., hypervisors and guest images are securely configured)

11. Mobile, Wireless, and Internet-of-Things (IoT) Devices

There are many risks in this area, such as the loss of confidential data due to theft, misplacement, or malware infection. Controls that reduce this risk include device registration, tagging, physical security, etc.

Candidates should also study wireless networks (e.g., WLAN, WPA/WPA2, WPAN, etc.)

Security Event Management

12. Security Awareness Training and Programs

You should know how to assess the effectiveness of these programs and make recommendations for improvement.

13. Information System Attack Methods and Techniques

Ah, the classic fraud triangle finds its home here. You should also research common attack methods (there is A LOT).

14. Security Testing Tools and Techniques

You should understand the role of penetration testing and its phases.

15. Security Monitoring Tools and Techniques

Monitoring, detection and logging are integral parts of security. There are a number of tools an organization can use to detect and log potential problems.

• Honeypots and honeynets
• Full network assessment reviews
• security information and event management

16. Incident Response Management

An incident response plan should be in place to handle most security incidents. CISA certification exam takers need to understand the types of incidents, their causes and how they can be handled effectively.

They should also know the steps taken to investigate an incident, report it and take corrective action if needed.

17. Evidence Collection and Forensics

Finally, CISA certification exam takers should be knowledgeable about how to collect evidence properly and legally. This means understanding the proper procedures for collecting evidence, as well as knowing how to analyze it effectively.

Which CISA exam domain is the most difficult and why?

The most difficult CISA exam domain is likely to be Protection of Information Assets. This domain requires a deep understanding of the concepts and principles behind security testing as well as familiarization with the tools and techniques used to detect vulnerabilities.

Additionally, CISA candidates must be able to identify attack methods and techniques, assess system integrity and security, interpret test results, and make informed recommendations for improving system security. All of these require a considerable amount of knowledge and experience, which can make it challenging for CISA certification exam takers.

However, difficulty depends on each candidate’s experience. All sections are important and must be studied thoroughly.

Conclusion

The CISA exam is a challenging test that covers a wide range of topics. Candidates must possess technical knowledge, strong problem-solving skills and an in-depth understanding of the five domains. Preparation is key to success and CISA certification exam takers should focus on learning the material and developing their skills in order to do well on the CISA Exam.

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