What Is Most Important When Reviewing an Incident Response Plan?

CISM By islever Editorial Last updated

Short answer

B Ensure the incident response plan is grounded in a Business Impact Analysis to prioritize critical business functions during disruptions.

Question

Which of the following is MOST important for the information security manager to confirm when reviewing an incident response plan?
  1. The plan includes a requirement for post-incident review
  2. The plan is based on a business impact analysis (BIA) Correct Answer
  3. The plan is stored at backup recovery locations
  4. The plan is readily available to provide to auditors.

Key Takeaways

Tests strategic alignment of security initiatives with business priorities; the common trap is selecting post-incident reviews for continuous improvement over foundational business impact assessment.

CISM candidates frequently debate whether continuous improvement or business alignment drives incident response planning. Community consensus and ISACA guidelines confirm that anchoring the plan to a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) remains the highest priority.

Common mistake: Option A is frequently chosen because post-incident reviews drive continuous improvement, but CISM prioritizes business-aligned planning over tactical feedback loops when determining the single most important factor.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

An incident response plan must first identify which systems and processes are critical to organizational survival. A Business Impact Analysis (BIA) provides the necessary data on recovery time objectives, financial exposure, and operational dependencies. By confirming the plan is BIA-driven, the security manager ensures resources are allocated to protect what matters most to the business. This aligns perfectly with CISM’s core mandate to treat information security as a business enabler rather than a purely technical exercise.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option A focuses on post-incident reviews, which are valuable for continuous improvement but secondary to establishing baseline business priorities. Option C addresses physical storage logistics, which are operational details that do not dictate strategic response effectiveness. Option D emphasizes auditor accessibility, which serves compliance auditing rather than actual incident mitigation. None of these alternatives establish the foundational business context required for effective crisis management.

Community Comment Notes

Several learners initially favored post-incident reviews for their role in closing feedback loops, reflecting a common crossover confusion between tactical operations and management strategy. Comment [3] correctly highlights how BIA mapping prevents misaligned resource deployment during active crises. Comment [4] rightly notes that without continuous updates, plans degrade, yet ISACA explicitly ranks business impact assessment above iterative refinement in scenario-based questions. The vote distribution ultimately validated the business-first mindset expected at the management level.

Official Reference

https://www.isaca.org/credentialing/cism

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Exam Strategy

When answering CISM scenario questions, always filter options through the lens of business value and risk prioritization. If two answers seem technically sound, choose the one that establishes strategic alignment or governance framework before selecting tactical implementation steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't a post-incident review more important?

Post-incident reviews improve future responses, but CISM requires the initial plan to first address business-critical assets identified through a BIA.

How does BIA directly support incident response?

BIA defines Recovery Time Objectives and priority levels, ensuring responders tackle high-impact incidents before lower-priority ones.

More CISM FAQ →

Community Votes

B
64%
A
36%

64% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 5 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 5

  1. afoo1314 👍 4 Answered B
    IRP fundamental are to identifying the incident, containing it, eradicating the threat, and recovering from the incident. To indentify, best follow BIA for the critical resourcfes. Communication channel is also important.
  2. Booict 👍 4 Answered A
    A - continues improvement. Post-incident reviews allow the organization to learn from each incident, identify what worked well, and pinpoint areas for improvement.
  3. koala_lay 👍 2 Answered B
    B. The most important factor is that the incident response plan is based on a comprehensive business impact analysis (BIA). The BIA helps identify the organization's critical business functions, the resources needed to support them, and the potential impact of disruptions. This ensures the incident response plan is aligned with the organization's key priorities and can effectively mitigate the most severe and impactful incidents.
  4. HN2025 👍 1 Answered A
    The post-incident review is what ensures that the incident response plan is continuously updated and improved. Without this step, organizations can repeat the same mistakes and fail to adapt to evolving threats. The review process ensures that the plan remains effective and aligned with the organization’s security needs.
  5. MMK777 👍 3 Answered B
    I beleive its B

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