CISA - Certified Information Systems Auditor

Course Structure

The Certified Information Security Auditor (CISA) course is divided into following comprehensive modules

Module 01 - The Process of Auditing Information Systems

Lesson 1: Management of the Audit Function

• Organization of the IS Audit Function
• IS Audit Resource Management
• Audit Planning
• Effect of Laws and Regulations on IS Audit Planning

Lesson 2: ISACA IT Audit and Assurance Standards and Guidelines

• ISACA IT Audit And Assurance Standards And Guidelines
• ISACA IT Audit And Assurance Standards Framework
• Auditing Standards
• Audit Guidelines
• Audit and Assurance Tools and Techniques
• Relationship Among Standards, Guidelines, and Tools and Techniques
• Information Technology Assurance Framework
• Information Technology Assurance Framework Components
• ITAF General Standards (Section 2200)
• ITAF Performance Standards (Section 2400)
• Reporting Standards (Section 2600)
• IT Assurance Guidelines (Section 3000)

Lesson 3: Risk Analysis

• Risk Analysis

Lesson 4: Internal Controls

• Internal Control Objectives
• IS Control Objectives
• COBIT
• General Controls
• IS Controls

Lesson 5: Performing An IS Audit

• Performing an IS Audit
• Classification of Audits
• Audit Programs
• Audit Methodology
• Fraud Detection
• Risk-Based Auditing
• Audit Risk and Materiality
• Risk Assessment and Treatment
• Risk Assessment Techniques
• Audit Objectives
• Compliance Versus Substantive Testing
• Evidence
• Interviewing and Observing Personnel in the Performance Of Their Duties
• Sampling
• Using The Services Of Other Auditors And Experts
• Computer-Assisted Audit Techniques (CAAT)
• Evaluation Of Audit Strengths And Weaknesses
• Communicating Audit Results
• Management Implementation Of Recommendations
• Audit Documentation

Lesson 6: Control Self-Assessment

• Objectives of CSA
• Benefits of CSA
• Disadvantages of CSA
• Auditor Role in CSA
• Technology Drivers for CSA
• Traditional Versus CSA Approach

Lesson 7: The Evolving IS Audit Process

• Automated Work Papers
• Integrated Auditing
• Continuous Auditing Module 01 Review

Module 02 - Governance and Management of IT

Lesson 1: Corporate Governance

• Corporate Governance

Lesson 2: IT Governance

• IT Governance

Lesson 3: IT Monitoring and Assurance Practices for Board and Senior Management

• IT Monitoring and Assurance Practices for Board and Senior Management
• Best Practices for IT Governance
• IT Governance Frameworks
• Audit Role in IT Governance
• IT Strategy Committee
• IT Balanced Scorecard
• Information Security Governance
• Importance of Information Security Governance
• Outcomes of Security Governance
• Effective Information Security Governance
• Roles and Responsibilities of Senior Management and Board of Directors
• Enterprise Architecture

Lesson 4: Information Systems Strategy

• Strategic Planning
• Steering Committee

Lesson 5: Maturity and Process Improvement Models

• Maturity and Process Improvement Models

Lesson 6: IT Investment and Allocation Practices

• IT Investment and Allocation Practices
• Implement IT Portfolio Management
• IT Portfolio Management Versus Balanced Scorecard

Lesson 7: Policies and Procedures

• Policies
• Information Security Policy
• Procedures

Lesson 8: Risk Management

• Risk Management
• Developing a Risk Management Program
• Risk Management Process
• Risk Analysis Methods

Lesson 9: IS Management Practices

• Human Resource Management
• Organizational Change Management
• Financial Management Practices
• Quality Management
• Information Security Management
• Performance Optimization

Lesson 10: IS Organizational Structure and Responsibilities

• IS Roles and Responsibilities
• Segregation of Duties
• Segregation of Duties Controls
• Compensating Controls for Lack of Segregation

Lesson 11: Auditing IT Governance Structure and Implementation

• Reviewing Documentation
• Reviewing Contractual Commitments

Lesson 12: Business Continuity Planning

• IS Business Continuity Planning
• Disasters and Other Disruptive Events
• Business Continuity Planning Process
• Business Continuity Policy
• Business Impact Analysis
• Classification of Operations and Criticality Analysis
• Development of Business Continuity Plans
• Other Issues and Plan Development
• Components of a BCP
• BCP Testing
• BCP Maintenance
• Summary of BCP
• Module 02 Review

Module 03 - Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation

Lesson 1: Business Realization

• Portfolio/Program Management
• Business Case Development and Approval
• Benefits Realization Techniques

Lesson 2: Project Management Structure

• Project Context and Environment
• Project Organizational Forms
• Project Communication and Culture
• Project Objectives
• Roles and Responsibilities of Groups and Individuals

Lesson 3: Project Management Practices

• Initiation of a Project
• Project Planning
• Example of Project Management for New Software
• Software Size Estimation
• Lines of Source Code
• Function Point Analysis (FPA)
• Function Points
• Cost Budgets
• Software Cost Estimation
• Scheduling and Establishing the Timeframe
• Critical Path Methodology
• Gantt Charts
• Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT)
• Time Box Management
• General Project Management
• Project Controlling
• Management of Resource Usage
• Management of Risk
• Closing a Project

Lesson 4: Business Application Development

• Traditional SDLC Approach
• SDLC Phases
• SDLC
• Integrated Resource Management Systems
• Description of SDLC Phases
• Risks Associated with Software Development

Lesson 5: Business Application Systems

• Electronic Commerce
• E-Commerce Models
• E-Commerce Architectures
• E-Commerce Risks
• E-Commerce Requirements
• E-Commerce Audit and Control Issues or Best Practices
• Components of PKI
• Electronic Data Interchange
• General Requirements of EDI
• Traditional EDI
• Web Based EDI
• EDI Risks and Controls
• Controls in EDI Environment
• E-Mail
• E-Mail Security Issues
• Standards for E-Mail Security
• Point-Of-Sale Systems (POS)
• Electronic Banking
• Risk Management Challenges in E-Banking
• Risk Management Controls for E-Banking
• Electronic Finance
• Payment Systems
• Electronic Money Model
• Electronic Checks Model
• Electronic Transfer Model
• Electronic Funds Transfer
• Controls in an EFT Environment
• Automated Teller Machines
• Image Processing
• Business Intelligence
• Decision Support System (DSS)
• DSS Frameworks
• Customer Relation Management (CRM)
• Supply Chain Management (SCM)

Lesson 6: Alternative Forms of Software Project Organization

• Agile Development
• Prototyping
• Rapid Application Development (RAD)

Lesson 7: Alternative Development Methods

• Data Oriented System Development
• Object Oriented System Development
• Component-Based Development
• Web-Based Application Development
• Software Reengineering
• Reverse Engineering

Lesson 8: Infrastructure Development/Acquisition Practices

• Project Phases of Physical Architecture Analysis
• Planning Implementation of Infrastructure
• Critical Success Factors
• Hardware Acquisition
• Acquisition Steps
• System Software Acquisition
• System Software Implementation
• System Software Change Control Procedures

Lesson 9: Information Systems Maintenance Practices

• Change Management Process Overview
• Deploying Changes
• Documentation
• Testing Changed Programs
• Auditing Program Changes
• Emergency Changes
• Change Exposures (Unauthorized Changes)
• Configuration Management

Lesson 10: System Development Tools And Productivity Aids

• Code Generators
• Computer Aided Software Engineering
• Fourth-Generation Languages (4GL)

Lesson 11: Business Process Reengineering And Process Change Projects

• Business Process Reengineering And Process Change Projects Continued
• Benchmarking Process
• The Benchmarking Process
• ISO 9126
• Software Capability Maturity Model
• ISO 15504

Lesson 12: Application Controls

• Inputs Controls
• Processing Procedures And Controls
• Processing Controls
• Data File Control Procedures
• Output Controls
• Business Process Control Assurance

Lesson 13: Auditing Application Controls

• Risk Assessment Model To Analyze Application Controls
• Observing And Testing User Performing Procedures
• Data Integrity Testing
• Example Of Referential And Relational Integrity
• Data Integrity In Online Transaction Processing Systems
• Test Application Systems
• Continuous Online Auditing
• Online Auditing Techniques

Lesson 14: Auditing Systems Development, Acquisition And Maintenance

• Project Management
• Feasibility Study
• Requirements Definition
• Software Acquisition Process
• Detailed Design And Development
• Testing
• Implementation Phase
• Post Implementation Review
• System Change Procedures And The Program Migration Process
• Module 03 Review

Module 04 - Information Systems Operations, Maintenance and Support

Lesson 1: Information Systems Operations

• Management of IS Operations
• Service Management
• Service Level
• Infrastructure Operations
• Scheduling
• Monitoring Use of Resources
• Process of Incident Handling
• Problem Management
• Detection, Documentation, Control, Resolution and Reporting of Abnormal Conditions
• Support/Helpdesk
• Change Management Process
• Release Management
• Information Security Management
• Media Sanitization

Lesson 2: Information Systems Hardware

• Computer Hardware Components and Architecture
• Common Enterprise Backend Devices
• Specialized Devices
• Risks
• Security Control
• Radiofrequency Identification
• RFID Applications
• RFID Risks
• RFID Security Control
• Hardware Maintenance Program
• Hardware Monitoring Procedures
• Capacity Management

Lesson 3: IS Architecture and Software

• Operating Systems
• Software Integrity Issues
• Activity Logging and Reporting Options
• Data Communication Software
• Data Management
• File Organization
• Database Management Systems
• Example of Data in DBMS
• DBMS Architecture
• DBMS Metadata Architecture
• Database Structure
• Relational Database
• Database Models
• Relational Database Model
• Database Controls
• Tape and Disk Management Systems
• Utility Programs
• Software Licensing Issues
• Digital Rights Management

Lesson 4: Network Infrastructure

• Enterprise Network Architecture
• Types of Networks
• Network Services
• Network Standards and Protocols
• OSI Architecture
• OSI Layers
• Application of the OSI Model in Network Architectures
• Local Area Network
• Network Physical Media Specifications
• Implementation of WANs
• LAN Media Access Technologies
• LAN Components
• OSI Layer Diagram
• LAN Technology Selection Criteria
• Wide Area Networks
• WAN Message Transmission Techniques
• WAN Devices
• WAN Technologies
• Wireless Networks
• Wireless Wide Area Networks
• Wireless Local Area Networks
• Wireless Security
• Wireless Application Protocol
• Risks of Wireless Communications
• World Wide Web Services
• General Internet Terminology
• Network Administration and Control
• Network Performance Metrics
• Network Management Issues
• Network Management Tools
• Client/Server Technology

Lesson 5: Disaster Recovery Planning

• Recovery Point Objective and Recovery Time Objective
• Recovery Strategies
• Application Disaster Recovery Methods
• Data Storage Disaster Recovery Methods
• Telecommunication Networks Disaster Recovery Methods
• Methods for Network Protection
• Development of Disaster Recovery Plans
• Organization and Assignment Of Responsibilities
• Backup and Restoration
• Off-Site Library Controls
• Types of Backup Devices and Media
• Periodic Backup Procedures
• Frequency of Rotation
• Backup Schemes
• Module 04 Review

Module 05 - Protection of Information Assets

Lesson 1: Importance Of Information Security

• Key Elements of Information Security Management
• Information Security Management Roles and Responsibilities
• Inventory and Classification of Information Assets
• System Access Permission
• Mandatory and Discretionary Access Controls
• Privacy Management Issue and the Role of IS Auditors
• Critical Success Factors to Information Security Management
• Information Security and External Parties
• Identification of Risks Related to External Parties
• Addressing Security When Dealing with Customers
• Addressing Security and Third-Party Agreements
• Human Resources Security and Third Parties
• Computer Crime Issues and Exposures
• Types of Computer Crimes
• Peer to Peer, Instant Messaging, Data Leakage and Web-Based Technologies
• Security Incident Handling and Response

Lesson 2: Logical Access

• Logical Access Exposures
• Familiarization with the Enterprise IT Environment
• Paths of Logical Access
• General Points of Entry
• Logical Access Control Software
• Identification and Authentication
• Features of Passwords
• Identification and Authentication Best Practices
• Token Devices, One-Time Passwords
• Management of Biometrics
• Single Sign-On
• Authorization Issues
• Access Control Lists
• Logical Access Security Administration
• Remote Access Security
• Common Connectivity Methods
• Remote Access Using PDAs
• Access Issues with Mobile Technology
• Access Rights to System Logs
• Tools for Audit Trail Analysis
• Use of Intrusion Detection
• Storing, Retrieving, Transporting and Disposing of Confidential Information

Lesson 3: Network Infrastructure Security

• LAN Security
• Virtualization
• Client/Server Security
• Wireless Security Threats and Risks Mitigation
• Internet Threats and Security
• Network Security Threats
• Internet Security Control Audits
• Firewall Security Systems
• Common Attacks Against a Firewall
• Examples of Firewall Implementation
• Intrusion Detection
• Describing IDS and IPS Deployment
• Encryption
• Uses of Encryption
• Viruses
• Technical Controls Against Viruses
• AV Software
• Voice Over IP
• Private Branch Exchange

Lesson 4: Auditing Information Security Management Framework

• Auditing Logical Access
• Techniques for Testing Security

Lesson 5: Auditing Network Infrastructure Security

• Auditing Remote Access
• Network Penetration Test
• Types of Penetration Tests
• Full Network Assessment Reviews
• Development and Authorization of Network Changes
• Unauthorized Changes
• Computer Forensics
• Chain of Evidence

Lesson 6: Environmental Exposures and Controls

Lesson 7: Physical Access Exposures and Controls

• Physical Access Exposures
• Physical Access Controls
• Auditing Physical Access
• Lesson 8: Mobile Computing
• Module 05 Review
• Course Closure

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