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CISA Certified Information Systems Auditor Vocab

Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A process to authenticate (or certify) a party's digital signature; carried out by trusted third parties.






2. The ability of end users to design and implement their own information system utilizing computer software products






3. A pair of small; insulated wires that are twisted around each other to minimize interference from other wires in the cable. This is a low-capacity transmission medium.






4. Digital information; such as cleartext; that is intelligible to the reader






5. A top-down technique of designing programs and systems. It makes programs more readable; more reliable and more easily maintained.






6. The susceptibility of an audit area to error which could be material; individually or in combination with other errors; assuming that there are no related internal controls






7. The process of monitoring the events occurring in a computer system or network; detecting signs of security problems






8. A mathematical key (kept secret by the holder) used to create digital signatures and; depending upon the algorithm; to decrypt messages or files encrypted (for confidentiality) with the corresponding public key






9. Computer hardware that houses the electronic circuits that control/direct all operations of the computer system






10. The use of software packages that aid in the development of all phases of an information system. System analysis; design programming and documentation are provided. Changes introduced in one CASE chart will update all other related charts automatical






11. An algorithm that maps or translates one set of bits into another (generally smaller) so that a message yields the same result every time the algorithm is executed using the same message as input. It is computationally infeasible for a message to be






12. A program written in a portable; platform independent computer language; such as Java. It is usually embedded in an HTML page and then executed by a browser. Applets can only perform a restricted set of operations; thus preventing; or at least minimi






13. Refers to the controls that support the process of transformation of the organisation's legacy information systems into the ERP applications. This would largely cover all aspects of systems implementation and configuration; such as change management






14. A communications channel that can handle only one signal at a time. The two stations must alternate their transmissions.






15. Also known as traditional development; it is a very procedure-focused development cycle with formal sign-off at the completion of each level.






16. The property that data meet with a priority expectation of quality and that the data can be relied upon






17. Expert systems are the most prevalent type of computer systems that arise from the research of artificial intelligence. An expert system has a built in hierarchy of rules; which are acquired from human experts in the appropriate field. Once input is






18. The proportion of known attacks detected by an intrusion detection system






19. Organizations that have no official physical site presence and are made up of diverse geographically dispersed or mobile employees.






20. Diagramming data that are to be exchanged electronically; including how it is to be used and what business management systems need it. It is a preliminary step for developing an applications link. (Also see application tracing and mapping.)






21. Authorized users of a computer system who overstep their legitimate access rights. This category is divided into masqueraders and clandestine users.






22. A type of LAN architecture that utilizes a central controller to which all nodes are directly connected. All transmissions from one station to another pass through the central controller; which is responsible for managing and controlling all communic






23. The logical route an end user takes to access computerized information. Typically; it includes a route through the operating system; telecommunications software; selected application software and the access control system.






24. A row or record consisting of a set of attribute value pairs (column or field) in a relational data structure






25. A cipher technique whereby different cryptographic keys are used to encrypt and decrypt a message (see public key cryptosystems)






26. System flowcharts are graphical representations of the sequence of operations in an information system or program. Information system flowcharts show how data from source documents flow through the computer to final distribution to users. Symbols use






27. A device that forwards packets between LAN devices or segments. LANs that use switches are called switched LANs.






28. The password used to gain access when a system is first installed on a computer or network device. There is a large list published on the Internet and maintained at several locations. Failure to change these after the installation leaves the system v






29. A group of budgets linked together at different levels such that the budgeting authority of a lower-level budget is controlled by an upper-level budget.






30. Tests of specified amount fields against stipulated high or low limits of acceptability. When both high and low values are used; the test may be called a range check.






31. Audit evidence is sufficient if it is adequate; convincing and would lead another IS auditor to form the same conclusions.






32. A structure of relationships and processes to direct and control the enterprise in order to achieve the enterprise's goals by adding value while balancing risk versus return over IT and its processes






33. A computer program or series of programs designed to perform certain automated functions. These functions include reading computer files; selecting data; manipulating data; sorting data; summarizing data; performing calculations; selecting samples an






34. Refer to the transactions and data relating to each computer-based application system and are therefore specific to each such application. The objectives of application controls; which may be manual; or programmed; are to ensure the completeness and






35. A recurring journal entry used to allocate revenues or costs. For example; an allocation entry could be defined to allocate costs to each department based on headcount.






36. Used as a control over dial-up telecommunications lines. The telecommunications link established through dial-up into the computer from a remote location is interrupted so the computer can dial back to the caller. The link is permitted only if the ca






37. A list of retracted certificates






38. Purposefully hidden malicious or damaging code within an authorized computer program. Unlike viruses; they do not replicate themselves; but they can be just as destructive to a single computer.






39. Systems that employ sufficient hardware and software assurance measures to allow their use for processing of a range of sensitive or classified information






40. A multiuser; multitasking operating system that is used widely as the master control program in workstations and especially servers






41. Error control deviations (compliance testing) or misstatements (substantive testing)






42. Simulated transactions that can be used to test processing logic; computations and controls actually programmed in computer applications. Individual programs or an entire system can be tested. This technique includes Integrated Test Facilities (ITFs)






43. An exchange rate; which can be used optionally to perform foreign currency conversion. The corporate exchange rate is generally a standard market rate determined by senior financial management for use throughout the organization.






44. To configure a computer or other network device to resist attacks






45. A device that connects two similar networks together






46. Glass fibers that transmit binary signals over a telecommunications network. Fiber optic systems have low transmission losses as compared to twisted-pair cables. They do not radiate energy or conduct electricity. They are free from corruption and lig






47. A data transmission service requiring the establishment of a circuit-switched connection before data can be transferred from source data terminal equipment (DTE) to a sink DTE. A circuit-switched data transmission service uses a connection network.






48. A program that translates programming language (source code) into machine executable instructions (object code)






49. A system that authentically distributes users' public keys using certificates






50. Defined by ISACA as the processes by which organisations conduct business electronically with their customers; suppliers and other external business partners; using the Internet as an enabling technology. It therefore encompasses both business-to-bus