(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

In the context of cybersecurity, what is the focus of auditing?

1. Preventing breaches

2. Diagnosing malware

3. Validating compliance

4. Encrypting data

The correct answer is: Validating compliance

Auditing in cybersecurity primarily focuses on validating compliance with policies, regulations, and standards within an organization. This process involves systematically reviewing an organization's security measures, procedures, and controls to ensure they are effective and aligned with established requirements. By performing audits, organizations can identify gaps in their security posture, verify that security measures are being implemented as intended, and ensure that they adhere to legal and regulatory demands. This compliance aspect is crucial not only for mitigating risk but also for maintaining trust with stakeholders and fulfilling obligations to regulatory bodies. The other choices involve significant aspects of cybersecurity but do not encompass the primary focus of auditing. Preventing breaches refers more to proactive security measures rather than the assessment of existing controls. Diagnosing malware deals with identifying and analyzing malware threats, which is a reactive measure rather than a compliance-focused activity. Encrypting data is a security control designed to protect data confidentiality, but it does not relate to the auditing process, which emphasizes evaluation and verification rather than implementation. Therefore, the emphasis on validating compliance captures the essence of auditing in the cybersecurity domain.