ISACA CISA: What is the Primary Benefit of Operational Log Management for Cybersecurity?

Discover how operational log management enables real-time monitoring of network data to enhance cybersecurity. Learn about this key CISA exam concept.

Question

Which of the following is the PRIMARY benefit of operational log management?

A. It enhances user experience via predictive analysis.
B. It improves security with real-time monitoring of network data.
C. It organizes data to identify performance issues.
D. It supports data aggregation using unified storage.

Answer

B. It improves security with real-time monitoring of network data.

Explanation

Operational log management provides several benefits, but its primary advantage lies in improving an organization’s security posture through real-time monitoring of network data. By continuously collecting, aggregating, and analyzing log data from various systems and applications, security professionals can detect and respond to potential security threats or anomalies in near real-time.

Here’s why real-time monitoring of network data is the primary benefit:

1. Early threat detection: Real-time log analysis helps identify suspicious activities, unauthorized access attempts, or unusual patterns that may indicate a security breach or malware infection. This enables prompt response and mitigation.
2. Compliance monitoring: Many industries have regulatory requirements for log retention and monitoring. Real-time log management ensures continuous compliance with these standards.
3. Incident investigation: In the event of a security incident, having readily available log data aids in forensic analysis, helping to determine the root cause, scope, and impact of the incident.

While operational log management also offers benefits like identifying performance issues (option C) and supporting data aggregation (option D), these are secondary to its primary security benefit. Enhancing user experience through predictive analysis (option A) is not a direct benefit of operational log management.

Therefore, the correct answer is B: Operational log management primarily improves security by enabling real-time monitoring of network data.

ISACA CISA certification exam assessment practice question and answer (Q&A) dump including multiple choice questions (MCQ) and objective type questions, with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the ISACA CISA exam and earn ISACA CISA certification.