A CISO implements smart cards for credential management, and as a result has reduced costs associated with help desk operations supporting password resets. This demonstrates which of the following…

Question

Options

• ASecurity alignment to business goals
• BRegulatory compliance effectiveness
• CIncreased security program presence
• DProper organizational policy enforcement

• A
  76% (19)
• B
  12% (3)
• C
  4% (1)
• D
  8% (2)

Explanation

Implementing smart cards reduced help desk costs while improving security - this is a textbook example of security alignment to business goals (A), where a security control simultaneously strengthens protection and delivers measurable business value (cost reduction). Security initiatives that justify themselves through operational or financial benefits demonstrate that the security program supports the organization's broader objectives, not just technical hardening.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• B (Regulatory compliance) is wrong because nothing in the scenario mentions regulations, laws, or compliance frameworks driving the decision.
• C (Increased security program presence) is wrong because "presence" implies visibility or expansion of the security team, not a business outcome metric.
• D (Organizational policy enforcement) is wrong because the focus is on a business benefit (cost savings), not on enforcing an existing policy.

Memory tip: When you see a security control paired with a business metric (cost savings, efficiency, revenue impact), think "alignment to business goals." The keyword is the business outcome, not the technical control itself.

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