Disaster Recovery Testing Flashcards
7 cards from real CISA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Disaster Recovery Testing flashcards as text
Which type of DR test involves actually switching operations to the recovery site and running production workloads from it?
Answer: Full interruption test
A full interruption test shuts down the primary site and moves all production operations to the recovery site, making it the most realistic but highest-risk test type.
An IS auditor reviewing DR test results notes that the RTO was met but several critical transactions were lost. Which metric was NOT achieved?
Answer: Recovery Point Objective
RPO defines the maximum acceptable data loss measured in time; lost transactions indicate the RPO was not met even though the system came back within the RTO.
During a DR tabletop exercise, the team discovers the backup media restoration procedure references a tool no longer installed on recovery servers. This finding BEST illustrates the importance of:
Answer: Keeping DR documentation current with production changes
The gap between documented procedures and the actual recovery environment shows that DR documentation must be updated whenever production systems change.
Which DR test approach allows both the primary and recovery sites to process transactions simultaneously to compare output accuracy?
Answer: Parallel test
A parallel test runs the recovery site alongside the primary site so outputs can be compared without interrupting live operations.
When scheduling DR tests, the MOST important factor an IS auditor should verify is that tests are:
Answer: Approved by senior management and aligned with business risk
DR tests should have management approval and be scheduled based on business risk tolerance, criticality of systems, and regulatory requirements.
After a successful DR test, which action is MOST critical before closing out the test?
Answer: Returning all systems to the primary site and verifying normal operations
Restoring systems to the primary site and confirming normal operations ensures the recovery environment is reset and production integrity is maintained after the test.
An organization conducts a DR simulation where team members respond to a hypothetical scenario without touching live systems. This is BEST described as a:
Answer: Tabletop exercise
A tabletop exercise is a discussion-based session where participants walk through a disaster scenario verbally without activating recovery systems.