The Best Recommendation by the IS Auditor

B.

When an IS auditor identifies inconsistent security settings on application servers, it indicates potential vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities could expose the organization's sensitive data to unauthorized access, modification, or destruction. Therefore, the auditor's recommendation must focus on mitigating the identified risks.

Option A suggests improving the change management process, which may help ensure that security configurations are consistent and standardized. However, it does not address the current vulnerabilities or provide an immediate solution. Therefore, option A is not the BEST recommendation.

Option B proposes performing a configuration review. A configuration review involves identifying and documenting the current configuration of the application servers, comparing it to a known secure baseline, and identifying any deviations. This process can help identify vulnerabilities and provide guidance on how to remediate them. Therefore, option B is a valid recommendation and could be considered the BEST option.

Option C suggests establishing security metrics. While security metrics can provide insights into the effectiveness of security controls, they do not address the current vulnerabilities on the application servers. Therefore, option C is not the BEST recommendation.

Option D proposes performing a penetration test. A penetration test simulates an attack on the organization's systems and helps identify potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited by a malicious actor. While a penetration test could help identify vulnerabilities, it is not the most efficient approach to address inconsistent security settings on application servers. Therefore, option D is not the BEST recommendation.

In conclusion, the BEST recommendation by the IS auditor would be to perform a configuration review (option B) to identify and remediate any vulnerabilities resulting from the inconsistent security settings on the application servers.