What is the primary purpose of an Information Security Management System (ISMS)?

The primary purpose of an Information Security Management System (ISMS) is indeed to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve information security within an organization. An ISMS provides a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information, ensuring it remains secure. It encompasses policies, procedures, processes, and systems that are designed to protect information assets from security risks, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

By focusing on the continuous improvement of security measures, organizations can adapt to emerging threats and vulnerabilities over time. This proactive approach helps to minimize risks and encourages a culture of security awareness within the organization. An ISMS aligns security with the broader business objectives, ensuring that security measures are not only reactive but also strategic and integrated into the organization's overall risk management framework.

Other options do not encompass the holistic and systematic nature of an ISMS. For instance, creating a database for user information storage focuses solely on data management rather than the broader security framework. Developing software applications for security measures pertains only to the technical aspect of security without addressing the management and policy side. Conducting financial audits of security expenditures is limited to financial oversight and does not imply the overall management and continuous improvement of information security practices. Thus, the comprehensive scope of an ISMS makes the first option the correct