CISM is NOT a pure technical cert. In fact it tends to focus more on the policies/programs and management side of IS. There are technical questions but the questions are not like those that you can find in the MS/Cisco exams.
The CISM exam topics include:
- Information Security Governance
- Information Security Program Development
- Information Security Program Management
- Incident Management and Response
You need to know the basics of new IT technologies but you also need to know the older technologies since many old stuff are still at work in the modern business world.