Why is it essential to embed cloud decisions within organizational governance?
Answer : D
Governance frameworks help organizations ensure that cloud computing aligns with strategic objectives and that cloud risks are identified, managed, and monitored.
From CSA Security Guidance v4.0 -- Domain 2: Governance and Enterprise Risk Management:
''Cloud governance enables organizations to align cloud adoption with business strategy and risk management. Embedding cloud decisions into governance ensures accountability, informed decision-making, and the alignment of cloud services with enterprise-wide goals.''
(CSA Security Guidance v4.0, Domain 2)
Answer D directly reflects this principle. The other choices do not capture the core strategic role of governance in cloud computing.
What is the primary purpose of the CSA Security, Trust, Assurance, and Risk (STAR) Registry?
Answer : C
The CSA STAR Registry provides transparency by listing security and privacy controls of CSPs, helping customers assess provider security. Reference: [CCSK Overview, STAR Registry]
How does Infrastructure as Code (IaC) facilitate rapid recovery in cybersecurity?
Answer : B
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)facilitates rapid recovery in cybersecurity by enablingautomated and consistent deployment of recovery environments. IaC allows organizations to define infrastructure configurations as code, which can be versioned, tested, and deployed quickly to rebuild environments after an incident, ensuring consistency and reducing recovery time.
From theCCSK v5.0 Study Guide, Domain 11 (Incident Response and Recovery), Section 11.4:
''Infrastructure as Code (IaC) enhances rapid recovery by allowing organizations to automate the deployment of infrastructure and applications. By defining recovery environments as code, organizations can quickly and consistently rebuild systems after a security incident, minimizing downtime and ensuring operational continuity.''
Option B (IaC enables automated and consistent deployment of recovery environments) is the correct answer.
Option A (IaC is primarily used for designing network security policies) is incorrect because IaC focuses on infrastructure deployment, not policy design.
Option C (IaC provides encryption and secure key management) is incorrect because IaC does not directly handle encryption or key management.
Option D (IaC automates incident detection and alerting) is incorrect because IaC is not used for detection or alerting.
CCSK v5.0 Study Guide, Domain 11, Section 11.4: Infrastructure as Code in Recovery.
What is a primary objective during the Detection and Analysis phase of incident response?
Answer : B
During the Detection and Analysis phase of incident response, the primary objective is to validate alerts to determine whether they represent a genuine security incident, and to estimate the scope of the incident to understand the potential impact on the organization. This phase involves analyzing evidence, confirming the nature of the incident, and gathering the necessary information to move forward with containment and remediation.
Developing and updating incident response policies is important but occurs more during the preparation phase, not during the detection and analysis of an active incident. Performing detailed forensic investigations typically takes place during later phases, such as Containment, Eradication, & Recovery or Post-Incident Analysis. Implementing network segmentation and isolation may be part of the Containment phase but is not the primary focus during the Detection and Analysis phase.
Which of the following is a common exploitation factor associated with serverless and container workloads?
Answer : B
Misconfiguration is one of the most prevalent risks in serverless and container-based environments. Given the complex nature of container orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes), CI/CD pipelines, and ephemeral infrastructure, simple missteps---such as overly permissive roles or exposed ports---can lead to significant vulnerabilities.
These workloads require strict configuration management, automated scanning, and secure defaults to prevent breaches. Unlike traditional servers, containers and functions spin up and down rapidly, making traditional visibility tools insufficient.
This is discussed thoroughly in Domain 8: Virtualization and Containers, where the CCSK guidance identifies misconfiguration as a leading cause of cloud-native exploitation.
CSA Security Guidance v4.0 -- Domain 8: Virtualization and Containers
How does artificial intelligence pose both opportunities and risks in cloud security?
Answer : C
While AI improves threat detection, it also introduces risks as attackers can use it to develop advanced attack methods. Organizations must balance these risks. Reference: [CCSK Study Guide, Domain 12 - AI and Security]
Which of the following best describes a benefit of using VPNs for cloud connectivity?
Answer : B
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is commonly used to provide secure, encrypted connections between on-premises data centers and cloud deployments, ensuring that data transmitted across the internet is protected from unauthorized access. VPNs help safeguard sensitive information byencrypting the communication channel, offering confidentiality and integrity for the data in transit.
VPNs are not necessarily more cost-effective than other options like dedicated private connections or direct connect services, especially when considering performance and reliability. While VPNs provide secure connections, they do not eliminate the need for third-party authentication services, which are still important for controlling access. VPNs typically offer lower bandwidth and higher latency compared to direct connection solutions, which are designed for higher-performance use cases.