CCSK Questions and Answers

Automating security and compliance checks helps minimize human error in long-running cloud workloads by continuously monitoring for security vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, or compliance issues without relying on manual intervention. This approach ensures consistent, repeatable security processes and can quickly identify and address potential risks, reducing the chances of oversight or mistakes that might occur with manual management.

Manual audits and restrictions can help but do not fully address the continuous nature of cloud workload security, which is why automation is critical for minimizing errors in long-running workloads.

One of the primary advantages of including Static Application Security Testing (SAST) in Continuous Integration (CI) pipelines is that it allows developers to identify code vulnerabilities early in the development process. By scanning the source code for potential security issues as it is being written and integrated into the pipeline, SAST helps to catch vulnerabilities before they make it to later stages of development or production, improving overall security and reducing the cost and effort of fixing issues later.

While SAST does not directly impact the speed of deployment, runtime performance, or user interface, its early identification of security flaws contributes to better code quality and a more secure application.

Compensating controls are implemented when the required controls for a cybersecurity framework cannot be met due to technical or practical limitations. These controls are alternative measures that provide similar protection or risk mitigation. Compensating controls help to ensure that the security posture remains strong even when the primary controls cannot be applied.

Detective controls focus on identifying security incidents after they occur but do not replace required controls. Preventive controls aim to prevent security incidents from occurring but may not always be possible or practical to implement in certain situations. Administrative controls include policies and procedures but do not address the need for compensating measures when technical controls cannot be met.

A key component of governance in cybersecurity is defining roles and responsibilities. Governance ensures that the right people within an organization are assigned specific duties related to security and that they are held accountable for those responsibilities. This helps establish clear lines of authority and accountability, ensuring that everyone knows what they are responsible for in terms of security practices, policies, and procedures.

While standardizing technical specifications, defining tools and technologies, and enforcing penetration testing are important elements of a cybersecurity strategy, defining roles and responsibilities is essential for overall governance to ensure that security practices are consistently followed.

In the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) model, the cloud provider delivers the basic infrastructure components such as virtual machines, storage, and networking resources. However, the customer is responsible for managing the operating system, applications, and any software configurations that run on the infrastructure. This gives the customer more control over the environment while still benefiting from the cloud provider's hardware and scalability.

The provider manages the operating system, runtime, and infrastructure, and the customer is only responsible for managing the applications. NaaS focuses on network services, not the management of operating systems and applications. The provider manages everything, including the operating system and applications, and the customer simply uses the software.

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is primarily responsible for filtering and monitoring HTTP/S traffic to and from a web application. It is designed to protect web applications by filtering and monitoring traffic for malicious requests, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other common application-layer attacks. A WAF helps secure web applications by analyzing the HTTP/S traffic and blocking any harmful requests before they reach the application.

Anti-virus Software is used to detect and remove malicious software on endpoints and devices but is not designed to filter HTTP/S traffic specifically for web applications. Load Balancer is used to distribute network traffic across multiple servers to ensure performance and reliability, but it does not focus on security filtering. Intrusion Detection System (IDS) monitors network traffic for suspicious activity but operates at a different level of the network stack and is not focused solely on web application traffic.

One of the biggest challenges incloud security risk assessmentisthe lack of transparencyregardingcloud provider operations and security controls.

Key Issues with Limited Visibility:

Cloud providers manage infrastructure at a global scale:

Customerscannot directly inspectsecurity implementations.

Rely onthird-party attestationslikeSOC 2, ISO 27001, CSA STARinstead of direct assessments.

Multi-tenancy complexities:

Cloud customersshare infrastructurewith other tenants.

Data isolation mechanisms (e.g., virtual private clouds, encryption)must be trustedwithout direct verification.

Regulatory compliance challenges:

Organizations handling sensitive data (e.g., healthcare, finance)requirestrict controls.

Cloud providers may not offer sufficient audit logsor control overdata residency and processing.

Incident response limitations:

In traditional IT, organizations controllog access, forensic analysis, and recovery.

In the cloud,incident investigation depends on the provider’s logging and notification practices.

Thisvisibility issueis extensively covered in:

CCSK v5 - Security Guidance v4.0, Domain 4 (Compliance and Audit Management)

ENISA’s Cloud Computing Risk Assessment (Limited visibility into cloud provider security policies)​

In serverless computing models, the primary security concern is ensuring that secrets (such as API keys, database credentials, etc.) and configuration settings are handled securely. The principle of least privilege means that these secrets and configurations should only beaccessible by the minimum set of functions or services that truly need them, reducing the attack surface. Proper management of secrets and configurations ensures that unauthorized access or misuse is prevented.

Disabling console access completely or using privileged access management is important for securing any environment, but it is not specifically tied to serverless models. Validating the underlying container security is more relevant to containerized environments rather than serverless computing, which abstracts away infrastructure management. Placing serverless components behind application load balancers is useful for routing traffic but is not specifically critical for securing the serverless model itself. Managing secrets and access controls is a more direct concern for securing serverless environments.

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is primarily used to filter and monitor HTTP requests to protect web applications from various types of attacks, including SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). WAFs work by analyzing incoming traffic and blocking malicious requests based on predefined rules or patterns, thus preventing attackers from exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications.

CSP firewall is more focused on general network security, not specifically on application layer attacks like SQL injection or XSS. Virtual Appliance refers to a virtualized instance of a security appliance, but it is not specifically designedfor protecting against SQL injection and XSS attacks like a WAF. Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is used for detecting suspicious network activity and potential intrusions, but it is not focused on filtering web application traffic like a WAF.

The correct answer isA. Enables programmatic configuration.

InSoftware-Defined Networking (SDN), the control plane and data plane are decoupled, meaning that thenetwork intelligence (control plane)is separated from thetraffic forwarding functions (data plane). This separation allows network control to be directly programmable, rather than embedded within the hardware.

Key Benefits of Decoupling:

Programmatic Configuration:Network administrators can program the network dynamically using software applications. This programmability enablesautomated, flexible, and efficient network management.

Centralized Control:The control plane is managed from acentralized controller, which can adjust network configurations in real-time.

Reduced Hardware Dependency:Since the control logic is no longer embedded in individual hardware devices, it is easier to use commodity hardware andstandardized interfaces.

Agility and Scalability:Organizations can rapidly deploy new services and update configurations without altering the underlying hardware.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

B. Decreases network security:Decoupling does not inherently decrease security. In fact, centralized control can enhance security through consistent policy enforcement.

C. Increases hardware dependency:The opposite is true. SDN reduces dependency on proprietary hardware by enabling software-based management.

D. Increases network complexity:While SDN introduces new software components, it simplifies network management bycentralizing control and reducing hardware configuration complexities.

Real-World Example:

In a cloud environment, SDN controllers likeOpenDaylightorCisco ACIallow fordynamic routing,load balancing, andtraffic managementthrough APIs. This flexibility supportsautomated scaling and traffic optimization.

Cloud adoption transforms how incident response (IR) is conducted. Unlike traditional IT environments, cloud environments involveshared responsibility,provider collaboration, andremote orchestration. This shift requires security teams to adjust response strategies, tools, and governance to effectively detect, analyze, and remediate incidents.

Cloud-specific tools (e.g., CSP logs, API calls, auto-scaling environments) must be incorporated into IR plans. Coordination with cloud service providers is often necessary to access logs, enforce controls, or conduct forensics.

This transformation is outlined inDomain 9: Incident Response, which stresses that effective IR in the cloud must be pre-planned and adapted to each provider and cloud model.

Agile security approaches allow organizations to adapt to the rapid changes and emerging threats characteristic of cloud environments. Reference: [Security Guidance v5, Domain 4 - Organization Management]

Program frameworksplay a critical role in cloud security by helping toorganize overarching security policies and objectives. Frameworks suchas NIST CSF, ISO 27001, or the CSA Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) provide structured guidance for defining security components, aligning technical controls with business objectives, and ensuring a comprehensive security program.

From theCCSK v5.0 Study Guide, Domain 3 (Governance and Enterprise Risk Management), Section 3.2:

“Program frameworks, such as the CSA CCM or NIST Cybersecurity Framework, provide a structured approach to organizing security policies, objectives, and technical controls. These frameworks help organizations align their security programs with business goals and ensure comprehensive coverage of security requirements.”

Option C (Program frameworks help organize overarching security policies and objectives) is the correct answer.

Option A (Evaluate the performance of individual security tools) is incorrect because frameworks focus on strategy, not tool performance.

Option B (Focus on implementing specific security technologies) is incorrect because frameworks guide policy, not technology implementation.

Option D (Primarily define compliance requirements) is incorrect because compliance is a subset of framework objectives, not the primary role.

The best way for organizations to establish a foundation for safeguarding data, upholding privacy, and meeting regulatory requirements in cloud applications is by integrating security at the architectural and design level. This approach ensures that security is built into the application from the start, rather than being added as an afterthought. By incorporating security features like encryption, access controls, and compliance measures during the design and development phases, organizations can better protect sensitive data, reduce vulnerabilities, and meet regulatory requirements more effectively.

While implementing encryption, multi-factor authentication, conducting audits, and deploying monitoring tools are also important, they are part of the overall security strategy rather than the foundational approach. Integrating security into the architecture ensures a more comprehensive, proactive security posture.

A cloud risk registry is primarily used to identify and manage risks associated with cloud services. It serves as a tool for documenting, tracking, and assessing potential risks to the organization that arise from using cloud services. This includes risks related to security, compliance, availability, and performance. The risk registry helps organizations prioritize and mitigate these risks effectively to ensure the security and resilience of their cloud infrastructure.

Establishing SLAs is related to cloud contract management but not the primary purpose of a risk registry. Monitoring real-time cloud performance is a performance monitoring task, not the focus of a risk registry. Managing cloudaccount credentials is an aspect of identity and access management, not related to risk registries.

Cloud governance establishes controls and policies that align with the organization’s goals for security, compliance, and efficient management in the cloud. Reference: [Security Guidance v5, Domain 2 - Cloud Governance]

The core tenet of Zero Trust is thatno entity—internal or external—should be trusted by default. Every request for access must be authenticated, authorized, and encrypted based on granular access policies and continuous validation of identity, device health, location, and behavior.

ZT eliminates reliance on traditional network perimeter models (which B and A describe), focusing instead on microsegmentation and dynamic policy enforcement to prevent lateral movement within a network.

This approach is detailed inDomain 7: Infrastructure Securityof the CCSK guidance. It emphasizes identity-aware access control, continuous monitoring, and contextual risk assessment as foundational elements of a secure Zero Trust framework.

Immutable containers are not altered post-deployment, ensuring the integrity of the deployed environment and reducing the risk of unauthorized modifications. Reference: [CCSK v5 Curriculum, Domain 8 - Cloud Workload Security][16†source].

Custom application-level encryption provides organizations with precise control overwhat is encryptedandwho manages the encryption keys. Unlike network-level encryption, this method allows sensitive fields (e.g., credit card numbers) to be encrypted before data even enters the storage or processing pipeline.

This approach enables compliance with strict data privacy laws and protects data from being decrypted by unauthorized actors—even cloud providers. Organizations can enforce key rotation policies and maintain exclusive key access.

This is detailed inDomain 11: Data Security and Encryption, which recommends application-level encryption for sensitive data protection, particularly in regulated industries.

Serverless computing shifts infrastructure management responsibility to the CSP, allowing customers to focus on application logic rather than infrastructure. Reference: [Security Guidance v5, Domain 8 - Cloud Workload Security]

TheShared Responsibility Modelin cloud computing establishes that:

Cloud providersare responsible for securing the underlyinginfrastructure, networking, and hardware.

Customers (organizations)are responsible for securingdata, identity and access management (IAM), encryption, and complianceobligations.

Data ownershipremainswith the customer, even though visibility into cloud infrastructure may belimited.

The major security challenge in cloud computing is thatorganizations lack full control over cloud infrastructurebut must still ensure that security policies align withregulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS).

This principle is outlined in:

CCSK v5 - Security Guidance v4.0, Domain 2 (Governance and Enterprise Risk Management)

Cloud Security Alliance’s (CSA) Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) - Data Security and Governance​.

The NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) defines the essential characteristics of cloud computing as:

On-demand self-service: Users can provision and manage computing resources automatically without requiring human intervention from the service provider.

Broad network access: Cloud services are accessible over the network through standard mechanisms, enabling access from various devices and locations.

Resource pooling: Cloud providers pool computing resources to serve multiple consumers, with resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to demand.

Rapid elasticity: Cloud resources can be rapidly scaled up or down to meet varying demand.

Measured service: Cloud services are metered, and customers pay based on their usage, which allows for cost efficiency.

These characteristics define how cloud computing services are provided and accessed, focusing on flexibility, scalability, and efficiency.

The multi-tenant nature of cloud computing refers to the model where multiple cloud customers share a common pool of resources (such as computing power, storage, etc.), but each customer's data and applications are segregated and isolated from the others to ensure privacy, security, and independent performance. This approach allows cloud providers to efficiently use resources while ensuring that each tenant's environment is protected and operates independently.

The primary function ofData Encryption Keys (DEK)in cloud security is toencrypt application data. DEKs are used to encrypt and decrypt specific data objects, such as files or database records, ensuring data confidentiality in cloud environments.

From theCCSK v5.0 Study Guide, Domain 10 (Data Security and Encryption), Section 10.3:

“Data Encryption Keys (DEKs) are used to encrypt and decrypt application data in cloud environments. DEKs are typically managed by key management services and applied to specific data objects to ensure confidentiality and protect against unauthorized access.”

Option B (To encrypt application data) is the correct answer.

Option A (Increase speed) is incorrect because encryption does not enhance performance.

Option C (Manage user access control) is incorrect because DEKs are for encryption, not access control.

Option D (Primary key for all resources) is incorrect because DEKs are specific to data encryption, not resource management.

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 inDomain 8: Virtualization and Containers, where the CCSK guidance identifies misconfiguration as a leading cause of cloud-native exploitation.

DNS logs capture information on domain name resolution, while Flow logs capture details about network traffic, including source, destination, and protocol. Reference: [CCSK Study Guide, Domain 7 - Infrastructure & Networking]

One of the primary risks associated with cloud storage services is unauthorized access due to misconfigured security settings. Cloud storage providers typically offer a range of configuration options for managing access, but if these settings are not properly configured (e.g., improper access control lists, missing encryption, or inadequate permissions), it can lead to unauthorized users gaining access to sensitive data. This is a common and significant risk in cloud environments, which is why securing and correctly configuring access controls is critical.

The Detection and Analysis phase involves identifying incidents and determining their impact. It is crucial to validate events to understand if they constitute a security incident. Reference: [Security Guidance v5, Domain 11 - Incident Response]

The key characteristic that differentiates cloud networks from traditional networks is that cloud networks are often software-defined networks (SDNs). This means that network management, configuration, and provisioning in the cloud are handled through software, rather than relying on traditional hardware-based network components. SDNs allow for greater flexibility, scalability, and automation, enabling cloud providers to dynamically adjust resources to meet changing demands.

Cloud computing is adopted mainly for its cost-effectiveness and the ability to accelerate time-to-market, enhancing business agility. Reference: [Security Guidance v5, Domain 1 - Cloud Benefits]

Object storage is highly scalable and suitable for cloud-native applications that require durability and efficient storage of unstructured data. Reference: [CCSK Study Guide, Domain 9 - Data Storage Types]

DevOps aims to improve collaboration and integration between development and operations teams, streamlining delivery and enhancing software quality. Reference: [CCSK Study Guide, Domain 10 - DevOps & DevSecOps]

A Service Registry lists approved services, making it easy for teams to find and integrate compliant services. Reference: [CCSK Knowledge Guide, Domain 3 - Risk and Compliance Tools]

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.

Privilege escalationis a majorcloud security riskbecause attackers can:

Gain administrative access to cloud environments.

Modify security configurations, disable logs, and exfiltrate sensitive data.

Expand the attack blast radius, compromising multiple cloud resources.

To mitigateidentity escalation threats, security teams must:

Implement strong IAM policies with least privilege access.

Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Just-in-Time (JIT) access.

Monitor IAM logs for unusual privilege escalations and lateral movements.

This is detailed in:

CCSK v5 - Security Guidance v4.0, Domain 12 (Identity, Entitlement, and Access Management)

Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) - IAM Controls and Privilege Escalation Prevention​.

Classification and cataloging help assign security controls andmanage data based on its sensitivity and criticality. Reference: [CCSK v5 Curriculum, Domain 9 - Data Security]

In a cloud environment that spans multiple jurisdictions, it is crucial to understand the legal and regulatory requirements of each jurisdiction where data originates, is stored, or is processed. Different regions or countries have varying laws, regulations, and compliance standards regarding data privacy, protection, and security. Organizations must ensure they meet all applicable requirements in each jurisdiction to avoid potential legal issues, fines, and reputational damage.

Cloud security control objectives are designed to provide outcome-focused guidelines that help organizations achieve specific security goals in the cloud. These objectives are typically high-level and focused on the desired security outcomes, rather than dictating the exact technical implementation methods. This allows the security measures to be adaptable and applicable across different cloud environments and service models, while also being measurable to ensure effectiveness.

Multiple independent deployments help isolate workloads, reducing the potential impact of a breach by confining it to a single deployment environment. Reference: [Security Guidance v5, Domain 7 - Infrastructure & Networking]

Data classificationis afundamental security practiceused toprotect sensitive informationbased onrisk, confidentiality, integrity, and regulatory requirements.

Key Factors in Data Classification:

Data Sensitivity:

Organizations classify data based onhow sensitive it is:

Public(e.g., marketing material).

Internal Use Only(e.g., business plans).

Confidential(e.g., financial reports).

Restricted/Highly Confidential(e.g., personal healthcare records, credit card details).

Compliance & Legal Requirements:

Certain data types have strict compliance laws:

PII (Personally Identifiable Information) → GDPR, CCPA

Financial Data → PCI DSS

Healthcare Data → HIPAA

Cloud providers must ensure security policies align with compliance frameworks.

Impact on Security Controls:

Highly sensitive data requires encryption at rest and in transit.

Access control must be enforced with least privilege and IAM policies.

Risk Management:

Properdata classification helps organizations define security policiessuch as:

Retention policies(How long data should be stored?).

Backup and disaster recovery strategies.

This is outlined in:

CCSK v5 - Security Guidance v4.0, Domain 11 (Data Security and Encryption)

Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) - Data Security and Data Classification Standards​

PBAC enables highly specific access control based on multiple attributes, enhancing flexibility and security in cloud environments. Reference: [CCSK v5 Curriculum, Domain 5 - IAM][16†source].

Compliance inheritance refers to the practice in cloud compliance where a customer leverages a set of pre-approved regulatory or standards-based controls that have been established and validated by a compliant cloud provider. Essentially, the cloud provider implements these controls, and the customer inherits the provider's compliance framework to meet their own regulatory requirements. This allows customers to benefit from the provider’s compliance efforts without having to implement everything themselves.

Automated compliance refers to automating compliance tasks and processes but does not describe the practice of inheriting compliance controls. Attestation inheritance is not a standard term used in cloud compliance; attestation typically refers to formally certifying or declaring compliance. Audit inheritance would relate to the inheritance of audit reports or records, but it doesn't describe the broader process of inheriting compliance controls.

The management plane refers to the interfaces used to manage configurations and resources in a cloud environment. It is responsible forhandling administrative tasks, such as provisioning, configuration management, and monitoring of resources. Protecting the management plane is crucial because it is where sensitive configurations and access control policies are set, which can potentially be exploited if not properly secured.

Securing the management plane involves ensuring that only authorized users and systems can make changes to the cloud infrastructure and resources, protecting these interfaces from unauthorized access or malicious activity.

Managing identities across multiple cloud providers is complex due to the need for scalability, interoperability, and consistent access control. Thefederationapproach is commonly used to address this challenge. Identity federation allows organizations to use a single set of credentials across different cloud providers by leveraging standards such as SAML, OAuth, or OpenID Connect. This enables seamless authentication and authorization without requiring separate identity management systems for each provider.

From theCCSK v5.0 Study Guide, Domain 6 (Identity, Entitlement, and Access Management), Section 6.3:

“Identity federation is a critical approach for managing identities in cloud environments, especially when scaling across multiple providers. Federation allows organizations to use a trusted identity provider (IdP) to authenticate users, enabling single sign-on (SSO) and consistent access control across disparate cloud services.”

Option C (Federation) is the correct answer.

Option A (Decentralization) is incorrect because decentralizing identity management increases complexity and reduces consistency across providers.

Option B (Centralization) is incorrect because, while centralized identity management may be used within a single organization, it does not scale effectively across multiple cloud providers without federation.

Option D (Outsourcing) is incorrect because outsourcing identity management does not inherently address the scalability and interoperability challenges of cloud environments.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) helps maintain consistency in security configurations through automation, reducing the likelihood of misconfigurations. Reference: [Security Guidance v5, Domain 7 - Infrastructure & Networking]

AI as a Service (AIaaS) refers to cloud-based services that provide organizations with access to pre-built or customizable AI models and infrastructure. These services allow businesses to host and run AI models, often with the ability to tailor them to meet their specific needs. AIaaS enables customers to leverage AI capabilities without needing to build the underlying infrastructure or develop complex AI models from scratch.

Federated Identity Management (FIM) is designed to allow users to access multiple, separate systems using a single set of credentials, usually managed through trust relationships between Identity Providers (IdPs) and Service Providers (SPs). This process enables Single Sign-On (SSO) across cloud and on-premise services, reducing password fatigue and improving administrative efficiency.

Key federation protocols such as SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect are standard in establishing secure identity federation. FIM is especially beneficial in hybrid and multi-cloud environments where users must access numerous services seamlessly.

This is emphasized inDomain 12: Identity, Entitlement, and Access Managementof the CCSK guidance, which highlights how identity federation enhances user experience, improves security, and enables scalability.

Cloud computing uses abstraction and automation to pool and distribute resources efficiently among multiple tenants. This allows dynamic allocation based on demand. Reference: [CCSK v5 Curriculum, Domain 1 - Cloud Computing Models]

In federated identity management, the identity provider (IdP) is responsible for authenticating users and making assertions about their identity to the relying party (which could be a service or application that trusts the IdP). The IdP and the relying party establish a trust relationship in advance, which allows the IdP to assert that a user is authenticated, often in the form of security tokens or assertions like SAML or OpenID Connect.

The IdP that authenticates users and makes assertions, not the relying party. The relying party does not make assertions to the IdP; the relying party relies on assertions made by the IdP. The IdP and relying party do have a direct trust relationship in federated identity management.

The correct answer isD. Virtual Machines (VMs). In the context of cloud computing,Virtual Machines (VMs)are software-based emulations of physical computers. They run an operating system (OS) and applications just like a physical machine would. VMs are often hosted on physical servers using hypervisors, which allow multiple VMs to run on a single physical machine, thereby sharing resources like CPU, memory, and storage.

Why Virtual Machines (VMs) are Suitable for Data Processing:

Full OS Environment:VMs provide a complete operating system environment, making them suitable for running complex data processing tasks that require specific OS configurations.

Isolation:Each VM operates independently, providing isolation between different workloads, which is essential when processing sensitive or diverse data sets.

Scalability:Cloud providers offer VM scaling options to meet the demands of data processing workloads.

Compatibility:VMs can run legacy applications that may not be compatible with newer cloud-native technologies.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

A. Platform as a Service (PaaS):PaaS provides a platform for developing and deploying applications without managing underlying infrastructure. It is not directly related to VM-based processing.

B. Serverless Functions (FaaS):Serverless computing abstracts the infrastructure and is used for running discrete functions rather than emulating entire machines.

C. Containers:Containers package applications and dependencies but share the host OS kernel. They are lightweight compared to VMs and do not fully emulate physical computers.

Real-World Example:

If a company moves a data processing application that was traditionally run on an on-premises physical server to the cloud, they might choose VMs on services like AWS EC2, Azure Virtual Machines, or Google Compute Engine to maintain the same OS environment and application compatibility.

In the context of server-side encryption handled by cloud providers, the data is encrypted after transmission to the cloud using either provider-managed keys or customer-managed keys. The cloud provider takes responsibility for encrypting the data when it is stored in the cloud, ensuring that the data at rest is protected.

Server-side encryption typically uses symmetric encryption for performance reasons, but this attribute is not what defines the encryption process. Also, server-side encryption focuses on protecting data once it's in the cloud, not before transmission. Encryption in transit is typically handled separately from server-side encryption and applies to data as it moves between the client and the cloud.

Network segmentation isolates sections of the network, limiting the spread of a breach and containing it to a specific segment. Reference: [Security Guidance v5, Domain 7 - Infrastructure & Networking]

The correct answer isA. Authorization. In Identity and Access Management (IAM),authorizationis the process of determining whether a subject (user, application, or device) has the right to access a specific system object, such as networks, data, or applications. Authorization decisions are made after successful authentication and are based on the subject's permissions, roles, or attributes.

Key Characteristics of Authorization:

Decision Making:Determines if access ispermitted or deniedbased on policies or permissions.

Role and Attribute-Based Access:Often uses Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) or Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) mechanisms to enforce policies.

Post-Authentication Process:Occursafter authenticationhas verified the user's identity.

Resource-Specific:Determines the level of access or specific operations (like read, write, execute) a user is allowed.

Example Scenario:

When a user logs into a cloud platform, the system firstauthenticatesthe user (verifies their identity) and thenauthorizestheir access to specific resources, such as viewing data in an S3 bucket or managing a VM instance. The access policies define what actions the authenticated user can perform.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

B. Federation:Involves linking a user's identity across multiple systems or domains but does not decide access permissions.

C. Authentication:The process of verifying a user's identity, typically through passwords, biometrics, or multi-factor authentication (MFA), but it does not determine resource access.

D. Provisioning:Refers to creating and managing user accounts and permissions, but it does not make real-time access decisions.

Real-World Context:

In cloud environments, services like AWS IAM or Azure AD use policies toauthorizeuser actions after they have beenauthenticated. For instance, an AWS IAM policy might allow a user to list S3 buckets but deny deletion.

Among AI workloads,Trainingrequires themost computational power and data resources.

Why AI Training is Computationally Intensive?

Large datasets:

AI models (e.g., deep learning, neural networks)require millions or billions of labeled data points.

Training involvesprocessing massive amounts of structured/unstructured data.

High computational power:

Training deep learning modelsinvolves runningmultiple passes (epochs) over data, adjusting weights, and optimizing parameters.

Requiresspecialized hardwarelikeGPUs (Graphics Processing Units),TPUs (Tensor Processing Units), andHPC (High-Performance Computing).

Long training times:

AI model training can takedays, weeks, or even monthsdepending on complexity.

Cloud platforms offerdistributed computing (multi-GPU training, parallel processing, auto-scaling).

Cloud AI Training Benefits:

Cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) offer ML training serviceswithon-demand scalable compute instances.

Supportsframeworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Scikit-learn.

This aligns with:

CCSK v5 - Security Guidance v4.0, Domain 14 (Related Technologies - AI and ML Security)

Cloud AI Security Risks and AI Data Governance (CCM - AI Security Controls)​