Cloud Computing Security: Master Data Protection and Compliance

Question 1

To effectively secure legacy applications in a cloud environment, what are the primary considerations?

Accepted Answer

Encrypt sensitive data in transit and at rest, implement strong access controls, and monitor applications for suspicious activities.

Answer

Apply the same security measures as on-premises environments, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems.

Answer

Disable unnecessary services and ports, and conduct regular security audits.

Question 2

What type of encryption algorithm is commonly used to safeguard data at rest in the cloud?

Accepted Answer

AES-256

Answer

RSA-2048

Answer

SHA-256

Answer

MD5

Question 3

What is the main purpose of access control lists (ACLs) in cloud computing?

Accepted Answer

Defining user permissions to cloud resources

Answer

Encrypting data stored in the cloud

Answer

Monitoring cloud activity logs

Answer

Performing vulnerability assessments

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a best practice for securing cloud applications?

Accepted Answer

Ignoring security patches

Answer

Implementing regular security audits

Answer

Using strong passwords

Answer

Applying multi-factor authentication

Question 5

What is the primary objective of a cloud security incident response plan?

Accepted Answer

To respond swiftly and effectively to security incidents

Answer

To prevent security incidents from occurring

Answer

To assign blame for security incidents

Answer

To recover data lost in security incidents

Question 6

Which of the following is **not** a fundamental aspect of Cloud Computing Security?

Accepted Answer

Load Balancing

Answer

Data Protection

Answer

Access Control

Answer

Encryption

Question 7

What is the key difference between a security incident and a security breach?

Accepted Answer

A security incident has the potential to lead to a breach, while a breach involves actual unauthorized access or data loss

Answer

A security breach has the potential to lead to an incident, while an incident involves actual unauthorized access or data loss

Answer

There is no distinction between a security incident and a security breach

Answer

A security incident is a type of security breach

Question 8

What is the primary purpose of a cloud security dashboard?

Accepted Answer

Providing a unified view of cloud security events and metrics

Answer

Automating cloud security tasks

Answer

Managing cloud security policies

Answer

Encrypting data in the cloud

Question 9

Explain the significance of compliance standards like ISO 27001 and SOC 2 in securing cloud environments. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of adhering to these standards.

Accepted Answer

Compliance standards provide a structured approach to cloud security, assist in risk management, and simplify vendor evaluation.

Answer

Compliance standards guarantee complete protection against all security risks in cloud environments.

Answer

Compliance standards focus solely on meeting regulatory requirements and have no impact on improving cloud security.

Answer

ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are the only compliance standards relevant to cloud security.

Question 10

Which access control model grants permissions based on user attributes and resource characteristics, commonly used in cloud computing?

Accepted Answer

Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)

Answer

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Answer

Discretionary Access Control (DAC)

Answer

Mandatory Access Control (MAC)

Question 11

Which cloud service model provides on-demand access to compute, storage, and network resources, managed by the cloud provider?

Accepted Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Serverless Computing

Question 12

Which compliance standard is specifically designed for protecting personal data in the cloud, enforced in the European Union?

Accepted Answer

GDPR

Answer

PCI DSS

Answer

HIPAA

Answer

NIST 800-53

Question 13

What is the main purpose of a security information and event management (SIEM) system in cloud computing?

Accepted Answer

To collect, analyze, and correlate security-related data for monitoring and incident detection

Answer

To enforce access control policies

Answer

To encrypt data before storing it in the cloud

Answer

To provide secure remote access to cloud resources

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a potential benefit of using cloud security services?

Accepted Answer

Loss of control over all aspects of security management

Answer

Increased scalability and flexibility

Answer

Reduced cost of security operations

Answer

Improved security posture through access to advanced security technologies

Question 15

Which access control mechanism grants access to specific cloud resources based on predefined roles?

Accepted Answer

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Answer

Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)

Answer

Discretionary Access Control (DAC)

Answer

Mandatory Access Control (MAC)

Question 16

Which compliance standard is critical for cloud computing security in the healthcare sector?

Accepted Answer

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Answer

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)

Answer

Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)

Answer

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Question 17

What is the primary objective of a security audit in cloud computing?

Accepted Answer

Identifying vulnerabilities and assessing risks

Answer

Enforcing security policies and procedures

Answer

Monitoring security events and incidents

Answer

Providing continuous security updates and patches

Question 18

Which data encryption method involves encrypting data at rest within the cloud environment?

Accepted Answer

Server-side encryption: Encrypting data on the cloud service provider's servers.

Answer

Transport-layer encryption: Securing data during transmission across networks.

Answer

Application-layer encryption: Encrypting data within specific applications.

Answer

Client-side encryption: Encrypting data on the user's device before uploading to the cloud.

Question 19

Which access control model restricts access to resources based on the user's identity and predefined roles within the organization?

Accepted Answer

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Assigning permissions based on user roles and responsibilities.

Answer

Discretionary Access Control (DAC): Allowing users to grant and revoke access at their discretion.

Answer

Mandatory Access Control (MAC): Enforcing access restrictions based on pre-defined security labels.

Answer

Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): Controlling access based on user attributes, such as job title or project affiliation.

Question 20

Which compliance standard is specifically designed to protect sensitive healthcare information in the United States?

Accepted Answer

HIPAA: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Answer

ISO 27001: A generic information security management standard.

Answer

PCI DSS: The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.

Answer

NIST 800-53: A set of security controls for federal information systems.

Question 21

Which cloud service model provides the greatest level of control and customization for users?

Accepted Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Providing access to virtual machines, storage, and networking.

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS): Offering a development and deployment platform for cloud applications.

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS): Delivering fully managed applications over the internet.

Answer

Function as a Service (FaaS): Allowing users to execute code without managing servers or infrastructure.

Question 22

What is the benefit of using a virtual private cloud (VPC) in cloud computing?

Accepted Answer

Isolating and customizing network resources within a public cloud environment.

Answer

Providing a dedicated physical server for running cloud workloads.

Answer

Enabling cross-region connectivity between cloud resources across different geographical locations.

Answer

Automatically optimizing the performance of cloud applications.

Question 23

In cloud computing, which primary data protection mechanism ensures data confidentiality?

Accepted Answer

Data encryption

Answer

Role-based access control

Answer

Firewalls

Answer

Intrusion detection systems

Question 24

In cloud computing, what is the primary purpose of encryption?

Accepted Answer

Protect data from unauthorized access and breaches

Answer

Enhance data transfer speed

Answer

Improve data storage efficiency

Answer

Detect malware and viruses

Question 25

Which industry-specific compliance standard is tailored for cloud service providers to demonstrate adherence to security best practices?

Accepted Answer

SOC 2 Type II

Answer

ISO 27001

Answer

PCI DSS

Answer

GDPR

Question 26

In cloud security incident response, which action is considered a best practice?

Accepted Answer

Documenting all steps taken during the incident response process

Answer

Ignoring minor security incidents to avoid wasting time

Answer

Waiting for vendor support to investigate and resolve the incident

Answer

Deleting all logs after the incident is resolved

Question 27

What is the primary function of a cloud security posture management (CSPM) tool?

Accepted Answer

Continuously monitor and assess the security posture of cloud environments

Answer

Deploy and manage cloud security controls

Answer

Perform vulnerability assessments on cloud workloads

Answer

Enforce compliance with industry regulations

Question 28

In cloud computing, who is primarily responsible for implementing physical and infrastructure security measures?

Accepted Answer

Cloud service providers

Answer

Cloud customers

Answer

Third-party security vendors

Answer

Regulatory bodies

Question 29

In cloud computing, what is the main purpose of conducting a vulnerability assessment?

Accepted Answer

Identify potential security vulnerabilities in cloud environments

Answer

Test the effectiveness of implemented security controls

Answer

Monitor cloud resource usage patterns

Answer

Simulate security attacks

Question 30

What is the primary purpose of data encryption in the cloud?

Accepted Answer

To prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data

Answer

To ensure the integrity and authenticity of data

Answer

To enhance data accessibility and sharing

Answer

To reduce data storage requirements

Question 31

What is the significance of compliance standards in cloud security?

Accepted Answer

They provide a framework for implementing industry-recognized security controls

Answer

They ensure interoperability between different cloud providers

Answer

They improve cloud performance and scalability

Answer

They reduce cloud costs and expenses

Question 32

What is the primary purpose of a virtual private cloud (VPC) in cloud computing security?

Accepted Answer

Provides a secure and isolated network environment within a shared cloud infrastructure

Answer

Manages access control and authentication for cloud services

Answer

Ensures data encryption at rest and in transit

Answer

Monitors and alerts on security events and incidents

Question 33

Which of the following is a fundamental data protection mechanism widely used in cloud environments to safeguard sensitive information?

Accepted Answer

Encryption

Answer

Access control lists

Answer

Data replication

Answer

Data masking

Question 34

In the cloud environment, what is considered a best practice when implementing role-based access control (RBAC)?

Accepted Answer

Assigning roles based on the principle of least privilege

Answer

Granting all users the same level of access

Answer

Using a single user account for all administrative tasks

Question 35

In cloud data protection, what is the primary function of tokenization?

Accepted Answer

Replacing sensitive data with non-sensitive equivalents

Answer

Controlling access to data

Answer

Encrypting data at rest

Question 36

Which unique challenge is associated with securing cloud workloads?

Accepted Answer

Managing the shared responsibility model

Answer

Enforcing access control policies

Answer

Implementing advanced encryption techniques

Answer

Detecting and responding to security incidents

Question 37

Which of the following is a fundamental best practice for protecting data in the cloud?

Accepted Answer

Encrypt data both during transmission and when it's stored

Answer

Grant users excessively broad access permissions

Answer

Store sensitive data in plain text to enhance accessibility

Answer

Avoid conducting regular security assessments to minimize disruptions

Question 38

Which of the following is a widely recognized industry standard for cloud security compliance?

Accepted Answer

ISO 27001

Answer

GDPR

Answer

PCI DSS

Answer

HIPAA

Question 39

What is a significant advantage of utilizing cloud-based security solutions?

Accepted Answer

Lowered cost of ownership

Answer

Limited scalability options

Answer

Difficulty in customizing security measures

Answer

Increased complexity in managing security

Question 40

Which security feature is a key advantage of the Platform as a Service (PaaS) cloud model?

Accepted Answer

Automated patching and updates

Answer

Complete control over the underlying infrastructure

Answer

No security measures are provided in a PaaS model

Answer

Ability to install and run custom software

Question 41

Which tool is specifically designed for continuous monitoring of cloud security?

Accepted Answer

Cloud Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

Answer

Vulnerability Scanner

Answer

Intrusion Detection System (IDS)