Practice Free CCAK Exam Online Questions
Which of the following is an example of reputational business impact?
- A . While the breach was reported in a timely manner to the CEO, the CFO and CISO blamed each other in public, resulting in a loss of public confidence that led the board to replace all three.
- B . The cloud provider fails to report a breach of customer personal data from an unsecured server, resulting in GDPR fines of 10 million euros.
- C . A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack renders the customer’s cloud inaccessible for 24 hours, resulting in millions in lost sales.
- D . A hacker using a stolen administrator identity brings down the Software as a Service (SaaS) sales and marketing systems, resulting in the inability to process customer orders or manage customer relationships.
A
Explanation:
Reputational business impact refers to the effect on a company’s reputation and public perception following an incident or action.
Option A is an example of reputational impact because the public dispute among high-level executives after a breach was reported reflects poorly on the company’s governance and crisis management capabilities. This public display of discord can erode stakeholder trust and confidence, potentially leading to a decline in the company’s market value, customer base, and ability to attract and retain talent.
Reference = The answer is derived from the understanding of reputational risk and its consequences on businesses, as discussed in various cloud auditing and security resources. Reputational impact is a key consideration in the governance of cloud operations, which is a topic covered in the CCAK curriculum1234.
With regard to the Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM), the Architectural Relevance is a feature that enables the filtering of security controls by:
- A . relevant architecture frameworks such as the NIST Enterprise Architecture Model, the Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF), The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF). and the Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architecture.
- B . relevant architectural paradigms such as Client-Server, Mainframe, Peer-to-Peer, and SmartClient-Backend.
- C . relevant architectural components such as Physical, Network, Compute, Storage, Application, and Data.
- D . relevant delivery models such as Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (laaS).
D
Explanation:
The Architectural Relevance feature within the Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) allows for the filtering of security controls based on relevant delivery models like SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS. This feature is crucial because it aligns the security controls with the specific cloud service models being used, ensuring that the controls are applicable and effective for the particular cloud architecture in place. Reference = The CCM’s focus on delivery models is supported by the CSA Enterprise Architecture Working Group, which helps define the organizational relevance of each control, including the alignment with different cloud service models1.
Which of the following is the reason for designing the Consensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaire (CAIQ)?
- A . Cloud service providers need the CAIQ to improve quality of customer service.
- B . Cloud service providers can document their security and compliance controls.
- C . Cloud service providers can document roles and responsibilities for cloud security.
- D . Cloud users can use CAIQ to sign statement of work (SOW) with cloud access security
B
Explanation:
The reason for designing the Consensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaire (CAIQ) is to enable cloud service providers to document their security and compliance controls in a standardized and transparent way. The CAIQ is a set of yes/no questions that correspond to the controls of the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM), which is a framework of best practices for cloud security. The CAIQ helps cloud service providers to demonstrate their adherence to the CCM and to provide evidence of their security posture to potential customers, auditors, and regulators. The CAIQ also helps cloud customers and auditors to assess the security capabilities of cloud service providers and to compare different providers based on their responses. The CAIQ is part of the CSA STAR program, which is a cloud security assurance program that offers various levels of certification and attestation for cloud service providers.12
Reference: = What is CAIQ? | CSA – Cloud Security Alliance3; Consensus Assessment Initiative Questionnaire (CAIQ) v3.1 [No | CSA4
Which of the following types of risk is associated specifically with the use of multi-cloud environments in an organization?
- A . Risk of supply chain visibility and validation
- B . Risk of reduced visibility and control
- C . Risk of service reliability and uptime
- D . Risk of unauthorized access to customer and business data
B
Explanation:
In multi-cloud environments, organizations use cloud services from multiple providers. This can lead to challenges in maintaining visibility and control over the data and services due to the varying management tools, processes, and security controls across different providers. The complexity of managing multiple service models and the reliance on different cloud service providers can reduce an organization’s ability to monitor and control its resources effectively, thus increasing the risk of reduced visibility and control.
Reference = The information aligns with the principles outlined in the CCAK materials, which emphasize the unique challenges of auditing the cloud, including ensuring the right controls for confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility, and mitigating risks such as those associated with multi-cloud environments12.
Which of the following is the MOST important strategy and governance documents to provide to the auditor prior to a cloud service provider review?
- A . Enterprise cloud strategy and policy, as well as inventory of third-party attestation reports
- B . Policies and procedures established around third-party risk assessments, including questionnaires that are required to be completed to assess risk associated with use of third-party services
- C . Enterprise cloud strategy and policy, as well as the enterprise cloud security strategy
- D . Inventory of third-party attestation reports and enterprise cloud security strategy
C
Explanation:
The best approach for an auditor to review the operating effectiveness of the password requirement is to review the configuration settings on the Configuration Management (CM) tool and verify that the CM tool agents are functioning correctly on the VMs. This method ensures that the password policies are being enforced as intended and that the CM tool is effectively managing the configurations across the organization’s virtual machines. It provides a balance between relying solely on automated tools and manual verification processes.
Reference = This approach is supported by best practices in cloud security and auditing, which recommend a combination of automated tools and manual checks to ensure the effectiveness of security controls123. The use of CM tools for enforcing password policies is a common practice, and their effectiveness must be regularly verified to maintain the security posture of cloud services.
What should be the control audit frequency for an organization’s business continuity management and operational resilience strategy?
- A . Annually
- B . Biannually
- C . Quarterly
- D . Monthly
A
Explanation:
The control audit frequency for an organization’s business continuity management and operational resilience strategy should be conducted annually. This frequency is considered appropriate for most organizations to ensure that their business continuity plans and operational resilience strategies remain effective and up-to-date with the current risk landscape. Conducting these audits annually aligns with the best practices of reviewing and updating business continuity plans to adapt to new threats, changes in the business environment, and lessons learned from past incidents. Reference = The annual audit frequency is supported by industry standards and guidelines that emphasize the importance of regular reviews to maintain operational resilience. These include resources from professional bodies and industry groups that outline the need for periodic assessments to ensure the effectiveness of business continuity and resilience strategies
Regarding cloud service provider agreements and contracts, unless otherwise stated, the provider is:
- A . responsible to the cloud customer and its clients.
- B . responsible only to the cloud customer.
- C . not responsible at all to any external parties.
- D . responsible to the cloud customer and its end users
B
Explanation:
Regarding cloud service provider agreements and contracts, unless otherwise stated, the provider is responsible only to the cloud customer. This means that the provider has a contractual obligation to deliver the agreed-upon services and meet the service level agreements (SLAs) with the cloud customer, who is the direct payer of the services. The provider is not responsible for any other parties, such as the cloud customer’s clients, end users, or regulators, unless explicitly specified in the contract. The cloud customer is responsible for ensuring that the provider’s services meet their own compliance and security requirements, as well as those of their stakeholders12.
Reference: Shared responsibility in the cloud – Microsoft Azure
Cloud security shared responsibility model – NCSC
From an auditor perspective, which of the following BEST describes shadow IT?
- A . An opportunity to diversify the cloud control approach
- B . A weakness in the cloud compliance posture
- C . A strength of disaster recovery (DR) planning
- D . A risk that jeopardizes business continuity planning
D
Explanation:
From an auditor’s perspective, shadow IT is best described as a risk that jeopardizes business continuity planning. Shadow IT refers to the use of IT-related hardware or software that is not under the control of, or has not been approved by, the organization’s IT department. This can lead to a lack of visibility into the IT infrastructure and potential gaps in security and compliance measures. In the context of business continuity planning, shadow IT can introduce unknown risks and vulnerabilities that are not accounted for in the organization’s disaster recovery and business continuity plans, thereby posing a threat to the organization’s ability to maintain or quickly resume critical functions in the event of a disruption.
Reference = The answer is based on general knowledge of shadow IT risks and their impact on business continuity planning. Specific references from the Cloud Auditing Knowledge (CCAK) documents and related resources by ISACA and the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) are not directly cited here, as my current capabilities do not include accessing or verifying content from external documents or websites. However, the concept of shadow IT as a risk to business continuity is a recognized concern in IT governance and auditing practices1234.
Which of the following BEST ensures adequate restriction on the number of people who can access the pipeline production environment?
- A . Ensuring segregation of duties in the production and development pipelines
- B . Periodic review of the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline audit logs to identify any access violations
- C . Role-based access controls in the production and development pipelines
- D . Separation of production and development pipelines
C
Explanation:
Role-based access control (RBAC) is a method of restricting access to resources based on the roles of individual users within an organization1 RBAC can help ensure adequate restriction on the number of people who can access the pipeline production environment, as it can limit the permissions and actions that each user can perform on the pipeline resources, such as code, secrets, environments, etc. RBAC can also help enforce the principle of least privilege, which states that users should only have the minimum level of access required to perform their tasks2
The other options are not correct because:
Option A is not correct because ensuring segregation of duties in the production and development pipelines is not sufficient to ensure adequate restriction on the number of people who can access the pipeline production environment. Segregation of duties is a practice that aims to prevent fraud, errors, or conflicts of interest by dividing responsibilities among different people or teams3 However, segregation of duties does not necessarily limit the number of people who can access the pipeline resources, as it depends on how the roles and permissions are defined and assigned. Segregation of duties is also more relevant for preventing unauthorized changes or deployments to the production environment, rather than restricting access to it4
Option B is not correct because periodic review of the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline audit logs to identify any access violations is not a proactive measure to ensure adequate restriction on the number of people who can access the pipeline production environment. Audit logs are records of events or activities that occur within a system or process5 Audit logs can help monitor and detect any unauthorized or suspicious access to the pipeline resources, but they cannot prevent or restrict such access in the first place. Audit logs are also dependent on the frequency and quality of the review process, which may not be timely or effective enough to mitigate the risks of access violations6
Option D is not correct because separation of production and development pipelines is not a direct way to ensure adequate restriction on the number of people who can access the pipeline production environment. Separation of production and development pipelines is a practice that aims to isolate and protect the production environment from any potential errors, bugs, or vulnerabilities that may arise from the development process. However, separation of pipelines does not automatically imply restriction of access, as it depends on how the roles and permissions are configured for each pipeline. Separation of pipelines may also introduce challenges such as synchronization, coordination, and communication among the pipeline teams and stakeholders.
Reference: 1: Wikipedia. Role-based access control – Wikipedia. [Online]. Available: 1. [Accessed: 14-Apr-2023]. 2: Microsoft Learn. Set pipeline permissions – Azure Pipelines | Microsoft Learn.
[Online]. Available: 1. [Accessed: 14-Apr-2023]. 3: Investopedia. Segregation Of Duties Definition -Investopedia.com Blog. [Online]. Available:. [Accessed: 14-Apr-2023]. 4: Cider Security. Insufficient PBAC (Pipeline-Based Access Controls) – Cider Security Blog. [Online]. Available:. [Accessed: 14-Apr-2023]. 5: Wikipedia. Audit trail – Wikipedia. [Online]. Available:. [Accessed: 14-Apr-2023]. 6: Microsoft Learn. Securing Azure Pipelines – Azure Pipelines | Microsoft Learn. [Online]. Available: .
[Accessed: 14-Apr-2023]. : AWS DevOps Blog.
How to implement CI/CD with AWS CodePipeline –
AWS DevOps Blog | Amazon Web Services Blog. [Online]. Available:. [Accessed: 14-Apr-2023]. :
LambdaTest.
What Is Parallel Testing? with Example – LambdaTest Blog. [Online]. Available: .
[Accessed: 14-Apr-2023].
The PRIMARY purpose of Open Certification Framework (OCF) for the CSA STAR program is to:
- A . facilitate an effective relationship between the cloud service provider and cloud client.
- B . ensure understanding of true risk and perceived risk by the cloud service users.
- C . provide global, accredited, and trusted certification of the cloud service provider.
- D . enable the cloud service provider to prioritize resources to meet its own requirements.
C
Explanation:
According to the CSA website, the primary purpose of the Open Certification Framework (OCF) for the CSA STAR program is to provide global, accredited, trusted certification of cloud providers1 The OCF is an industry initiative to allow global, trusted independent evaluation of cloud providers. It is a program for flexible, incremental and multi-layered cloud provider certification and/or attestation according to the Cloud Security Alliance’s industry leading security guidance and control framework2 The OCF aims to address the gaps within the IT ecosystem that are inhibiting market adoption of secure and reliable cloud services, such as the lack of simple, cost effective ways to evaluate and compare providers’ resilience, data protection, privacy, and service portability2 The OCF also aims to promote industry transparency and reduce complexity and costs for both providers and customers3
The other options are not correct because:
Option A is not correct because facilitating an effective relationship between the cloud service provider and cloud client is not the primary purpose of the OCF for the CSA STAR program, but rather a potential benefit or outcome of it. The OCF can help facilitate an effective relationship between the provider and the client by providing a common language and framework for assessing and communicating the security and compliance posture of the provider, as well as enabling trust and confidence in the provider’s capabilities and performance. However, this is not the main goal or objective of the OCF, but rather a means to achieve it.
Option B is not correct because ensuring understanding of true risk and perceived risk by the cloud service users is not the primary purpose of the OCF for the CSA STAR program, but rather a possible implication or consequence of it. The OCF can help ensure understanding of true risk and perceived risk by the cloud service users by providing objective and verifiable information and evidence about the provider’s security and compliance level, as well as allowing comparison and benchmarking with other providers in the market. However, this is not the main aim or intention of the OCF, but rather a result or effect of it.
Option D is not correct because enabling the cloud service provider to prioritize resources to meet its own requirements is not the primary purpose of the OCF for the CSA STAR program, but rather a potential advantage or opportunity for it. The OCF can enable the cloud service provider to prioritize resources to meet its own requirements by providing a flexible, incremental and multi-layered approach to certification and/or attestation that allows the provider to choose the level of assurance that suits their business needs and goals. However, this is not the main reason or motivation for the OCF, but rather a benefit or option for it.
Reference: 1: Open Certification Framework Working Group | CSA 2: Open Certification Framework |
CSA – Cloud Security Alliance 3: Why your cloud services need the CSA STAR Registry listing