Practice Free CCAK Exam Online Questions
Question #41
A certification target helps in the formation of a continuous certification framework by incorporating:
- A . the service level objective (SLO) and service qualitative objective (SQO).
- B . the scope description and security attributes to be tested.
- C . the frequency of evaluating security attributes.
- D . CSA STAR level 2 attestation.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
According to the blog article “Continuous Auditing and Continuous Certification” by the Cloud Security Alliance, a certification target helps in the formation of a continuous certification framework by incorporating the scope description and security attributes to be tested1 A certification target is a set of security objectives that a cloud service provider (CSP) defines and commits to fulfill as part of the continuous certification process1 Each security objective is associated with a policy that specifies the assessment frequency, such as every four hours, every day, or every week1 A certification target also includes a set of tools that are capable of verifying that the security objectives are met, such as automated scripts, APIs, or third-party services1
The other options are not correct because:
Option A is not correct because the service level objective (SLO) and service qualitative objective (SQO) are not part of the certification target, but rather part of the service level agreement (SLA) between the CSP and the cloud customer. An SLO is a measurable characteristic of the cloud service, such as availability, performance, or reliability. An SQO is a qualitative characteristic of the cloud service, such as security, privacy, or compliance2 The SLA defines the expected level of service and the consequences of not meeting it. The SLA may be used as an input for defining the certification target, but it is not equivalent or synonymous with it.
Option C is not correct because the frequency of evaluating security attributes is not the only component of the certification target, but rather one aspect of it. The frequency of evaluating security attributes is determined by the policy that is associated with each security objective in the certification target. The policy defines how often the security objective should be verified by the tools, such as every four hours, every day, or every week1 However, the frequency alone does not define the certification target, as it also depends on the scope description and the security attributes to be tested.
Option D is not correct because CSA STAR level 2 attestation is not a component of the certification target, but rather a prerequisite for it. CSA STAR level 2 attestation is a third-party independent assessment of the CSP’s security posture based on ISO/IEC 27001 and CSA Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM)3 CSA STAR level 2 attestation provides a baseline assurance level for the CSP before they can define and implement their certification target for continuous certification. CSA STAR level 2 attestation is also required for CSA STAR level 3 certification, which is based on continuous auditing and continuous certification3
Reference: 1: Continuous Auditing and Continuous Certification – Cloud Security Alliance 2: Service
Level Agreement | CSA 3: Open Certification Framework | CSA – Cloud Security Alliance
B
Explanation:
According to the blog article “Continuous Auditing and Continuous Certification” by the Cloud Security Alliance, a certification target helps in the formation of a continuous certification framework by incorporating the scope description and security attributes to be tested1 A certification target is a set of security objectives that a cloud service provider (CSP) defines and commits to fulfill as part of the continuous certification process1 Each security objective is associated with a policy that specifies the assessment frequency, such as every four hours, every day, or every week1 A certification target also includes a set of tools that are capable of verifying that the security objectives are met, such as automated scripts, APIs, or third-party services1
The other options are not correct because:
Option A is not correct because the service level objective (SLO) and service qualitative objective (SQO) are not part of the certification target, but rather part of the service level agreement (SLA) between the CSP and the cloud customer. An SLO is a measurable characteristic of the cloud service, such as availability, performance, or reliability. An SQO is a qualitative characteristic of the cloud service, such as security, privacy, or compliance2 The SLA defines the expected level of service and the consequences of not meeting it. The SLA may be used as an input for defining the certification target, but it is not equivalent or synonymous with it.
Option C is not correct because the frequency of evaluating security attributes is not the only component of the certification target, but rather one aspect of it. The frequency of evaluating security attributes is determined by the policy that is associated with each security objective in the certification target. The policy defines how often the security objective should be verified by the tools, such as every four hours, every day, or every week1 However, the frequency alone does not define the certification target, as it also depends on the scope description and the security attributes to be tested.
Option D is not correct because CSA STAR level 2 attestation is not a component of the certification target, but rather a prerequisite for it. CSA STAR level 2 attestation is a third-party independent assessment of the CSP’s security posture based on ISO/IEC 27001 and CSA Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM)3 CSA STAR level 2 attestation provides a baseline assurance level for the CSP before they can define and implement their certification target for continuous certification. CSA STAR level 2 attestation is also required for CSA STAR level 3 certification, which is based on continuous auditing and continuous certification3
Reference: 1: Continuous Auditing and Continuous Certification – Cloud Security Alliance 2: Service
Level Agreement | CSA 3: Open Certification Framework | CSA – Cloud Security Alliance
Question #42
Which plan guides an organization on how to react to a security incident that might occur on the organization’s systems, or that might be affecting one of its service providers?
- A . Incident response plan
- B . Security incident plan
- C . Unexpected event plan
- D . Emergency incident plan
Correct Answer: A
Question #43
Which of the following aspects of risk management involves identifying the potential reputational and financial harm when an incident occurs?
- A . Impact analysis
- B . Likelihood
- C . Mitigation
- D . Residual risk
Correct Answer: A
A
Explanation:
According to the web search results, impact analysis is the aspect of risk management that involves identifying the potential reputational and financial harm when an incident occurs. Impact analysis is the process of assessing the probabilities and consequences of risk events if they are realized1. Impact analysis helps to understand how project outcomes and objectives might change due to the impact of the risk event, and to measure the severity of the risk impact in terms of cost, schedule, quality, and other factors23. Impact analysis also helps to prioritize the risks and plan appropriate responses and controls23.
The other options are not correct. Likelihood is the aspect of risk management that involves estimating the probability or frequency of a risk event occurring23. Mitigation is the aspect of risk management that involves implementing actions or controls to reduce the likelihood or impact of a risk event23. Residual risk is the aspect of risk management that involves measuring the remaining risk after applying mitigation actions or controls23.
Reference: Risk Analysis: Definition, Examples and Methods – ProjectManager
Risk Assessment and Analysis Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative – ISACA
Systems Engineering: Risk Impact Assessment and Prioritization
A
Explanation:
According to the web search results, impact analysis is the aspect of risk management that involves identifying the potential reputational and financial harm when an incident occurs. Impact analysis is the process of assessing the probabilities and consequences of risk events if they are realized1. Impact analysis helps to understand how project outcomes and objectives might change due to the impact of the risk event, and to measure the severity of the risk impact in terms of cost, schedule, quality, and other factors23. Impact analysis also helps to prioritize the risks and plan appropriate responses and controls23.
The other options are not correct. Likelihood is the aspect of risk management that involves estimating the probability or frequency of a risk event occurring23. Mitigation is the aspect of risk management that involves implementing actions or controls to reduce the likelihood or impact of a risk event23. Residual risk is the aspect of risk management that involves measuring the remaining risk after applying mitigation actions or controls23.
Reference: Risk Analysis: Definition, Examples and Methods – ProjectManager
Risk Assessment and Analysis Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative – ISACA
Systems Engineering: Risk Impact Assessment and Prioritization
Question #44
The BEST method to report continuous assessment of a cloud provider’s services to the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) is through:
- A . Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) assessment by a third-party auditor on a periodic basis.
- B . tools selected by the third-party auditor.
- C . SOC 2 Type 2 attestation.
- D . a set of dedicated application programming interfaces (APIs).
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
The best method to report continuous assessment of a cloud provider’s services to the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) is through a set of dedicated application programming interfaces (APIs). According to the CSA website1, the STAR Continuous program is a component of the STAR certification that allows cloud service providers to validate their security posture on an ongoing basis. The STAR Continuous program leverages a set of APIs that can integrate with the cloud provider’s existing tools and processes, such as security information and event management (SIEM), governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC), or continuous monitoring systems. The APIs enable the cloud provider to collect, analyze, and report security-related data to the CSA STAR registry in near real-time. The APIs also allow the CSA to verify the data and provide feedback to the cloud provider and the customers. The STAR Continuous program aims to provide more transparency, assurance, and trust in the cloud ecosystem by enabling continuous visibility into the security performance of cloud services.
The other methods listed are not suitable for reporting continuous assessment of a cloud provider’s services to the CSA. The Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) assessment by a third-party auditor on a periodic basis is part of the STAR Certification Level 2 program, which provides a point-in-time validation of the cloud provider’s security controls. However, this method does not provide continuous assessment or reporting, as it only occurs once every 12 or 24 months2. The tools selected by the third-party auditor may vary depending on the scope, criteria, and methodology of the audit, and they may not be compatible or consistent with the CSA’s standards and frameworks.
Moreover, the tools may not be able to report the audit results to the CSA STAR registry automatically or frequently. The SOC 2 Type 2 attestation is an independent audit report that evaluates the cloud provider’s security controls based on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Trust Services Criteria. However, this report is not specific to cloud computing and does not cover all aspects of the CCM. Furthermore, this report is not intended to be shared publicly or reported to the CSA STAR registry3.
Reference: STAR Continuous | CSA
STAR Certification | CSA
SOC 2 vs CSA STAR: Which One Should You Choose?
D
Explanation:
The best method to report continuous assessment of a cloud provider’s services to the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) is through a set of dedicated application programming interfaces (APIs). According to the CSA website1, the STAR Continuous program is a component of the STAR certification that allows cloud service providers to validate their security posture on an ongoing basis. The STAR Continuous program leverages a set of APIs that can integrate with the cloud provider’s existing tools and processes, such as security information and event management (SIEM), governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC), or continuous monitoring systems. The APIs enable the cloud provider to collect, analyze, and report security-related data to the CSA STAR registry in near real-time. The APIs also allow the CSA to verify the data and provide feedback to the cloud provider and the customers. The STAR Continuous program aims to provide more transparency, assurance, and trust in the cloud ecosystem by enabling continuous visibility into the security performance of cloud services.
The other methods listed are not suitable for reporting continuous assessment of a cloud provider’s services to the CSA. The Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) assessment by a third-party auditor on a periodic basis is part of the STAR Certification Level 2 program, which provides a point-in-time validation of the cloud provider’s security controls. However, this method does not provide continuous assessment or reporting, as it only occurs once every 12 or 24 months2. The tools selected by the third-party auditor may vary depending on the scope, criteria, and methodology of the audit, and they may not be compatible or consistent with the CSA’s standards and frameworks.
Moreover, the tools may not be able to report the audit results to the CSA STAR registry automatically or frequently. The SOC 2 Type 2 attestation is an independent audit report that evaluates the cloud provider’s security controls based on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Trust Services Criteria. However, this report is not specific to cloud computing and does not cover all aspects of the CCM. Furthermore, this report is not intended to be shared publicly or reported to the CSA STAR registry3.
Reference: STAR Continuous | CSA
STAR Certification | CSA
SOC 2 vs CSA STAR: Which One Should You Choose?
Question #45
Which of the following should a cloud auditor recommend regarding controls for application interfaces and databases to prevent manual or systematic processing errors, corruption of data, or misuse?
- A . Assessment of contractual and regulatory requirements for customer access
- B . Establishment of policies and procedures across multiple system interfaces, jurisdictions, and business functions to prevent improper disclosure, alteration, or destruction
- C . Data input and output integrity routines
- D . Testing in accordance with leading industry standards such as OWASP
Correct Answer: C
C
Explanation:
The correct answer is
C. Data input and output integrity routines (i.e., reconciliation and edit checks) are controls that can be implemented for application interfaces and databases to prevent manual or systematic processing errors, corruption of data, or misuse. This is stated in the Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) control AIS-03: Data Integrity123, which is part of the Application & Interface Security domain. The CCM is a cybersecurity control framework for cloud computing that can be used by cloud customers to build an operational cloud risk management program.
The other options are not directly related to the question.
Option A refers to the CCM control AIS-02: Customer Access Requirements2, which addresses the security, contractual, and regulatory requirements for customer access to data, assets, and information systems.
Option B refers to the CCM control AIS-04: Data Security / Integrity2, which establishes policies and procedures to support data security across multiple system interfaces, jurisdictions, and business functions.
Option D refers to the CCM control AIS-01: Application Security2, which requires applications and programming interfaces (APIs) to be designed, developed, deployed, and tested in accordance with leading industry standards (e.g., OWASP for web applications).
Reference: =
Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge (CCAK) Study Guide, Chapter 5: Cloud Assurance Frameworks
What is the Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM)? – Cloud Security Alliance4 AIS-03: Data Integrity – CSF Tools – Identity Digital1
AIS: Application & Interface Security – CSF Tools – Identity Digital2
PR.DS-6: Integrity checking mechanisms are used to verify software … – CSF Tools – Identity Digital
C
Explanation:
The correct answer is
C. Data input and output integrity routines (i.e., reconciliation and edit checks) are controls that can be implemented for application interfaces and databases to prevent manual or systematic processing errors, corruption of data, or misuse. This is stated in the Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) control AIS-03: Data Integrity123, which is part of the Application & Interface Security domain. The CCM is a cybersecurity control framework for cloud computing that can be used by cloud customers to build an operational cloud risk management program.
The other options are not directly related to the question.
Option A refers to the CCM control AIS-02: Customer Access Requirements2, which addresses the security, contractual, and regulatory requirements for customer access to data, assets, and information systems.
Option B refers to the CCM control AIS-04: Data Security / Integrity2, which establishes policies and procedures to support data security across multiple system interfaces, jurisdictions, and business functions.
Option D refers to the CCM control AIS-01: Application Security2, which requires applications and programming interfaces (APIs) to be designed, developed, deployed, and tested in accordance with leading industry standards (e.g., OWASP for web applications).
Reference: =
Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge (CCAK) Study Guide, Chapter 5: Cloud Assurance Frameworks
What is the Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM)? – Cloud Security Alliance4 AIS-03: Data Integrity – CSF Tools – Identity Digital1
AIS: Application & Interface Security – CSF Tools – Identity Digital2
PR.DS-6: Integrity checking mechanisms are used to verify software … – CSF Tools – Identity Digital
Question #46
In the context of Infrastructure as a Service (laaS), a vulnerability assessment will scan virtual machines to identify vulnerabilities in:
- A . both operating system and application infrastructure contained within the cloud service
provider’s instances. - B . both operating system and application infrastructure contained within the customer’s instances.
- C . only application infrastructure contained within the cloud service provider’s instances.
- D . only application infrastructure contained within the customer’s instance
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
In the context of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), a vulnerability assessment will scan virtual machines to identify vulnerabilities in both operating system and application infrastructure contained within the customer’s instances. IaaS is a cloud service model that provides customers with access to virtualized computing resources, such as servers, storage, and networks, hosted by a cloud service provider (CSP). The customer is responsible for installing, configuring, and maintaining the operating system and application software on the virtual machines, while the CSP is responsible for managing the underlying physical infrastructure. Therefore, a vulnerability assessment will scan the customer’s instances to detect any weaknesses or misconfigurations in the operating system and application layers that may expose them to potential threats. A vulnerability assessment can help the customer to prioritize and remediate the identified vulnerabilities, and to comply with relevant security standards and regulations12.
Reference: Azure Security Control – Vulnerability Management | Microsoft Learn How to Implement Enterprise Vulnerability Assessment – Gartner
B
Explanation:
In the context of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), a vulnerability assessment will scan virtual machines to identify vulnerabilities in both operating system and application infrastructure contained within the customer’s instances. IaaS is a cloud service model that provides customers with access to virtualized computing resources, such as servers, storage, and networks, hosted by a cloud service provider (CSP). The customer is responsible for installing, configuring, and maintaining the operating system and application software on the virtual machines, while the CSP is responsible for managing the underlying physical infrastructure. Therefore, a vulnerability assessment will scan the customer’s instances to detect any weaknesses or misconfigurations in the operating system and application layers that may expose them to potential threats. A vulnerability assessment can help the customer to prioritize and remediate the identified vulnerabilities, and to comply with relevant security standards and regulations12.
Reference: Azure Security Control – Vulnerability Management | Microsoft Learn How to Implement Enterprise Vulnerability Assessment – Gartner
Question #47
Which of the following BEST ensures adequate restriction on the number of people who can access the pipeline production environment?
- A . Separation of production and development pipelines
- B . Ensuring segregation of duties in the production and development pipelines
- C . Role-based access controls in the production and development pipelines
- D . Periodic review of the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline audit logs to identify any access violations
Correct Answer: C
C
Explanation:
Role-based access controls (RBAC) are a method of restricting access to resources based on the roles of individual users within an organization. RBAC allows administrators to assign permissions to roles, rather than to specific users, and then assign users to those roles. This simplifies the management of access rights and reduces the risk of unauthorized or excessive access. RBAC is especially important for ensuring adequate restriction on the number of people who can access the pipeline production environment, which is the final stage of the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) process where code is deployed to the end-users. Access to the production environment should be limited to only those who are responsible for deploying, monitoring, and maintaining the code, such as production engineers, release managers, or site reliability engineers. Developers, testers, or other stakeholders should not have access to the production environment, as this could compromise the security, quality, and performance of the code. RBAC can help enforce this separation of duties and responsibilities by defining different roles for different pipeline stages and granting appropriate permissions to each role. For example, developers may have permission to create, edit, and test code in the development pipeline, but not to deploy or modify code in the production pipeline.
Conversely, production engineers may have permission to deploy, monitor, and troubleshoot code in the production pipeline, but not to create or edit code in the development pipeline. RBAC can also help implement the principle of least privilege, which states that users should only have the minimum level of access required to perform their tasks. This reduces the attack surface and minimizes the potential damage in case of a breach or misuse. RBAC can be configured at different levels of granularity, such as at the organization, project, or object level, depending on the needs and complexity of the organization. RBAC can also leverage existing identity and access management (IAM) solutions, such as Azure Active Directory or AWS IAM, to integrate with cloud services and applications.
Reference: Set pipeline permissions – Azure Pipelines
Azure DevOps: Access, Roles and Permissions
Cloud Computing ― What IT Auditors Should Really Know
C
Explanation:
Role-based access controls (RBAC) are a method of restricting access to resources based on the roles of individual users within an organization. RBAC allows administrators to assign permissions to roles, rather than to specific users, and then assign users to those roles. This simplifies the management of access rights and reduces the risk of unauthorized or excessive access. RBAC is especially important for ensuring adequate restriction on the number of people who can access the pipeline production environment, which is the final stage of the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) process where code is deployed to the end-users. Access to the production environment should be limited to only those who are responsible for deploying, monitoring, and maintaining the code, such as production engineers, release managers, or site reliability engineers. Developers, testers, or other stakeholders should not have access to the production environment, as this could compromise the security, quality, and performance of the code. RBAC can help enforce this separation of duties and responsibilities by defining different roles for different pipeline stages and granting appropriate permissions to each role. For example, developers may have permission to create, edit, and test code in the development pipeline, but not to deploy or modify code in the production pipeline.
Conversely, production engineers may have permission to deploy, monitor, and troubleshoot code in the production pipeline, but not to create or edit code in the development pipeline. RBAC can also help implement the principle of least privilege, which states that users should only have the minimum level of access required to perform their tasks. This reduces the attack surface and minimizes the potential damage in case of a breach or misuse. RBAC can be configured at different levels of granularity, such as at the organization, project, or object level, depending on the needs and complexity of the organization. RBAC can also leverage existing identity and access management (IAM) solutions, such as Azure Active Directory or AWS IAM, to integrate with cloud services and applications.
Reference: Set pipeline permissions – Azure Pipelines
Azure DevOps: Access, Roles and Permissions
Cloud Computing ― What IT Auditors Should Really Know
Question #48
For an auditor auditing an organization’s cloud resources, which of the following should be of GREATEST concern?
- A . The organization does not have separate policies for governing its cloud environment.
- B . The organization’s IT team does not include resources with cloud certifications.
- C . The organization does not perform periodic reviews or control monitoring for its cloud environment, but it has a documented audit plan and performs an audit for its cloud environment every alternate year.
- D . The risk management team reports to the head of audit.
Correct Answer: C
Question #49
To promote the adoption of secure cloud services across the federal government by
- A . To providing a standardized approach to security and risk assessment
- B . To provide agencies of the federal government a dedicated tool to certify Authority to Operate (ATO)
- C . To enable 3PAOs to perform independent security assessments of cloud service providers
- D . To publish a comprehensive and official framework for the secure implementation of controls for cloud security
Correct Answer: A
A
Explanation:
The correct answer is
A
Explanation:
The correct answer is
Question #50
If a customer management interface is compromised over the public Internet, it can lead to:
- A . incomplete wiping of the data.
- B . computing and data compromise for customers.
- C . ease of acquisition of cloud services.
- D . access to the RAM of neighboring cloud computers.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
Customer management interfaces are the web portals or applications that allow customers to access and manage their cloud services, such as provisioning, monitoring, billing, etc. These interfaces are exposed to the public Internet and may be vulnerable to attacks such as phishing, malware, denial-of-service, or credential theft. If an attacker compromises a customer management interface, they can potentially access and manipulate the customer’s cloud resources, data, and configurations, leading to computing and data compromise for customers. This can result in data breaches, service disruptions, unauthorized transactions, or other malicious activities.
Reference: Cloud Computing – Security Benefits and Risks | PPT – SlideShare1, slide 10
Cloud Security Risks: The Top 8 According To ENISA – CloudTweaks2, section on Management Interface Compromise
Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge (CCAK) Study Guide, section 2.3.2.1 :
https://www.isaca.org/-/media/info/ccak/ccak-study-guide.pdf
B
Explanation:
Customer management interfaces are the web portals or applications that allow customers to access and manage their cloud services, such as provisioning, monitoring, billing, etc. These interfaces are exposed to the public Internet and may be vulnerable to attacks such as phishing, malware, denial-of-service, or credential theft. If an attacker compromises a customer management interface, they can potentially access and manipulate the customer’s cloud resources, data, and configurations, leading to computing and data compromise for customers. This can result in data breaches, service disruptions, unauthorized transactions, or other malicious activities.
Reference: Cloud Computing – Security Benefits and Risks | PPT – SlideShare1, slide 10
Cloud Security Risks: The Top 8 According To ENISA – CloudTweaks2, section on Management Interface Compromise
Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge (CCAK) Study Guide, section 2.3.2.1 :
https://www.isaca.org/-/media/info/ccak/ccak-study-guide.pdf