CompTIA Security+ STUDY GUIDE sample questions TEST 3

Kevin discovered that his web server was being overwhelmed by traffic, causing a CPU bottleneck. Using the interface offered by his cloud service provider, he added another CPU to the server. What term best describes Kevin's action?

• Elasticity

• Horizontal scaling

• Vertical scaling

• High availability

Answer explanation

Kevin's action of adding another CPU to his server is best described as vertical scaling, which involves increasing the capacity of a single server by adding resources like CPUs or memory, rather than adding more servers.

Fran's organization uses a Type I hypervisor to implement an IaaS offering that it sells to customers. Which one of the following security controls is least applicable to this environment?

• Customers must maintain security patches on guest operating systems.

• The provider must maintain security patches on the hypervisor.

• The provider must maintain security patches on the host operating system.

• Customers must manage security groups to mediate network access to guest operating systems.

Answer explanation

The provider must maintain security patches on the host operating system is least applicable because in a Type I hypervisor environment, the host OS is typically abstracted away from customers, who focus on guest OS security.

In what cloud security model does the cloud service provider bear the most responsibility for implementing security controls?

• IaaS

• FaaS

• PaaS

• SaaS

Answer explanation

In the SaaS model, the cloud service provider is responsible for most security controls, including data protection and application security, while users focus on managing their data and user access.

Greg would like to find a reference document that describes how to map cloud security controls to different regulatory standards. What document would best assist with this task?

• CSA CCM

• NIST SP 500-292

• ISO 27001

• PCI DSS

Answer explanation

The CSA CCM (Cloud Security Alliance Cloud Controls Matrix) specifically provides a framework for mapping cloud security controls to various regulatory standards, making it the best choice for Greg's needs.

Wanda is responsible for a series of seismic sensors placed at remote locations. These sensors have low-bandwidth connections, and she would like to place computing power on the sensors to allow them to preprocess data before it is sent back to the cloud. What term best describes this approach?

• Edge computing

• Client-server computing

• Fog computing

• Thin client computing

Answer explanation

Wanda's approach of placing computing power on the sensors to preprocess data before sending it to the cloud is best described as edge computing. This term refers to processing data closer to the source, reducing latency and bandwidth usage.

Which one of the following statements about cloud computing is incorrect?

• Cloud computing offers ubiquitous, convenient access.

• Cloud computing customers store data on hardware that is shared with other customers.

• Cloud computing customers provision resources through the service provider's sales team.

• Cloud computing resources are accessed over a network.

Answer explanation

The incorrect statement is that cloud computing customers provision resources through the service provider's sales team. In reality, customers typically provision resources directly through a self-service portal.

Helen designed a new payroll system that she offers to her customers. She hosts the payroll system in AWS and her customers access it through the web. What tier of cloud computing best describes Helen's service?

• PaaS

• SaaS

• FaaS

• IaaS

Answer explanation

Helen's payroll system is accessed via the web, making it a software application provided over the internet. This aligns with Software as a Service (SaaS), where users utilize software hosted on a cloud platform without managing the underlying infrastructure.

Which cloud computing deployment model requires the use of a unifying technology platform to tie together components from different providers?

• Public cloud

• Private cloud

• Community cloud

• Hybrid cloud

Answer explanation

The hybrid cloud model integrates public and private clouds, requiring a unifying technology platform to manage resources across different providers, making it the correct choice.

Which one of the following would not commonly be available as an IaaS service offering?

• CRM

• Storage

• Networking

• Computing

Answer explanation

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is typically offered as a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution, not IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). IaaS generally includes services like storage, networking, and computing.

Which one of the following is not an example of infrastructure as code?

• Defining infrastructure in JSON

• Writing code to interact with a cloud provider's API

• Using a cloud provider's web interface to provision resources

• Defining infrastructure in YAML

Answer explanation

Using a cloud provider's web interface to provision resources is not infrastructure as code, as it involves manual configuration rather than defining infrastructure through code or configuration files like JSON or YAML.