Cloud Concepts, Architecture and Design Flashcards

According to NIST SP 800-145, which of the following is NOT one of the five essential characteristics of cloud computing?

Answer: Dedicated hardware allocation

NIST SP 800-145 defines five characteristics: on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service; dedicated hardware allocation contradicts the shared resource pooling model.

Which cloud service model delivers a complete software application over the internet, managed entirely by the cloud provider with the least customer control over underlying infrastructure?

Answer: SaaS (Software as a Service)

SaaS delivers fully managed software applications where the provider manages infrastructure, platform, and application layers, leaving customers responsible only for user access and data.

In the shared responsibility model for IaaS, which security component is the cloud service provider primarily responsible for securing?

Answer: Hypervisor and physical infrastructure

In IaaS, the cloud provider manages the physical hardware and hypervisor layer, while customers are responsible for the OS, applications, and data above that layer.

Which cloud deployment model is operated solely for a group of organizations with shared missions, security requirements, or compliance objectives?

Answer: Community cloud

A community cloud is provisioned for a specific community of consumers with common concerns such as shared mission, security requirements, policy, or compliance considerations.

What is the primary function of a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)?

Answer: To enforce security policies between cloud users and cloud service providers

A CASB serves as an intermediary between cloud users and cloud providers, enforcing security policies, providing visibility into cloud usage, and ensuring regulatory compliance.

What does the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) provide to cloud customers?

Answer: A framework of security controls aligned to cloud-specific risk factors and compliance requirements

The CSA CCM provides a framework of control objectives structured across 17 domains to help organizations assess the security risk of cloud providers and map controls to industry standards.

In cloud computing, which NIST characteristic allows users to unilaterally provision computing capabilities such as server time and network storage without requiring human interaction with the service provider?

Answer: On-demand self-service

On-demand self-service enables users to provision computing resources automatically as needed without requiring human interaction with each service provider.