hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
350-701 Practice Question: A financial services company uses a multi-cloud…
A financial services company uses a multi-cloud strategy with workloads in AWS and Azure. They must comply with PCI DSS, which requires encryption of cardholder data at rest and in transit. The security team has implemented the following: 1) AWS S3 buckets use server-side encryption with AWS KMS (SSE-KMS). 2) Azure Blob Storage uses Azure Storage Service Encryption (SSE) with Azure Key Vault. 3) All traffic between VPCs and VNets uses IPsec VPN tunnels. During an audit, the assessor notes that data stored in AWS S3 is encrypted with a key that is also used for a development environment. Additionally, logs from Azure Blob Storage are accessible to a group of developers with read-only permissions. Which action should the security team take to address the compliance gaps?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between encryption methods (SSE-S3, SSE-KMS, SSE-C) and key management controls, leading candidates to focus on encryption algorithms rather than the PCI DSS requirement for key separation and access control to audit logs.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create separate KMS keys for production and development in AWS, and restrict Azure Blob Storage log access to only authorized security auditors.
PCI DSS requires strict separation of cryptographic keys between production and non-production environments, and logging access must be restricted to authorized personnel. Using the same KMS key for production S3 data and a development environment violates this requirement, and granting developers read-only access to Azure Blob Storage logs exposes sensitive audit data. Creating separate KMS keys for production and development in AWS ensures key isolation, while restricting Azure Blob Storage log access to only authorized security auditors enforces the principle of least privilege required by PCI DSS.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Change the encryption method to AWS S3 SSE-C and Azure client-side encryption to maintain separate keys.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-C requires managing keys yourself but does not guarantee separation; client-side encryption is complex and still requires key separation.
- ✗
Implement a cloud DLP solution to monitor access to encrypted data and alert on unauthorized use.
Why it's wrong here
DLP does not address key separation or log access controls required by PCI DSS.
- ✗
Use a third-party VPN appliance to ensure encryption in transit between all cloud environments.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption in transit is already in place; the gaps are in key management and log access.
- ✓
Create separate KMS keys for production and development in AWS, and restrict Azure Blob Storage log access to only authorized security auditors.
Why this is correct
Separate keys satisfy PCI DSS requirement for key separation; restricting log access meets access control requirements.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-701 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-701 exam.