This 350-701 practice question tests your understanding of cloud security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An organization is adopting a cloud-first strategy and wants to ensure least-privilege access for cloud resources. Which THREE measures should be implemented as part of a cloud IAM strategy? (Select three.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use managed identities for access
Managed identities (such as Azure Managed Identities or AWS IAM Roles for EC2) eliminate the need to store credentials in code or configuration files. The cloud provider automatically rotates the credentials and binds the identity to the compute resource, enforcing least-privilege by granting only the permissions required for that resource to function.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Use managed identities for access
Why this is correct
Avoids long-term credentials and provides temporary permissions.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "first", "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Regularly review and remove unused roles
Why this is correct
Reduces attack surface.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "first", "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Store secrets in source code repositories for ease of deployment
Why it's wrong here
Insecure practice; secrets should be stored in a vault.
✗
Enable single sign-on with multi-factor authentication
Why it's wrong here
Authentication, not authorization; complements but not directly least-privilege.
✓
Implement role-based access control with scoping
Why this is correct
Ensures users have only required permissions.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "first", "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between authentication mechanisms (like SSO/MFA) and authorization mechanisms (like RBAC with scoping), leading candidates to incorrectly select SSO/MFA as a least-privilege measure when it only addresses identity verification, not permission restriction.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Managed identities leverage a control plane token endpoint (e.g., Azure Instance Metadata Service at 169.254.169.254) to obtain OAuth 2.0 tokens without any hardcoded secrets. Role-based access control with scoping (Option E) uses IAM policies with resource-level conditions (e.g., AWS IAM policy conditions on `aws:ResourceTag`) to restrict permissions to specific resources, preventing privilege escalation via overly broad wildcards.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Cloud Security — This question tests Cloud Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use managed identities for access — Managed identities (such as Azure Managed Identities or AWS IAM Roles for EC2) eliminate the need to store credentials in code or configuration files. The cloud provider automatically rotates the credentials and binds the identity to the compute resource, enforcing least-privilege by granting only the permissions required for that resource to function.
What should I do if I get this 350-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first", "least". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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