The correct answer is availability, because a DDoS attack directly impacts the cloud characteristic of availability by overwhelming the system with malicious traffic, preventing legitimate users from accessing the CRM application. This attack exploits the cloud’s reliance on shared resources, flooding bandwidth or server capacity until the service becomes unreachable, which is the core violation of the CIA triad’s availability principle. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish the five essential cloud characteristics—especially rapid elasticity, which might trick you into thinking the cloud can automatically scale to absorb the attack, but in reality, a DDoS can exhaust even elastic resources if traffic exceeds provisioning limits. A common trap is confusing availability with scalability or measured service, so remember that availability means the service is accessible when needed, while elasticity handles normal demand spikes, not malicious floods. Memory tip: “DDoS = Denial of Service = Denial of Availability.”
220-1202 Virtualization and Cloud Technologies Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of virtualization and cloud technologies. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
A company's cloud-based CRM application is experiencing intermittent outages. The IT team suspects a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. Which cloud characteristic is most directly impacted by such an attack?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Availability
A DDoS attack floods the service with traffic, making it unavailable to legitimate users, directly impacting availability. Cloud services rely on high availability, but an attack can overwhelm resources. This tests understanding of the five essential characteristics of cloud computing (on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, measured service) and the CIA triad.
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.
✗
On-demand self-service
Why it's wrong here
On-demand self-service refers to users provisioning resources without human interaction; a DDoS does not affect this characteristic.
✗
Broad network access
Why it's wrong here
Broad network access means resources are accessible over the network; a DDoS does not change that, but it does prevent access.
✓
Availability
Why this is correct
Availability ensures that cloud services are accessible when needed. A DDoS attack specifically aims to deny availability by overwhelming the service.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Resource pooling
Why it's wrong here
Resource pooling allows multiple customers to share resources; a DDoS does not affect the pooling mechanism itself.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 practitioner preparing for the 220-1202 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 220-1202 question in full detail.
Identify which 220-1202 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Virtualization and Cloud Technologies — This question tests Virtualization and Cloud Technologies — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Availability — A DDoS attack floods the service with traffic, making it unavailable to legitimate users, directly impacting availability. Cloud services rely on high availability, but an attack can overwhelm resources. This tests understanding of the five essential characteristics of cloud computing (on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, measured service) and the CIA triad.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Identify which 220-1202 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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