This CAS-004 practice question tests your understanding of security engineering. 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 is migrating to a zero trust architecture. Which of the following is a key principle of zero trust?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Assume breach and verify every request
Zero trust architecture is built on the principle of 'never trust, always verify,' which explicitly requires that every access request—regardless of origin—be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated. Option B ('Assume breach and verify every request') captures this core tenet, as it mandates that no implicit trust is granted based on network location or device status, and every request must be treated as potentially malicious until proven otherwise.
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.
✗
Allow all traffic within the corporate network
Why it's wrong here
Zero trust requires micro-segmentation and strict access controls.
✓
Assume breach and verify every request
Why this is correct
Zero trust operates on the principle of never trusting and always verifying.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Trust devices based on their IP address
Why it's wrong here
Zero trust does not trust based on IP; it requires continuous verification.
✗
Trust but verify for all internal traffic
Why it's wrong here
Zero trust is 'never trust, always verify', not 'trust but verify'.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'trust but verify' (Option D) with zero trust, but zero trust explicitly eliminates the initial trust assumption, requiring verification before any access is granted, not after.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, zero trust relies on a policy enforcement point (PEP) that intercepts every request and evaluates it against a dynamic policy engine using attributes such as user identity, device health (e.g., compliance with TPM attestation), and behavioral analytics. For example, in a Google BeyondCorp implementation, access is granted based on device certificates and user credentials, not network location, and sessions are continuously re-evaluated—if a device falls out of compliance mid-session, access is immediately revoked. This contrasts with traditional perimeter-based models where a device on the internal network is implicitly trusted until a breach is detected.
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 practitioner preparing for the CAS-004 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.
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.
Security Engineering — This question tests Security Engineering — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Assume breach and verify every request — Zero trust architecture is built on the principle of 'never trust, always verify,' which explicitly requires that every access request—regardless of origin—be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated. Option B ('Assume breach and verify every request') captures this core tenet, as it mandates that no implicit trust is granted based on network location or device status, and every request must be treated as potentially malicious until proven otherwise.
What should I do if I get this CAS-004 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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