easyMultiple Choice
CAS-004 Practice Question: A security manager is reviewing the company's…
A security manager is reviewing the company's vendor risk management program. Which of the following should be included as a mandatory step BEFORE entering into a contract with a new cloud service provider?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse post-contract operational activities (like incident response planning or vulnerability reporting) with pre-contract due diligence, leading them to select options that are important but not mandatory before signing a contract.
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
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Conducting a third-party security assessment
A third-party security assessment is a mandatory due diligence step before entering into a contract with a new cloud service provider. This assessment evaluates the vendor's security controls, compliance posture, and risk profile against the organization's requirements, ensuring that the vendor meets minimum security standards before any data or systems are entrusted to them. Without this pre-contract assessment, the organization would be accepting unknown risks that could lead to data breaches or compliance violations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Establishing an incident response plan
Why it's wrong here
An incident response plan addresses events after onboarding; the mandatory pre-contract step is assessing the provider's security controls and risk posture. It is tempting because incident response is a genuine vendor management control, but it belongs in the contract's operational terms rather than the pre-contract assessment.
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Performing a penetration test of the vendor's infrastructure
Why it's wrong here
Penetration testing a provider's infrastructure without authorisation is legally and contractually prohibited; the mandatory pre-contract step is reviewing the provider's independent audit reports and certifications. It is tempting because testing gives direct evidence, but it is only permissible once contractual authorisation exists.
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Conducting a third-party security assessment
Why this is correct
A third-party security assessment independently verifies the provider's controls, certifications and data-handling practises before contractual commitment, giving the security manager evidence to judge residual risk. This due diligence must precede signing, since contractual leverage and exit options diminish afterwards.
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Requesting monthly vulnerability reports
Why it's wrong here
Monthly vulnerability reports are an ongoing contractual assurance mechanism, not a pre-contract due diligence step; the mandatory step is assessing the provider's controls before signing. It is tempting because continuous monitoring is valuable, but it applies after the contract exists.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAS-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CAS-005 exam.