CAS-004 Security Engineering Practice Question
An organization is implementing a PKI to issue certificates for internal applications. The security team wants to minimize the risk of compromise to the root CA. Which of the following is the BEST practice to protect the root CA?
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
✓
Keep the root CA offline and store its private key in a hardware security module
Keeping the root CA offline and using a hardware security module (HSM) for key storage ensures its private key is never exposed to network threats. This is a standard best practice.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Delegate root CA responsibilities to a public CA
Why it's wrong here
The organization wants to issue certificates internally, so delegating to a public CA is not relevant.
- ✓
Keep the root CA offline and store its private key in a hardware security module
Why this is correct
This is the industry-standard approach to protect the root CA.
- ✗
Install the root CA on a VM with strict firewall rules
Why it's wrong here
Even with strict firewall rules, an online root CA is at risk of compromise.
- ✗
Use a self-signed certificate for the root CA and distribute it manually
Why it's wrong here
This does not address security of the private key.
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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.