CAS-004 Security Engineering Practice Question
An organization is planning to deploy a new internal CA hierarchy. Which THREE considerations are critical for ensuring the security and manageability of the PKI?
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 only bring it online for cross-certification or disaster recovery.
A multi-tier hierarchy (root offline, issuing CAs) limits exposure; strong hashing and key algorithms are essential; CRL/OCSP distribution points must be accessible for revocation checking.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Keep the root CA offline and only bring it online for cross-certification or disaster recovery.
Why this is correct
An offline root CA reduces the risk of compromise.
- ✓
Use a 4096-bit RSA key for the root CA and at least 2048-bit for issuing CAs.
Why this is correct
Strong key lengths provide adequate security.
- ✗
Use SHA-1 for certificate signing to ensure compatibility with legacy systems.
Why it's wrong here
SHA-1 is deprecated due to collision attacks.
- ✗
Use a single-tier CA to simplify management.
Why it's wrong here
A single-tier CA creates a single point of failure; if compromised, the entire PKI is compromised.
- ✓
Ensure all certificates include CRL distribution points and OCSP responder URLs.
Why this is correct
These are necessary for clients to check revocation status.
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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.