CAS-004 Governance, Risk, and Compliance Practice Question
During a vendor risk assessment, a company receives a SOC 2 Type II report from a cloud service provider. What does this report primarily attest to?
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
✓
The design and operating effectiveness of controls over a period of time
SOC 2 Type II reports on the effectiveness of controls over a period of time.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The design and operating effectiveness of controls over a period of time
Why this is correct
SOC 2 Type II evaluates control design and operating effectiveness across a defined audit period, unlike Type I which reports design at a single point in time. This satisfies the vendor assessment requirement for sustained control performance evidence.
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The vendor's financial stability
Why it's wrong here
SOC 2 Type II attests to the design and operating effectiveness of controls over security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality or privacy across a period; it says nothing about solvency. Financial stability is assessed through audited accounts, credit ratings or D&B reports, which is the correct artefact when vendor viability, not control operation, is the risk under review.
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The vendor's compliance with privacy laws
Why it's wrong here
SOC 2 Type II attests to the operating effectiveness of controls over security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy, not legal compliance with privacy statutes. It is tempting because privacy is one trust services criterion, but the report evidences control design and operation rather than adherence to GDPR or similar laws.
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The vendor's penetration test results
Why it's wrong here
SOC 2 Type II reports on control design and operating effectiveness over a period; penetration test results are separate artefacts and are not attested within it. It is tempting because security testing evidence often accompanies vendor assessments, yet it falls outside the report's defined scope.
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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.