CV0-004 Security Practice Question
A company is migrating to AWS and needs to meet PCI DSS compliance. Which THREE of the following should be implemented? (Choose three.)
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
✓
Encrypting cardholder data at rest and in transit
PCI DSS requires encryption of cardholder data, regular security testing (like vulnerability scanning), and audit logging. Using default VPC settings may not be secure. Single-factor authentication is insufficient.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Encrypting cardholder data at rest and in transit
Why this is correct
Encrypting cardholder data at rest and in transit directly satisfies PCI DSS Requirement 4, which mandates strong cryptography for cardholder data during transmission over open, public networks and while stored. This controls the core constraint of protecting sensitive authentication data throughout its lifecycle, a mandatory baseline for any PCI DSS compliant AWS migration.
- ✗
Using single-factor authentication for all administrative access
Why it's wrong here
PCI DSS requires multi-factor authentication for all administrative access into the cardholder data environment; single-factor leaves privileged accounts exposed to credential theft. It is tempting because single-factor is the default for many basic IAM users, and would suffice only for non-privileged, low-risk read-only accounts outside CDE scope.
- ✓
Implementing a vulnerability management program
Why this is correct
A vulnerability management programme satisfies PCI DSS Requirement 11 by continuously identifying, classifying and remediating flaws across AWS workloads. Regular scanning and patching reduce the exploitable attack surface that auditors expect to see evidenced, making it a mandatory control for any environment handling cardholder data.
- ✓
Enabling audit logging for all access to cardholder data
Why this is correct
Audit logging records every access event to cardholder data, satisfying PCI DSS Requirement 10, which mandates tracking all access to system components and cardholder data. Without these trails, forensic investigation and breach detection become impossible, so logging is essential for demonstrating compliance during a PCI DSS assessment.
- ✗
Using default VPC settings without changes
Why it's wrong here
A default VPC ships with permissive routing, auto-assigned public IPs and open default security groups, none of which satisfy PCI DSS segmentation or least-privilege network controls. It is tempting because default VPCs genuinely suit quick non-regulated development sandboxes where isolation and audit obligations do not apply.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CV0-004 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 CV0-004 exam.