- A
Patching the physical hosts inside the cloud provider's datacenter.
Why wrong: Physical host patching belongs to the cloud provider in an IaaS model. Customers do not manage provider-owned infrastructure directly.
- B
Replacing the provider's hypervisor when a new version is released.
Why wrong: The hypervisor is part of the provider-managed layer. The customer is not responsible for installing or replacing it in IaaS.
- C
Hardening the guest operating system and controlling access to the repository application.
In IaaS, the organization is responsible for what it deploys on the virtual machine, including the guest operating system, its configuration, patching, and application-level access controls. Those tasks directly affect who can use the document repository and how securely the workload runs. Shared responsibility means the provider handles the platform, while the customer secures the OS and data-layer usage.
- D
Managing the cloud provider's physical badge access for the server room.
Why wrong: Physical facility security is managed by the cloud provider. The customer may review assurances, but does not control the provider's building access program.
SY0-701 Security Architecture Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security architecture. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A team runs a confidential document repository on an IaaS virtual machine. The cloud provider secures the datacenter, hardware, and hypervisor. Which task remains the organization’s responsibility?
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
Hardening the guest operating system and controlling access to the repository application.
In an IaaS model, the cloud provider is responsible for the security of the cloud (physical datacenter, hardware, hypervisor), while the customer is responsible for security in the cloud. This includes hardening the guest OS, configuring firewalls, managing access controls, and patching the operating system and applications. Option C correctly identifies the organization's duty to secure the guest OS and the repository application.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Patching the physical hosts inside the cloud provider's datacenter.
Why it's wrong here
Physical host patching belongs to the cloud provider in an IaaS model. Customers do not manage provider-owned infrastructure directly.
- ✗
Replacing the provider's hypervisor when a new version is released.
Why it's wrong here
The hypervisor is part of the provider-managed layer. The customer is not responsible for installing or replacing it in IaaS.
- ✓
Hardening the guest operating system and controlling access to the repository application.
Why this is correct
In IaaS, the organization is responsible for what it deploys on the virtual machine, including the guest operating system, its configuration, patching, and application-level access controls. Those tasks directly affect who can use the document repository and how securely the workload runs. Shared responsibility means the provider handles the platform, while the customer secures the OS and data-layer usage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Managing the cloud provider's physical badge access for the server room.
Why it's wrong here
Physical facility security is managed by the cloud provider. The customer may review assurances, but does not control the provider's building access program.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing the IaaS shared responsibility model with PaaS or SaaS, where the provider handles more of the stack; candidates often assume the provider patches the guest OS or manages application access, but in IaaS those are customer responsibilities.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the AWS Shared Responsibility Model (or Azure, GCP equivalents), the provider secures the hypervisor, network fabric, and physical plant, while the customer must configure security groups, OS-level host-based firewalls (e.g., iptables, Windows Firewall), and implement IAM policies for the repository. A common real-world scenario is a misconfigured S3 bucket or unpatched guest OS leading to a breach, which remains the customer's fault despite the provider's secure infrastructure.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Architecture — This question tests Security Architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Hardening the guest operating system and controlling access to the repository application. — In an IaaS model, the cloud provider is responsible for the security of the cloud (physical datacenter, hardware, hypervisor), while the customer is responsible for security in the cloud. This includes hardening the guest OS, configuring firewalls, managing access controls, and patching the operating system and applications. Option C correctly identifies the organization's duty to secure the guest OS and the repository application.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SY0-701 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 SY0-701 exam.
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