SY0-701 Security Architecture Practice Question
Exhibit
Application requirements summary: - Developers want to deploy code without managing operating system patches. - The platform must auto-scale during seasonal traffic spikes. - Security wants the provider to handle runtime patching and host hardening. - The team still needs control over the application code and database schema.
Based on the exhibit, which cloud service model best fits the application's operational and security requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates see 'full control' in option A and assume it is always better for security, but the question's requirement to offload OS maintenance makes PaaS the correct choice—IaaS would actually increase the security burden by requiring the organization to manage guest OS hardening and patching.
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
✓
Platform as a Service (PaaS), because it offloads OS and runtime maintenance while preserving application control.
The exhibit shows an application that requires the organization to manage the application code and data while offloading the underlying OS, runtime, and middleware maintenance. Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides this exact split: the cloud provider handles the OS patches, runtime updates, and infrastructure scaling, while the organization retains full control over the application deployment and configuration. This matches the requirement of preserving application control without the overhead of managing the guest OS.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), because it gives full control over the guest operating system.
Why it's wrong here
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) supplies on-demand virtual machines, storage, and networking, but the provider only manages the physical data center and hypervisor. The customer remains responsible for guest OS patching, application runtime installation, and security hardening of the operating system. While IaaS offers full control over the guest OS, that control directly conflicts with the requirement to offload platform maintenance and reduce operational overhead, which is why PaaS is the better fit.
- ✓
Platform as a Service (PaaS), because it offloads OS and runtime maintenance while preserving application control.
Why this is correct
PaaS fits the requirements because the provider manages the underlying platform, including OS patching, runtime maintenance, and scaling features. The development team can still deploy code and manage the application layer and data model, which matches the scenario. This is a strong secure-service-selection choice when the goal is to reduce patching burden without giving up application control.
- ✗
Software as a Service (SaaS), because the organization would not need to maintain anything.
Why it's wrong here
Software as a Service (SaaS) delivers a complete, ready-to-use business application that the provider owns and operates end-to-end, including code, data storage, and schema. The organization would have no ability to modify the application logic or define a custom data model, since SaaS usually offers only configuration options. Since the scenario involves a custom workload that the team must manage at the application tier, SaaS is incorrect because it removes the required control over code and schema.
- ✗
Colocation, because the team can place its own servers in a provider facility and manage everything directly.
Why it's wrong here
Colocation involves renting physical space and power in a provider data center while the organization purchases and installs its own servers and networking gear. The enterprise must manage everything from hardware maintenance and life-cycle replacement to operating system patching, runtime configuration, and application support. Thus colocation increases operational burden rather than reducing patching overhead, directly contradicting the scenario's goal of shifting platform maintenance to the provider.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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