- A
Infrastructure as a Service, because the company can ignore guest OS patching entirely.
Why wrong: IaaS still leaves operating system and runtime management mostly with the customer, so it does not reduce those tasks enough.
- B
Platform as a Service, because the provider manages the platform and the company manages the application and data.
PaaS shifts patching and scaling responsibilities to the provider while preserving customer control over code, configurations, and data.
- C
Software as a Service, because the team can deploy custom application code inside the vendor portal.
Why wrong: SaaS delivers a finished application and generally does not let the customer deploy custom server-side code.
- D
On-premises hosting, because the company can still use the provider's patching tools.
Why wrong: On-premises hosting does not meet the goal of moving platform maintenance to the cloud provider.
Quick Answer
The answer is Platform as a Service (PaaS). This is correct because under the cloud service models shared responsibility framework, PaaS shifts the management of the underlying platform—including operating system patching, runtime updates, and automatic scaling—to the cloud provider, while the customer retains full control over the application code and data access settings. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your ability to map specific customer responsibilities to the correct service model, often using a trap where Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is incorrectly chosen because it still requires the customer to handle OS patching and runtime. A common memory tip is to think of PaaS as “Platform, not Patching”—the provider handles the platform layer so you can focus solely on your app and data.
SY0-701 Security Architecture Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security architecture. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 development team wants to deploy a new internal application without managing operating system patching, runtime updates, or automatic scaling. The security team still wants the company to control the application code and its data access settings. Which cloud service model best fits this need?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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, because the provider manages the platform and the company manages the application and data.
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is the correct choice because the provider manages the underlying platform—including OS patching, runtime updates, and automatic scaling—while the company retains control over the application code and data access settings. This aligns with the shared responsibility model where the customer is responsible for the application and data, not the infrastructure.
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.
- ✗
Infrastructure as a Service, because the company can ignore guest OS patching entirely.
Why it's wrong here
IaaS still leaves operating system and runtime management mostly with the customer, so it does not reduce those tasks enough.
- ✓
Platform as a Service, because the provider manages the platform and the company manages the application and data.
Why this is correct
PaaS shifts patching and scaling responsibilities to the provider while preserving customer control over code, configurations, and data.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Software as a Service, because the team can deploy custom application code inside the vendor portal.
Why it's wrong here
SaaS delivers a finished application and generally does not let the customer deploy custom server-side code.
- ✗
On-premises hosting, because the company can still use the provider's patching tools.
Why it's wrong here
On-premises hosting does not meet the goal of moving platform maintenance to the cloud provider.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse PaaS with IaaS, assuming 'no patching' means IaaS, but IaaS still requires the customer to patch the guest OS and runtime, whereas PaaS fully offloads that responsibility.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In PaaS, the provider abstracts the runtime environment (e.g., .NET, Node.js, or Java) and automatically applies OS-level patches, while the customer deploys code via APIs or CI/CD pipelines. For example, Azure App Service or AWS Elastic Beanstalk handle scaling and patching, but the customer must still configure data access via IAM roles or connection strings. This model is ideal for internal apps where security teams need to enforce data governance without infrastructure overhead.
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: Platform as a Service, because the provider manages the platform and the company manages the application and data. — Platform as a Service (PaaS) is the correct choice because the provider manages the underlying platform—including OS patching, runtime updates, and automatic scaling—while the company retains control over the application code and data access settings. This aligns with the shared responsibility model where the customer is responsible for the application and data, not the infrastructure.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
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