mediumMultiple Select
CISA Practice Question: Which THREE are commonly used techniques to…
Which THREE are commonly used techniques to protect sensitive data in a cloud environment? (Select exactly 3.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISACA often tests the distinction between data protection techniques (like encryption, tokenization, and masking) and general security controls (like network segmentation or code obfuscation), leading candidates to mistakenly select network segmentation as a data protection method.
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
✓
Tokenization of sensitive fields.
Tokenization of sensitive fields (C) is correct because it replaces high-value data such as PANs with surrogate tokens that have no exploitable value, reducing the scope of PCI DSS and limiting breach impact. Encryption at rest and in transit (D) is correct because it protects data confidentiality both when stored (e.g., AES-256 on volumes, S3 SSE, TDE) and when moving over the network (TLS 1.2/1.3, IPsec), so interception or disk theft does not expose plaintext. Data masking for non-production environments (E) is correct because it substitutes realistic but fictitious values in dev/test datasets, preventing production PII from leaking through lower-security environments while preserving data usability. Code obfuscation (A) only makes application logic harder to reverse-engineer and does not protect the sensitive data itself, and network segmentation (B) is a defense-in-depth control that limits lateral movement but does not by itself render data unreadable or unusable if a segment is compromised.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Code obfuscation for application logic.
Why it's wrong here
Protects code, not data.
- ✗
Network segmentation between tiers.
Why it's wrong here
Network control, not data protection.
- ✓
Tokenization of sensitive fields.
Why this is correct
Replaces sensitive data with tokens.
- ✓
Encryption at rest and in transit.
Why this is correct
Encryption at rest protects stored cloud data from unauthorised disk or backup access, while in-transit encryption (TLS) shields data moving between services and clients. Together they satisfy the stem's requirement by rendering intercepted or exfiltrated data unreadable.
- ✓
Data masking for non-production environments.
Why this is correct
Masking substitutes realistic but fictitious values in non-production copies, so developers and testers work with structurally valid data without exposing live customer records. This directly satisfies the stem's requirement to protect sensitive data in cloud environments, where replicated datasets otherwise widen exposure beyond production controls.
Visual reference
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 934 original CISA practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CISA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA 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 CISA exam.