- A
Multi-tenancy isolation failures
Why wrong: While important, isolation failures are a technical risk that can be mitigated; data sovereignty is a legal requirement.
- B
Data sovereignty and cross-border data transfer restrictions
Correct. Data sovereignty is a critical legal risk that must be addressed before migration.
- C
Shared responsibility model gaps for patching
Why wrong: Patching gaps are operational risks but can be managed through contractual agreements.
- D
Vendor lock-in due to proprietary APIs
Why wrong: Vendor lock-in is a strategic risk but less critical than legal compliance.
Question 390 of 1,000
CRISC Information Technology and Security Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of information technology and security. 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 multinational corporation is migrating its customer relationship management (CRM) system to a public cloud provider. The data includes personally identifiable information (PII) from multiple jurisdictions. Which risk should be considered most critical during the cloud architecture review?
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
✓
Data sovereignty and cross-border data transfer restrictions
The CRM migration involves PII from multiple jurisdictions, making data sovereignty and cross-border data transfer restrictions the most critical risk. Regulations like GDPR (EU) and local data localization laws (e.g., Russia, China) can impose fines or block transfers if data leaves approved regions. This risk directly impacts legal compliance and operational continuity, outweighing technical concerns like isolation or patching.
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.
- ✗
Multi-tenancy isolation failures
Why it's wrong here
While important, isolation failures are a technical risk that can be mitigated; data sovereignty is a legal requirement.
- ✓
Data sovereignty and cross-border data transfer restrictions
Why this is correct
Correct. Data sovereignty is a critical legal risk that must be addressed before migration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Shared responsibility model gaps for patching
Why it's wrong here
Patching gaps are operational risks but can be managed through contractual agreements.
- ✗
Vendor lock-in due to proprietary APIs
Why it's wrong here
Vendor lock-in is a strategic risk but less critical than legal compliance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse technical risks like multi-tenancy or patching with the overriding legal and regulatory risk of data sovereignty, which is the most critical for multinational PII migrations.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Data sovereignty is enforced by cloud providers through region-specific data centers and contractual commitments (e.g., AWS Data Residency, Azure Policy). Cross-border transfers often require Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) under GDPR or Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs). A real-world scenario: a US-based cloud provider storing EU citizen PII in a US region without SCCs could face GDPR fines up to 4% of global annual turnover.
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 practitioner preparing for the CRISC exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Information Technology and Security — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CRISC question test?
Information Technology and Security — This question tests Information Technology and Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Data sovereignty and cross-border data transfer restrictions — The CRM migration involves PII from multiple jurisdictions, making data sovereignty and cross-border data transfer restrictions the most critical risk. Regulations like GDPR (EU) and local data localization laws (e.g., Russia, China) can impose fines or block transfers if data leaves approved regions. This risk directly impacts legal compliance and operational continuity, outweighing technical concerns like isolation or patching.
What should I do if I get this CRISC 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This CRISC 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 CRISC exam.
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