Question 153 of 964
CCSP Cloud Application Security Practice Question
A cloud application uses AWS Lambda functions in a serverless architecture. The security team wants to enforce least privilege access for these functions. Which THREE practices should be implemented?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that encrypting environment variables with KMS is a sufficient substitute for using a dedicated secrets management service, but the trap is that environment variables are still visible in plaintext to anyone with console access or CloudTrail logs of the function configuration.
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
✓
Use AWS Parameter Store or Secrets Manager for sensitive data
AWS Parameter Store or Secrets Manager are correct because they provide secure, auditable storage for sensitive data like database credentials and API keys. Lambda functions can retrieve these values at runtime via the AWS SDK, avoiding hard-coded secrets in code or environment variables. This aligns with the principle of least privilege by granting the Lambda IAM role only the specific permissions needed to access the secret, not the secret value itself in plaintext.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use AWS Parameter Store or Secrets Manager for sensitive data
Why this is correct
External secrets management reduces exposure.
- ✗
Store secrets in Lambda environment variables encrypted with KMS
Why it's wrong here
Environment variables can be logged or leaked; Secrets Manager is recommended.
- ✓
Assign a dedicated IAM role to each Lambda function
Why this is correct
Separate roles allow precise permission scoping.
- ✓
Grant permissions based on the principle of minimal necessary access
Why this is correct
This is the core of least privilege.
- ✗
Use a single IAM role for all Lambda functions for simplicity
Why it's wrong here
Single role violates least privilege and increases blast radius.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CCSP exam.
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