This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud security operations. 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 cloud customer experiences a ransomware attack that encrypts data in an object storage bucket. The customer has versioning enabled on the bucket. How can the customer MOST effectively restore the data?
Delete the bucket and recreate it
Why wrong: Deletes all data including versions.
Restore the bucket to a previous version using the versioning feature
Versioning allows recovery of unencrypted versions.
Use the cloud provider's undelete feature for the encrypted objects
Why wrong: No such feature; versioning is used.
Decrypt the objects using the ransomware decryption key
Why wrong: Not available.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Restore the bucket to a previous version using the versioning feature
With versioning enabled on the object storage bucket, each object version is preserved. The correct approach is to restore the bucket to a previous, unencrypted version using the versioning feature, which effectively rolls back the data to its state before the ransomware encrypted the current versions. This avoids data loss and does not require decryption keys or bucket deletion.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Delete the bucket and recreate it
Why it's wrong here
Deletes all data including versions.
Restore the bucket to a previous version using the versioning feature
Why this is correct
Versioning allows recovery of unencrypted versions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Use the cloud provider's undelete feature for the encrypted objects
Why it's wrong here
No such feature; versioning is used.
Decrypt the objects using the ransomware decryption key
Why it's wrong here
Not available.
Common exam traps
ISC2 often tests the misconception that 'versioning' is only for preventing accidental deletion, when in fact it also enables recovery from overwrites (including ransomware encryption), and candidates may incorrectly assume that a decryption key or undelete feature is the primary recovery method.
Detailed technical explanation
Object versioning in cloud storage (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage) works by assigning a unique version ID to each object upload; when ransomware overwrites an object, the previous version remains intact and can be retrieved via a GET request with the version ID or by restoring the bucket to a prior state. In a real-world scenario, if the ransomware also deletes versions, the customer would need to rely on additional protections like object lock or backup copies, as versioning alone does not prevent deletion of versions by an attacker with sufficient permissions.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Cloud Security Operations — This question tests Cloud Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Restore the bucket to a previous version using the versioning feature — With versioning enabled on the object storage bucket, each object version is preserved. The correct approach is to restore the bucket to a previous, unencrypted version using the versioning feature, which effectively rolls back the data to its state before the ransomware encrypted the current versions. This avoids data loss and does not require decryption keys or bucket deletion.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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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