- A
Use dedicated (single-tenant) hosts for sensitive workloads.
Dedicated hosts guarantee no other VMs on the same hypervisor, eliminating shared-resource side channels.
- B
Encrypt all data at rest using AES-256.
Why wrong: Encryption protects stored data but does not address runtime side-channel attacks on shared CPUs.
- C
Disable hyper-threading on the physical hosts.
Disabling hyper-threading reduces the attack surface for side-channel attacks that exploit logical processor sharing.
- D
Implement network segmentation using VLANs.
Why wrong: Network segmentation separates traffic but does not prevent CPU-level side channels within the same hypervisor.
- E
Enable multi-factor authentication for all cloud administrative accounts.
Why wrong: MFA improves access security but does not mitigate hypervisor side-channel attacks.
CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud platform and infrastructure security. 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 security architect is concerned about potential side-channel attacks against VMs running on a shared hypervisor. Which TWO of the following measures would be most effective in mitigating such attacks?
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 dedicated (single-tenant) hosts for sensitive workloads.
Option A is correct because using dedicated (single-tenant) hosts ensures that the physical server is not shared with any other customer's VMs. This eliminates the possibility of a co-resident attacker exploiting shared hardware resources (such as CPU caches, memory buses, or branch predictors) to launch side-channel attacks like Prime+Probe or Flush+Reload. By removing the shared hypervisor layer between tenants, the attack surface for cross-VM side channels is effectively nullified.
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.
- ✓
Use dedicated (single-tenant) hosts for sensitive workloads.
Why this is correct
Dedicated hosts guarantee no other VMs on the same hypervisor, eliminating shared-resource side channels.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Encrypt all data at rest using AES-256.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption protects stored data but does not address runtime side-channel attacks on shared CPUs.
- ✓
Disable hyper-threading on the physical hosts.
Why this is correct
Disabling hyper-threading reduces the attack surface for side-channel attacks that exploit logical processor sharing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Implement network segmentation using VLANs.
Why it's wrong here
Network segmentation separates traffic but does not prevent CPU-level side channels within the same hypervisor.
- ✗
Enable multi-factor authentication for all cloud administrative accounts.
Why it's wrong here
MFA improves access security but does not mitigate hypervisor side-channel attacks.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the distinction between data protection controls (encryption, MFA, network segmentation) and compute-level isolation controls, leading candidates to mistakenly select network or access controls that do not address the shared hardware attack surface.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Side-channel attacks in virtualized environments often exploit shared CPU resources such as L1/L2 caches, translation lookaside buffers (TLBs), or simultaneous multithreading (SMT) contexts. Disabling hyper-threading (Option C) mitigates attacks that leverage shared execution units between logical cores on the same physical core, such as PortSmash or Hyper-Threading-based covert channels. In practice, cloud providers like AWS offer dedicated hosts (Option A) for compliance-sensitive workloads, and some also recommend disabling SMT in BIOS for high-security enclaves.
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 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
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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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CCSP question test?
Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security — This question tests Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use dedicated (single-tenant) hosts for sensitive workloads. — Option A is correct because using dedicated (single-tenant) hosts ensures that the physical server is not shared with any other customer's VMs. This eliminates the possibility of a co-resident attacker exploiting shared hardware resources (such as CPU caches, memory buses, or branch predictors) to launch side-channel attacks like Prime+Probe or Flush+Reload. By removing the shared hypervisor layer between tenants, the attack surface for cross-VM side channels is effectively nullified.
What should I do if I get this CCSP 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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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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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