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CCSP Migrating on-premises workloads to IaaS Practice Question
A company is migrating on-premises workloads to IaaS. They need to ensure that virtual machine images are secure and free of malware. Which approach is best practice?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that using a cloud provider's marketplace image is sufficient for security, but the trap is that these images are not tailored to the organization's specific hardening requirements and may contain default credentials or unnecessary services.
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
✓
Create a hardened baseline image and store it in a secure repository.
Creating a hardened baseline image ensures that the virtual machine is built from a known, secure configuration with all necessary security patches, minimal services, and no malware. Storing this image in a secure repository (e.g., encrypted and access-controlled) prevents tampering and allows consistent deployment of secure instances. This approach follows the principle of immutable infrastructure and is a foundational practice for secure IaaS migrations.
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 a golden image from the cloud provider's marketplace.
Why it's wrong here
Marketplace images may not be hardened to the organization's standards.
- ✗
Rely on host-based firewalls to protect instances.
Why it's wrong here
Host-based firewalls do not secure the image itself.
- ✗
Perform vulnerability scanning on running instances only.
Why it's wrong here
Scanning running instances is reactive and does not prevent insecure images.
- ✓
Create a hardened baseline image and store it in a secure repository.
Why this is correct
Creating a hardened baseline ensures images are secure before deployment.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.