This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud application security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 company is moving a legacy application to the cloud. The application uses hard-coded passwords for database connections. Which secure development practice should be implemented to address this issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Secrets management
Hard-coded passwords in application code violate the principle of least privilege and create a persistent security risk if the code is exposed. Secrets management (D) addresses this by storing database credentials in a secure, centralized vault (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) and retrieving them at runtime via API calls, eliminating the need to embed passwords in source code or configuration files.
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.
Input validation protects against injection attacks, not against hard-coded passwords.
✗
Encryption at rest
Why it's wrong here
Encryption at rest protects stored data but does not address the issue of hard-coded credentials.
✓
Secrets management
Why this is correct
Secrets management securely stores and retrieves credentials, removing the need for hard-coded passwords.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the distinction between 'encryption at rest' (protecting stored data) and 'secrets management' (protecting credentials used to access that data), leading candidates to confuse data protection with credential protection.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Secrets management solutions typically use a combination of encryption (e.g., AES-256-GCM for stored secrets), access control policies (e.g., IAM roles or token-based authentication), and dynamic secret rotation (e.g., automatic password changes on a schedule or after a breach). For example, AWS Secrets Manager can automatically rotate RDS database credentials using a Lambda function, ensuring that even if a secret is leaked, it is valid only for a short window. This approach also supports audit logging via CloudTrail to track every secret retrieval, which is critical for compliance frameworks like SOC 2 or PCI DSS.
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.
Cloud Application Security — This question tests Cloud Application Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Secrets management — Hard-coded passwords in application code violate the principle of least privilege and create a persistent security risk if the code is exposed. Secrets management (D) addresses this by storing database credentials in a secure, centralized vault (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) and retrieving them at runtime via API calls, eliminating the need to embed passwords in source code or configuration files.
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.
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Question Discussion
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