mediumMultiple Choice
CCSP Practice Question: Ensure that its cloud-stored data is retained…
A company needs to ensure that its cloud-stored data is retained only for a specific period due to legal requirements. Which process should be automated?
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
✓
Data lifecycle management
Data lifecycle management (DLM) focuses on managing data throughout its lifecycle, including retention and deletion. Data classification categorizes data, encryption protects it, and backup creates copies, but none directly automate retention periods.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Data lifecycle management
Why this is correct
Data lifecycle management automates retention by applying policies that expire or delete objects once the legal retention period ends. This directly enforces the specified retention duration, unlike backup, classification or encryption, which address availability, sensitivity and confidentiality rather than time-bound disposal.
- ✗
Data classification
Why it's wrong here
Classification labels data by sensitivity and handling rules; it does not itself delete or expire objects, so retention periods cannot be enforced by it. It is tempting because classification often feeds retention policies, and would be correct where the requirement is to tag and govern data by category rather than to expire it.
- ✗
Data encryption
Why it's wrong here
Encryption protects confidentiality at rest and in transit; it neither tracks age nor removes data, so a retention period cannot be enforced through it. It is tempting because encryption is a core cloud data-protection control, and would be the right answer where the requirement is to prevent unauthorised disclosure rather than to expire records.
- ✗
Data backup
Why it's wrong here
Backup copies data for recovery; it does not enforce retention expiry, so data persists indefinitely. Legal retention limits require automated deletion via lifecycle policies. Backup automation is correct when the goal is durability and restore capability, not scheduled destruction.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 934 original CCSP practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.