hardMultiple Choice
CCSP Practice Question: A company uses Terraform to manage cloud…
A company uses Terraform to manage cloud infrastructure. Which infrastructure-as-code (IaC) security scanner can detect misconfigurations such as overly permissive security group rules before deployment?
⚠ Common exam trap
The ISC2 CCSP exam often tests the distinction between IaC security scanners (like Checkov) and other security tools (like Snyk for dependencies, Dependabot for package updates, and GitGuardian for secrets), so candidates must recognize that only Checkov is purpose-built for scanning Terraform configurations before deployment.
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
✓
Checkov
Checkov is an open-source static analysis tool specifically designed to scan Infrastructure as Code (IaC) templates, including Terraform, for security misconfigurations such as overly permissive security group rules (e.g., 0.0.0.0/0 ingress on port 22). It uses a policy-as-code framework with hundreds of built-in checks (e.g., CKV_AWS_24 for unrestricted SSH) and can be integrated into CI/CD pipelines to catch issues before deployment, making it the correct choice for pre-deployment IaC scanning.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Snyk
Why it's wrong here
Snyk scans application dependencies and container images for vulnerabilities, not Terraform configuration for permissive security group rules; that requires a dedicated IaC scanner such as Checkov or tfsec. It is tempting because Snyk is a well-known security tool, and it would be correct for finding vulnerable open-source packages.
- ✗
Dependabot
Why it's wrong here
Dependabot scans dependency manifests for vulnerable or outdated packages, not Terraform configuration for permissive security group rules. It is tempting because it is a free, widely used security scanning tool, and it would be correct for detecting vulnerable open-source dependencies in a repository.
- ✗
GitGuardian
Why it's wrong here
GitGuardian detects secrets and credentials leaked in source code repositories, not misconfigured Terraform resources such as overly permissive security group rules. It is tempting because it integrates with CI pipelines and scans code before deployment, but its mechanism is secret detection, not infrastructure configuration analysis.
- ✓
Checkov
Why this is correct
Checkov is a static analysis tool for infrastructure-as-code that parses Terraform plans and configurations, flagging misconfigurations such as overly permissive security group rules before deployment. This satisfies the stem's pre-deployment detection requirement for Terraform-managed infrastructure.
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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.