CCSP Cloud Data Security Practice Question
A company wants to use a cloud KMS to encrypt data but requires that the encryption key never leaves their on-premises hardware security module (HSM) due to compliance. Which key management model should they adopt?
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
✓
Hold Your Own Key (HYOK)
Hold Your Own Key (HYOK) allows the customer to retain the key in their on-premises HSM, and the cloud service must call back to the on-premises HSM for each encryption/decryption operation. This provides maximum control but introduces latency.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Customer-Managed Encryption Key (CMEK)
Why it's wrong here
CMEK creates the key in cloud KMS, so the key never resides on-premises.
- ✗
Customer-Supplied Encryption Key (CSEK)
Why it's wrong here
CSEK supplies the key to the cloud provider for each operation, but the key is transmitted to the cloud.
- ✓
Hold Your Own Key (HYOK)
Why this is correct
HYOK keeps the key in the on-premises HSM, meeting the compliance requirement.
- ✗
Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)
Why it's wrong here
BYOK imports the key into cloud KMS, so the key leaves on-premises.
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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.