easyMultiple Choice
CCSP Practice Question: A customer requires complete control over…
A customer requires complete control over encryption keys used to protect data at rest in the cloud. Which cloud service model provides the most direct control?
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
✓
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
IaaS gives customers control over the entire infrastructure stack, including encryption key management. PaaS and SaaS abstract away much of that control, limiting customer-managed key options.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Why this is correct
IaaS grants the customer control over the operating system, applications, and underlying encryption mechanisms, including key management, unlike PaaS or SaaS where the provider manages keys. This directly satisfies the requirement for complete control over keys protecting data at rest.
- ✗
Anything as a Service (XaaS)
Why it's wrong here
XaaS is an umbrella term covering delivery of any capability as a service, not a model that grants key custody; key control depends on the specific service and whether it offers customer-managed keys. It is tempting as a catch-all for cloud offerings, but it names no encryption architecture.
- ✗
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Why it's wrong here
PaaS abstracts the runtime and storage layer, so key management for data at rest remains with the provider rather than the tenant. It is tempting because PaaS suits developers deploying code without managing servers, yet complete key control requires IaaS, where the customer configures and holds the encryption keys themselves.
- ✗
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Why it's wrong here
SaaS hides the entire stack, including key management, behind the provider's interface, so the customer cannot select or operate the key hierarchy protecting stored data. It is tempting because SaaS suits rapid application adoption with minimal administrative overhead, but key custody scenarios demand IaaS, where the tenant controls the encryption layer directly.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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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.