CCSP Cloud Data Security Practice Question
A financial services company uses a cloud DLP API to scan data stored in Cloud Storage and BigQuery. They need to reduce the risk of exposing credit card numbers in reports by replacing the first 12 digits with asterisks while preserving the last four. Which de-identification technique should they apply?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is conflating masking with tokenization or pseudonymization — candidates see 'replace digits' and think 'tokenize,' but tokenization replaces the whole value with a token, whereas masking partially obscures while preserving format.
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
✓
Masking
Masking replaces sensitive data with a redacted or partially obscured version while preserving the format and often the last few characters for referential purposes. Replacing the first 12 digits of a credit card number with asterisks while keeping the last four is the textbook definition of masking — it preserves usability (e.g., for customer service verification) while removing the sensitive payload. Cloud DLP APIs such as Google Cloud DLP provide a masking transformation (e.g., 'maskingCharacter' with 'numberToMask') that performs exactly this operation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Pseudonymization
Why it's wrong here
Pseudonymization substitutes values with reversible tokens, leaving the full card number recoverable and unmasked. It suits linking records across datasets while retaining re-identification, not the required partial masking that preserves only the last four digits.
- ✗
Bucketing
Why it's wrong here
Bucketing groups values into ranges, replacing each with a category label rather than masking digits. It suits age bands or income brackets for statistical analysis, not the specified asterisk substitution preserving the final four digits.
- ✗
Tokenization
Why it's wrong here
Tokenization replaces the entire card number with a surrogate value, so the last four digits are lost. It suits payment processing where the original PAN must never persist, not the requirement to display the trailing four digits.
- ✓
Masking
Why this is correct
Masking replaces characters with a substitute such as asterisks, so the first 12 digits become masked while the last four remain readable for reporting. Tokenisation would substitute the whole value, and bucketing or date shifting cannot preserve the trailing digits.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CCSP question is part of Courseiva's 934-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
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.