CCSP Cloud Data Security Practice Question
A financial services firm stores transaction logs in a cloud object storage bucket. Regulations require that deleted records be irrecoverable within 24 hours, even from provider-managed replicas and backups. The security team must select a deletion method that meets this requirement without relying on provider assurances. Which approach BEST satisfies the requirement?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that a delete request or lifecycle expiration removes every provider-held copy, when replicas and backups persist independently of the logical object.
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
✓
Use cryptographic erasure by destroying the customer-managed key that encrypts the objects, rendering all copies undecipherable.
Cryptographic erasure is the only listed method that makes all copies—including provider-managed replicas and backups—unreadable by destroying the customer-controlled key. It avoids dependence on provider deletion timelines and assurances, so it can satisfy a strict 24-hour irrecoverability mandate. Versioning, delete requests, and storage-class changes leave recoverable copies or rely on provider processes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use cryptographic erasure by destroying the customer-managed key that encrypts the objects, rendering all copies undecipherable.
Why this is correct
Cryptographic erasure destroys the key material, making every encrypted copy—including provider replicas and backups—unreadable without needing to locate each copy. Because the firm controls the customer-managed key, it does not rely on provider deletion guarantees. This meets the 24-hour irrecoverability requirement even when physical copies persist, and is a recognized cloud data destruction technique.
- ✗
Enable bucket versioning and delete the current object versions, relying on the provider's lifecycle policy to purge noncurrent versions after 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Versioning preserves prior object versions, and a 30-day lifecycle purge leaves recoverable copies well beyond the 24-hour window. Even deleting current versions does not remove noncurrent ones, and the provider's replica and backup copies remain outside the firm's control. This approach depends on provider assurances and timelines that cannot meet the stated regulatory deadline.
- ✗
Issue a delete request for each object and then open a support ticket asking the provider to confirm removal from all replicas and backups.
Why it's wrong here
A delete request typically removes only the logical object in the primary location; provider replicas and backups are managed asynchronously and may retain copies for unspecified periods. A support ticket yields an assurance, not a technical guarantee, and the timeline is outside the firm's control. This does not ensure irrecoverability within 24 hours.
- ✗
Move the objects to a colder storage class with a short retention period, then allow the provider to expire them automatically.
Why it's wrong here
Changing storage class alters retrieval cost and latency, not the existence of copies. The objects remain readable and replicated during the retention window, and expiration is a provider-driven process that may exceed 24 hours. This neither destroys the data nor removes provider-held replicas and backups, so it fails the regulatory requirement.
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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.