CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud platform and infrastructure security. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A large healthcare organization runs its electronic health records (EHR) system on a private cloud built with VMware vSphere. They have implemented a hybrid cloud strategy with a public cloud provider for disaster recovery. The EHR application is mission-critical and must maintain high availability with zero data loss. During a routine audit, the security team discovers that the replication between the private cloud and the public cloud uses asynchronous replication with a 15-minute recovery point objective (RPO). However, the application requires an RPO of less than 1 minute. Additionally, the replication data is not encrypted in transit. The compliance officer demands immediate remediation. The cloud architect must propose a solution that meets the RPO requirement and ensures encryption of data in transit. Which of the following actions is the most appropriate first step?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Switch to synchronous replication between the private cloud and public cloud to achieve near-zero RPO, and enable TLS for replication traffic.
Option C is correct because synchronous replication ensures that data is written to both the primary and secondary sites before acknowledging the write, achieving near-zero RPO (typically sub-second). Enabling TLS for replication traffic encrypts data in transit, directly addressing the compliance requirement. This approach meets the application's mission-critical need for zero data loss and encryption without changing the underlying hybrid architecture.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Move the entire EHR system to the public cloud and use native replication services.
Why it's wrong here
Migration is costly and may introduce new vulnerabilities.
✗
Increase the frequency of asynchronous replication to every 30 seconds and use IPsec VPN for encryption.
Why it's wrong here
Even 30-second asynchronous may exceed 1-minute RPO during failure.
✓
Switch to synchronous replication between the private cloud and public cloud to achieve near-zero RPO, and enable TLS for replication traffic.
Why this is correct
Synchronous replication meets RPO and TLS ensures encryption.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Implement a third-party replication tool that uses compression and encryption, and keep asynchronous replication with 15-minute RPO.
Why it's wrong here
Does not meet RPO requirement.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the misconception that increasing asynchronous replication frequency can achieve near-zero RPO, but only synchronous replication guarantees zero data loss by ensuring writes are committed at both sites before acknowledgment.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Synchronous replication in VMware vSphere uses vSphere Replication or Site Recovery Manager with a synchronous mode that commits writes to both sites before returning an acknowledgment, typically leveraging Fibre Channel or iSCSI with latency under 5 ms. TLS encryption for replication traffic can be implemented via vSphere Replication's built-in SSL/TLS settings or by configuring a VPN with TLS termination. In real-world scenarios, synchronous replication over long distances may introduce performance degradation due to latency, so organizations often use stretched clusters or dedicated low-latency links to maintain performance while meeting strict RPO requirements.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security — This question tests Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Switch to synchronous replication between the private cloud and public cloud to achieve near-zero RPO, and enable TLS for replication traffic. — Option C is correct because synchronous replication ensures that data is written to both the primary and secondary sites before acknowledging the write, achieving near-zero RPO (typically sub-second). Enabling TLS for replication traffic encrypts data in transit, directly addressing the compliance requirement. This approach meets the application's mission-critical need for zero data loss and encryption without changing the underlying hybrid architecture.
What should I do if I get this CCSP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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