hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CCSP Practice Question: A SaaS provider stores customer data in a…
A SaaS provider stores customer data in a multi-tenant database. A new regulation requires that data of former customers be completely erased within 30 days of account closure. Which process should the provider implement?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between logical deletion (soft delete) and cryptographic erasure, trapping candidates who think marking data as deleted or overwriting with zeros is sufficient in a multi-tenant cloud environment, where shared storage and data redundancy make physical overwrite impractical.
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
✓
Encrypt each customer's data with a unique key and delete the key upon account closure.
It implements cryptographic erasure, which renders the data permanently inaccessible by deleting the unique encryption key. This approach satisfies the regulation's requirement for complete erasure within 30 days without physically destroying hardware or risking data remnants, as the encrypted data becomes irrecoverable without the key. In a multi-tenant SaaS environment, this method is efficient, scalable, and avoids service disruption to other tenants sharing the same storage.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Physically destroy the hard drives containing the data.
Why it's wrong here
Not practical for a multi-tenant cloud environment.
- ✗
Mark the data as deleted and exclude it from query results.
Why it's wrong here
Data remains on disk and could be recovered.
- ✗
Overwrite the data with zeros using a secure delete tool.
Why it's wrong here
Overwriting in a shared database may affect other tenants' data.
- ✓
Encrypt each customer's data with a unique key and delete the key upon account closure.
Why this is correct
Crypto-shredding ensures data is effectively unrecoverable.
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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.