This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud data security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 small business uses a cloud file storage service to share project files with external partners. They have enabled versioning on the bucket, and each partner has a unique folder. The security team discovers that a former employee, who had administrative access, deleted all files in a partner's folder and then deleted the folder. The bucket's versioning allows restoration of the files, but the folder deletion cannot be undone. The business wants to prevent similar incidents in the future while still allowing external partners to upload and download files. Which approach should be taken?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use object lock with compliance mode to prevent object deletion or overwrites.
Option B is correct because Object Lock with compliance mode prevents any object from being deleted or overwritten by any user, including the root account, for the specified retention period. This directly addresses the requirement to prevent file deletion while still allowing partners to upload and download files, as versioning remains enabled and folder structure can be recreated.
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.
✗
Use bucket policies to prevent deletion of objects by anyone except a specific admin group, and use lifecycle policies to manage temporary files.
Why it's wrong here
Admins can still delete; former admin was in that group.
✓
Use object lock with compliance mode to prevent object deletion or overwrites.
Why this is correct
Compliance mode locks objects irrevocably, preventing any deletion.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable MFA Delete on the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Requires MFA for deletion but still allows deletion; folder deletion remains.
✗
Disable versioning and implement a backup process.
Why it's wrong here
Backups may not capture real-time changes; folder deletion still an issue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the distinction between MFA Delete (which only adds an authentication step but does not prevent deletion by authorized users) and Object Lock (which provides immutable protection against deletion or overwrites).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Object Lock with compliance mode uses a retention period that cannot be shortened or removed by any user, including the AWS account root user, until the period expires. Under the hood, this is enforced via a write-once-read-many (WORM) model that locks the object version, and any attempt to delete or overwrite the object returns an AccessDenied error. In a real-world scenario, if a partner's folder is deleted, the objects remain locked and can be accessed via versioning, and the folder can be recreated without data loss.
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 SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
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 Data Security — This question tests Cloud Data Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use object lock with compliance mode to prevent object deletion or overwrites. — Option B is correct because Object Lock with compliance mode prevents any object from being deleted or overwritten by any user, including the root account, for the specified retention period. This directly addresses the requirement to prevent file deletion while still allowing partners to upload and download files, as versioning remains enabled and folder structure can be recreated.
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.
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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