The correct step is to check the source IP address against the company’s approved IP ranges. This is because a CloudTrail CreateKeyPair unauthorized investigation must begin with verifying the origin of the API call, as the sourceIPAddress field in the log provides the most immediate indicator of compromise—even a valid admin user can have stolen credentials. On the CCSP exam, this tests your understanding of cloud audit log analysis and the principle of defense in depth, where identity alone is insufficient for authorization. A common trap is to assume that a successful action by a known user is automatically legitimate, but the exam emphasizes that context, such as geographic or network origin, is critical for detecting lateral movement or credential misuse. Remember the mnemonic “IP before ID”—always verify the source IP before trusting the user identity in suspicious events.
CCSP Cloud Security Operations Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud security operations. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A security analyst is investigating a potential unauthorized key pair creation. The CloudTrail log shows a successful CreateKeyPair event for an admin user. What additional step should the analyst take to determine if this was an authorized action?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Check the source IP address against the company's approved IP ranges.
Option D is correct because the first step in verifying whether a CreateKeyPair event was authorized is to check the source IP address against the company's approved IP ranges. CloudTrail logs include the sourceIPAddress field, which can be compared to a whitelist of administrative jump hosts or corporate VPN ranges. If the IP is outside those ranges, it strongly indicates unauthorized access, even if the user credentials were valid.
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.
✗
Immediately revoke all admin privileges for the user.
Why it's wrong here
This is an overreaction without further investigation.
✗
Review the key pair's usage to see if it was used to launch instances.
Why it's wrong here
Usage review is important but does not determine authorization.
✗
Delete the key pair immediately to prevent any misuse.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting without investigation may destroy evidence.
✓
Check the source IP address against the company's approved IP ranges.
Why this is correct
This helps verify if the action came from a trusted location.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the misconception that the immediate response to a suspicious event should be a punitive action (like revoking privileges or deleting resources) rather than a methodical investigative step to confirm authorization.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudTrail logs capture the sourceIPAddress, userIdentity, eventTime, and requestParameters for every API call. By cross-referencing the source IP against a known allowlist of corporate egress IPs or bastion hosts, an analyst can detect anomalies such as access from a residential ISP or a foreign country. This aligns with the principle of defense in depth, where even valid credentials must originate from trusted network paths, as recommended in AWS IAM best practices and the CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark.
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 Security Operations — This question tests Cloud Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Check the source IP address against the company's approved IP ranges. — Option D is correct because the first step in verifying whether a CreateKeyPair event was authorized is to check the source IP address against the company's approved IP ranges. CloudTrail logs include the sourceIPAddress field, which can be compared to a whitelist of administrative jump hosts or corporate VPN ranges. If the IP is outside those ranges, it strongly indicates unauthorized access, even if the user credentials were valid.
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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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.
Question Discussion
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