- A
Tier 4 – Peer review
Why wrong: CSA STAR only has three tiers.
- B
Tier 1 – Self-assessment
Why wrong: Tier 1 is self-assessment via CCM/CAIQ.
- C
Tier 3 – Continuous monitoring
Why wrong: Tier 3 involves continuous monitoring, not a one-time assessment.
- D
Tier 2 – Third-party assessment
Correct. Tier 2 includes certification based on ISO 27001.
Question 71 of 1,000
CCSP Legal, Risk, and Compliance Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of legal, risk, and compliance. 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.
Which CSA STAR tier involves a third-party assessment against ISO 27001?
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
✓
Tier 2 – Third-party assessment
The CSA STAR (Security, Trust, Assurance, and Risk) program has three tiers: Tier 1 (Self-Assessment), Tier 2 (Third-Party Assessment), and Tier 3 (Continuous Monitoring). Tier 2 specifically requires a third-party assessment against the ISO/IEC 27001 standard, where an accredited certification body audits the cloud service provider's Information Security Management System (ISMS) for compliance. This tier provides a higher level of assurance than self-assessment, as it involves independent validation of security controls.
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.
- ✗
Tier 4 – Peer review
Why it's wrong here
CSA STAR only has three tiers.
- ✗
Tier 1 – Self-assessment
Why it's wrong here
Tier 1 is self-assessment via CCM/CAIQ.
- ✗
Tier 3 – Continuous monitoring
Why it's wrong here
Tier 3 involves continuous monitoring, not a one-time assessment.
- ✓
Tier 2 – Third-party assessment
Why this is correct
Correct. Tier 2 includes certification based on ISO 27001.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that Tier 2 is the 'self-assessment' tier, confusing it with Tier 1, or that there is a Tier 4 for peer review, which does not exist in the CSA STAR framework.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The CSA STAR Tier 2 assessment aligns with the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (or 2022) standard, requiring an independent audit of the provider's ISMS scope, risk treatment plan, and Statement of Applicability (SoA). Under the hood, the certification body evaluates controls across 14 domains (e.g., A.9 Access Control, A.12 Operations Security) and issues a certificate valid for three years with annual surveillance audits. In a real-world scenario, a cloud provider like AWS or Azure would undergo this assessment to offer customers a third-party-validated compliance report, often used to satisfy regulatory requirements such as GDPR or HIPAA.
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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
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.
- →
Legal, Risk, and Compliance — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CCSP question test?
Legal, Risk, and Compliance — This question tests Legal, Risk, and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Tier 2 – Third-party assessment — The CSA STAR (Security, Trust, Assurance, and Risk) program has three tiers: Tier 1 (Self-Assessment), Tier 2 (Third-Party Assessment), and Tier 3 (Continuous Monitoring). Tier 2 specifically requires a third-party assessment against the ISO/IEC 27001 standard, where an accredited certification body audits the cloud service provider's Information Security Management System (ISMS) for compliance. This tier provides a higher level of assurance than self-assessment, as it involves independent validation of security controls.
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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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