CCSP Legal, Risk, and Compliance Practice Question
Which CSA STAR tier involves a third-party assessment against ISO 27001?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 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.
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.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Tier 4 – Peer review
Why it's wrong here
Tier 4 is not a CSA STAR tier; the STAR programme comprises Level 1 self-assessment, Level 2 third-party audit, and continuous monitoring, with ISO 27001 certification sitting under Level 2. Peer review is tempting because STAR does involve community transparency, but it is not the mechanism for ISO 27001 assessment.
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Tier 1 – Self-assessment
Why it's wrong here
Tier 1 is a self-assessment completed by the provider, so no independent third party evaluates it against ISO 27001; that is Tier 2. Self-assessment suits low-risk cloud services where published questionnaires suffice without external certification.
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Tier 3 – Continuous monitoring
Why it's wrong here
Tier 3 is continuous monitoring, not an ISO 27001 third-party assessment; that certification belongs to Tier 2. Continuous monitoring tempts because it sounds rigorous, and it is the right tier when you need ongoing automated assurance rather than a point-in-time audit.
- ✓
Tier 2 – Third-party assessment
Why this is correct
Tier 2 requires an independent third-party assessment against a recognised standard, specifically ISO/IEC 27001, plus the CSA Cloud Controls Matrix. Tier 1 is self-assessment only, so it cannot satisfy the third-party assessment constraint stated in the stem.
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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.