CCSP Cloud Application Security Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are essential components of a Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) in the cloud? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that manual reviews are a primary or essential component of an SSDLC in the cloud, when in fact automation is critical for speed and consistency, and they also test the trap that annual penetration testing is sufficient for cloud environments, which require continuous security validation.
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
✓
Static application security testing (SAST) in CI/CD
SAST tools scan source code, bytecode, or binaries for vulnerabilities like SQL injection or buffer overflows early in the development cycle. Integrating SAST into the CI/CD pipeline enables automated, continuous security checks on every commit or build, which is a core practice of a Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) in the cloud. This shift-left approach catches flaws before they reach production, reducing remediation cost and risk.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Static application security testing (SAST) in CI/CD
Why this is correct
SAST finds vulnerabilities in source code early.
- ✓
Dynamic application security testing (DAST) in staging
Why this is correct
DAST finds runtime vulnerabilities.
- ✗
Manual code reviews without automation
Why it's wrong here
Manual reviews are slow and error-prone.
- ✓
Threat modeling during design phase
Why this is correct
Threat modeling proactively identifies security issues.
- ✗
Annual penetration testing only
Why it's wrong here
Annual testing is not continuous and may miss issues.
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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.