CCSP Cloud Application Security Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are common best practices for securing cloud application APIs? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that disabling HTTPS improves performance for cloud APIs, but the correct priority is always encryption for data in transit, even at the cost of slight latency.
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
✓
Implement rate limiting
Rate limiting is a critical best practice for securing cloud application APIs because it prevents abuse by limiting the number of requests a client can make within a specific time window. This mitigates brute-force attacks, denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, and resource exhaustion. By enforcing rate limits, the API maintains availability and protects backend services from being overwhelmed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Implement rate limiting
Why this is correct
Rate limiting prevents DDoS and brute force.
- ✓
Validate and sanitize all input
Why this is correct
Input validation prevents injection attacks.
- ✗
Disable HTTPS to reduce latency
Why it's wrong here
HTTPS is essential for confidentiality and integrity.
- ✗
Return detailed error messages for debugging
Why it's wrong here
Detailed errors can aid attackers.
- ✗
Allow all origins with CORS
Why it's wrong here
CORS should be restricted to trusted origins.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every CCSP question from scratch — 964 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.