CGRC Compliance Maintenance Practice Question
You are implementing 'decommissioning' procedures for a virtual machine (VM) in a cloud environment. What is the final step you must take to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations after the data has been deleted?
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
✓
Perform a cryptographic erase by deleting the associated encryption keys.
Deleting the VM is not enough; you must verify that the underlying storage blocks have been properly sanitized or that the keys used to encrypt the data have been destroyed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Delete the VM snapshot from the management console.
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots may contain persistent data; simply deleting the VM is insufficient.
- ✗
Revoke the access rights of the VM administrator.
Why it's wrong here
This is an identity management task, not a data destruction task.
- ✗
Shut down the VM and wait for the provider to recycle the hardware.
Why it's wrong here
Relying on the provider to recycle hardware does not meet the organization's responsibility for data sanitization.
- ✓
Perform a cryptographic erase by deleting the associated encryption keys.
Why this is correct
Cryptographic erase is a standard, compliant way to sanitize data in cloud environments where physical destruction is not possible.
About these practice questions
This CGRC question is part of Courseiva's 199-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official (ISC)² exam blueprint
This CGRC practice question is part of Courseiva's free (ISC)² 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 CGRC exam.