Quick Answer
The answer is synchronous replication to a hot site. This strategy is best because synchronous replication writes each transaction to both the primary and the recovery site simultaneously, ensuring zero data loss upon failover, which directly supports a recovery point objective (RPO) of 15 minutes by committing data at both locations before acknowledging completion. A hot site, fully configured with hardware, software, and live data, can take over within the 2-hour recovery time objective (RTO), making this combination ideal for critical databases. On the CISSP exam, this question tests your understanding of how replication strategy directly maps to RTO and RPO requirements; a common trap is choosing asynchronous replication for a low RPO, forgetting that asynchronous introduces lag and potential data loss. Remember the memory tip: “Sync for zero, async for slack”—synchronous replication guarantees zero data loss for tight RPOs, while asynchronous is acceptable only when some data loss is tolerable.
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of security operations. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
A company is designing a recovery site for its critical database. The recovery time objective (RTO) is 2 hours, and the recovery point objective (RPO) is 15 minutes. Which of the following replication strategies is BEST suited?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Asynchronous replication to a warm site
Why wrong: Async replication may exceed RPO.
Full backups every 24 hours to a cold site
Why wrong: RPO too long.
Weekly snapshots to a warm site
Why wrong: RPO inadequate.
Synchronous replication to a hot site
Sync replication meets RPO and RTO.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Synchronous replication to a hot site
Synchronous replication writes data to both the primary and the hot site simultaneously, ensuring zero data loss upon failover. With an RPO of 15 minutes, synchronous replication can meet this requirement because it commits transactions at both sites before acknowledging completion. A hot site is fully configured and ready to take over within the RTO of 2 hours, making this combination the best fit.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Asynchronous replication to a warm site
Why it's wrong here
Async replication may exceed RPO.
Full backups every 24 hours to a cold site
Why it's wrong here
RPO too long.
Weekly snapshots to a warm site
Why it's wrong here
RPO inadequate.
Synchronous replication to a hot site
Why this is correct
Sync replication meets RPO and RTO.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often choose asynchronous replication (Option A) thinking it is sufficient for a 15-minute RPO, but they overlook that asynchronous replication can have variable lag that may exceed the RPO, especially under high write loads or network congestion.
Detailed technical explanation
Synchronous replication typically uses two-phase commit protocols (e.g., XA transactions) or storage-level mirroring (e.g., synchronous SAN replication) to ensure write-order consistency across sites. In real-world scenarios, network latency between sites must be low (often under 5-10 ms round-trip) to avoid degrading application performance, as each write waits for acknowledgment from the remote site. This strategy is common for financial databases where even seconds of data loss are unacceptable.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security Operations — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Security Operations practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All CISSP questions
529 questions across all exam domains
Certified Information Systems Security Professional CISSP study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
CISSP practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Software Development Security.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Security Assessment and Testing.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Identity and Access Management.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Security and Risk Management.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Security Architecture and Engineering.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Communication and Network Security.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Asset Security.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Security Operations.
Practise CISSP questions linked to CISSP fundamentals.
Practise CISSP questions linked to CISSP scenario.
Practise CISSP questions linked to CISSP troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Synchronous replication to a hot site — Synchronous replication writes data to both the primary and the hot site simultaneously, ensuring zero data loss upon failover. With an RPO of 15 minutes, synchronous replication can meet this requirement because it commits transactions at both sites before acknowledging completion. A hot site is fully configured and ready to take over within the RTO of 2 hours, making this combination the best fit.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This CISSP 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 CISSP exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.