CISSP Security and Risk Management Practice Question
A company is migrating its critical application to a cloud provider. Which disaster recovery strategy provides the shortest recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO)?
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
✓
Hot site
A hot site is fully configured with hardware, software, and real-time data synchronization, minimizing RTO and RPO.
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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Warm site
Why it's wrong here
A warm site provides a facility with pre-installed hardware and network infrastructure, but it typically lacks current data and may require significant configuration and data restoration efforts. While offering a faster recovery than a cold site, its near-real-time or batched data synchronization means it cannot achieve the extremely low Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) required for critical applications demanding immediate availability.
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Cold site
Why it's wrong here
A cold site is an empty facility equipped only with basic utilities like power and cooling, requiring the organization to procure, transport, install, and configure all necessary hardware, software, and data. This extensive setup process results in the longest Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) among all disaster recovery site types. Consequently, a cold site is entirely unsuitable for critical applications that necessitate rapid restoration and minimal downtime.
- ✓
Hot site
Why this is correct
A hot site is a fully operational, mirrored facility that replicates the primary production environment with identical hardware, software, and up-to-date data, often synchronized in real-time. This comprehensive setup allows for immediate failover in the event of a disaster, ensuring minimal data loss and near-zero downtime. A hot site achieves the lowest Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO), making it the optimal choice for critical applications requiring continuous availability and rapid business continuity.
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Reciprocal agreement
Why it's wrong here
A reciprocal agreement involves two organizations agreeing to provide backup facilities to each other in a disaster scenario. However, this approach carries substantial risks, as the host organization's resources may be insufficient, incompatible, or unavailable when needed, especially if both parties are affected simultaneously. Such agreements often lack guaranteed service levels and typically cannot meet the stringent Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) demands of critical applications due to potential resource contention or configuration discrepancies.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.