- A
At least two different media types
e.g., disk and tape.
- B
Daily full backups
Why wrong: Not required by the rule.
- C
At least one copy stored offsite
Protects against site disasters.
- D
At least three copies of the data
One primary plus two backups.
- E
Encryption of all backups
Why wrong: Best practice but not part of the 3-2-1 rule.
Question 645 of 1,000
SSCP Security Operations and Administration Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of security operations and administration. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An organization is enhancing its backup strategy. According to the 3-2-1 rule, which THREE characteristics must the backup strategy include? (Select THREE)
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
✓
At least two different media types
Option A is correct because the 3-2-1 rule requires at least two different media types (e.g., tape and disk, or disk and cloud) to mitigate the risk of a single media failure or vulnerability. This ensures that if one media type becomes corrupted or obsolete, the other remains viable for recovery.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
At least two different media types
Why this is correct
e.g., disk and tape.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Daily full backups
Why it's wrong here
Not required by the rule.
- ✓
At least one copy stored offsite
Why this is correct
Protects against site disasters.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
At least three copies of the data
Why this is correct
One primary plus two backups.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Encryption of all backups
Why it's wrong here
Best practice but not part of the 3-2-1 rule.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the 3-2-1 rule by including plausible but non-essential elements like encryption or backup frequency, tricking candidates into selecting them as mandatory components when they are not part of the rule's core definition.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The 3-2-1 rule is a foundational data protection strategy that dictates three copies of data on two different media types with one copy offsite. Under the hood, this leverages the principle of diversity to protect against correlated failures—e.g., a ransomware attack that encrypts both primary and backup if they share the same network or storage stack. In practice, organizations often implement this with a local disk backup (fast recovery) and a tape or cloud copy (air-gapped or geographically separated) to satisfy the offsite requirement.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Security Operations and Administration — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Security Operations and Administration — This question tests Security Operations and Administration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: At least two different media types — Option A is correct because the 3-2-1 rule requires at least two different media types (e.g., tape and disk, or disk and cloud) to mitigate the risk of a single media failure or vulnerability. This ensures that if one media type becomes corrupted or obsolete, the other remains viable for recovery.
What should I do if I get this SSCP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.
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