Free WGU Managing-Cloud-Security Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 5

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) governs credit card transactions in cloud operations. Managing Cloud principles explain that PCI DSS establishes security requirements for organizations that store, process, or transmit cardholder data.

PCI DSS applies to cloud service providers and cloud customers involved in payment processing. It mandates controls such as encryption, access restrictions, monitoring, vulnerability management, and secure system configurations to protect cardholder information.

GLBA applies to financial institutions, SOX governs financial reporting controls, and HIPAA protects healthcare data. Therefore, PCI DSS is the correct regulation for credit card transactions.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) defines requirements for the electronic transfer of healthcare data to a cloud service provider. Managing Cloud documentation explains that HIPAA governs the protection, transmission, and storage of protected health information (PHI).

HIPAA establishes administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of healthcare data. When healthcare organizations use cloud services, both the organization and the cloud provider must ensure compliance with HIPAA requirements.

The other regulations do not apply to healthcare data transfer. Stark Law addresses physician self-referral, the Healthcare Quality Improvement Law focuses on peer review, and GLBA applies to financial institutions. Therefore, HIPAA is the correct answer.

Categorization is the process of systematically identifying and classifying files according to content and relevance. In preparation for a PCI DSS audit, it is critical to identify which files fall within scope—those that contain cardholder data or impact its security.

Normalization adjusts data format, tokenization substitutes sensitive data with tokens, and anonymization removes identifiers. While useful, none directly address the task of isolating “relevant files” for audit. Categorization ensures that files are grouped correctly, allowing auditors to focus on the proper scope and preventing unnecessary exposure of unrelated data.

This step aligns with PCI DSS requirements that limit scope to systems and data directly affecting cardholder data security. Proper categorization streamlines audits and demonstrates effective data governance.

An Identity Provider (IdP) is a system that stores and manages identity information and validates authentication and authorization requests. IdPs are critical in cloud and hybrid environments, supporting protocols such as SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect for federated access.

An HSM manages encryption keys, not identities. Zero Trust is a security philosophy requiring continuous verification, but the system that enforces authentication is the IdP. A bastion host provides secure administrative access but does not manage identity.

By using an IdP, organizations centralize credential management, enforce multifactor authentication, and integrate with Single Sign-On (SSO). This reduces password fatigue, increases security, and ensures consistent access control policies across applications and services.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) delivers fundamental computing resources over the cloud. These include virtual machines, block storage, networking, and load balancers. Customers use these resources to build and manage custom IT solutions, while the provider manages the underlying hardware.

PaaS abstracts infrastructure further, providing a development environment for applications without requiring infrastructure management. SaaS delivers fully functional applications over the internet. NaaS is a narrower category focusing on network delivery.

IaaS is the correct answer because it gives maximum flexibility and control compared to the other models, allowing organizations to build tailored environments. It also requires customers to manage operating systems, middleware, and runtime security, making shared responsibility an essential part of the model.

Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is an API format that provides a framework for exchanging structured information using web services. Managing Cloud principles explain that SOAP is a protocol-based messaging standard that relies on XML for message formatting.

SOAP defines strict standards for message structure, communication protocols, and error handling, making it suitable for enterprise environments that require reliability, security, and formal contracts. It supports features such as authentication, encryption, and transaction integrity.

The other options describe characteristics of RESTful APIs. SOAP is XML-based and does not support multiple data formats. Therefore, the correct description is the structured web service framework.

Without a clear understanding of infrastructure and software, the leadership team must first conduct an inventory of assets. An asset inventory provides a comprehensive list of hardware, software, and services that support business operations.

Creating checklists, defining criteria, and assigning roles are important, but they rely on knowing what assets exist. Without an inventory, the disaster recovery plan would miss critical dependencies, making recovery incomplete or impossible.

Performing an inventory supports business impact analysis, risk assessments, and recovery prioritization. It ensures that all critical systems are accounted for and appropriate recovery strategies can be designed. Asset inventories are a foundational best practice for disaster recovery and continuity planning.

During the containment, eradication, and recovery phase of the incident response lifecycle, immediate action is taken to limit damage, remove the threat, and restore normal operations. Managing Cloud guidance explains that isolating affected systems is a key containment activity.

Taking systems offline prevents attackers from continuing malicious activity, stops further data loss, and allows remediation to occur safely. Once contained, systems can be cleaned, patched, restored from backups, and securely returned to service.

Validating alerts occurs during detection and analysis, identifying training needs belongs to lessons learned, and building a timeline of attack supports forensic analysis. Therefore, taking systems offline is the correct countermeasure in this phase.

To provide a comprehensive report of system usage, the most important elements are user identifications (IDs) and access timestamps. These data points record who accessed the system, at what time, and for how long. Together, they allow the analyst to determine frequency and duration of use, which is essential for both operational auditing and security oversight.

Other options, such as informational logs or error logs, may provide context but do not directly answer the requirement of identifying users and usage patterns. For instance, 802.1x logs are related to network authentication, while commands or error timestamps reveal activity details but not the overall access history.

Collecting and analyzing IDs and timestamps supports compliance with regulatory frameworks like ISO 27001 and SOC 2, which require clear audit trails. It also provides accountability and supports investigations in case of unauthorized access or misuse. By including these elements, the analyst ensures the report meets internal and external requirements for system monitoring.

In Agile development, user stories are the standard way to capture requirements for new features or improvements. A user story describes the functionality from the perspective of the end user, ensuring that development aligns with business needs.

“Cases” might refer to test cases, which validate requirements, but they are not used to describe them. Cookies are technical elements for web sessions, and notes are informal documentation.

User stories typically follow a format such as: “As a [role], I want [goal] so that [benefit].” This provides clarity, fosters communication between developers and stakeholders, and ensures that acceptance criteria can be defined and tested. Using stories as a requirement tool aligns with iterative, customer-focused release cycles.