Cloud Computing Capstone (D342)

Correct Answer

B. Managing user access and permissions within their cloud environment

Explanation

In the Shared Responsibility Model, AWS takes care of the security "of" the cloud, including the physical infrastructure, network, and hardware. However, the customer is responsible for security "in" the cloud, which includes managing user access, permissions, and configuring security settings within their environment. Customers must ensure that only authorized users and services can access resources and that access control is properly managed.

Why other options are wrong

A. Ensuring the physical security of AWS data centers

This responsibility is managed by AWS. Customers do not need to worry about securing the physical hardware in AWS data centers.

C. Maintaining the underlying hardware infrastructure

AWS is responsible for managing and maintaining the underlying hardware, including servers, storage, and networking equipment.

D. Providing network security for AWS's global infrastructure

AWS handles network security for the global infrastructure. Customers are responsible for securing their cloud-based resources, including configuring firewalls, VPCs, and other network-related settings within their AWS environment.

Correct Answer

C. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)

Explanation

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provides virtual machines, storage, and other fundamental resources, along with the ability to control them through an API. With IaaS, users manage the operating system and applications while the cloud provider manages the underlying hardware and infrastructure. This model allows organizations to rent computing resources on-demand without having to invest in physical hardware.

Why other options are wrong

A. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

SaaS provides fully managed applications over the internet. Users access software applications (e.g., email, CRM, office software) but do not control the underlying infrastructure, operating systems, or hardware.

B. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)

PaaS offers a platform to develop, run, and manage applications without managing the underlying infrastructure. While it provides tools for software development, users do not have direct control over virtual machines and hardware.

D. Virtual Service

This is not a recognized cloud computing model. The correct term is IaaS, which offers virtual machines and other hardware resources for control through an API.

Correct Answer

A. Hardware components and infrastructure

Explanation

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provides users with access to essential hardware resources, such as virtualized servers, storage, and networking capabilities. This allows organizations to rent the underlying infrastructure needed for computing without having to invest in physical hardware.

Why other options are wrong

B. Scalable applications

This is more closely related to Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), which offers a platform for deploying scalable applications without managing the underlying infrastructure.

C. Middleware and runtime environments

This describes PaaS, which provides middleware and runtime environments to support the development, testing, and deployment of applications. IaaS is more focused on hardware resources.

D. Pre-built software applications

This describes Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), which delivers complete, ready-to-use software applications over the internet, unlike IaaS, which focuses on providing infrastructure.

Correct Answer

B. Providing a secure and isolated environment for an organization's resources

Explanation

A Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) in AWS allows users to create a logically isolated network within the AWS cloud. It provides full control over network configurations, such as IP address ranges, subnets, and route tables, ensuring that resources within the VPC are secure and isolated from other networks.

Why other options are wrong

A. Ensuring that network traffic between services is encrypted

While encryption can be enabled within a VPC (e.g., using SSL/TLS or VPN connections), encryption is not the core benefit of a VPC. The VPC’s main benefit is its ability to isolate resources in a secure network.

C. Automatically replicating data for disaster recovery

This is a feature related to other AWS services like Amazon S3 and RDS, but it is not a primary benefit of creating a VPC. VPC focuses more on network isolation and configuration rather than automatic data replication.

D. Allowing access to AWS services from anywhere with an internet connection

While a VPC can allow internet access to resources, its primary benefit is creating a secure and isolated network for your resources within AWS, not simply enabling access from anywhere.

Correct Answer

A. It has unrestricted access to all resources and can lead to security vulnerabilities.

Explanation

The root account in cloud computing environments, especially in AWS, has full and unrestricted access to all resources and configurations within an account. This high level of access makes it a prime target for attackers, and its use poses a significant security risk. To reduce this risk, it is recommended to limit the use of the root account for everyday tasks and to use IAM (Identity and Access Management) roles with more specific permissions for routine operations.

Why other options are wrong

B. It is required for all administrative tasks and cannot be disabled.

This is incorrect because, while the root account can perform administrative tasks, it is not necessary for every administrative function. IAM users with appropriate permissions can perform administrative actions, so the root account is not required for all tasks. Additionally, the root account can be secured but not disabled.

C. It is only intended for billing purposes and does not allow resource management.

This is incorrect because the root account is capable of both managing billing and controlling all resources. It has full administrative rights, meaning it can access and configure any service in the account, not just billing information.

D. It is automatically locked after the first use to prevent unauthorized access.

This is incorrect because the root account is not automatically locked after the first use. It remains active and usable unless secured with multi-factor authentication (MFA) or other security measures. It is not locked by default, so it's important to take precautions to protect it.

Correct Answer

D. Taking advantage of excess EC2 capacity at prices below standard on-demand rates, for short duration jobs.

Explanation

Spot instances allow users to bid for unused EC2 capacity at a lower price than on-demand instances. They are ideal for short-duration, non-critical workloads that can tolerate interruptions. Spot instances can be terminated by AWS when there is a need for capacity, making them best suited for flexible and short-term tasks that do not require continuous availability.

Why other options are wrong

A. Running database instances that can scale up and down based on a specific workload.

This is incorrect because Spot instances are not well-suited for workloads that need continuous availability, like databases. Spot instances can be interrupted by AWS, which could lead to database instability or loss of data in such applications.

B. Running long duration and highly transactional applications.

This is incorrect because Spot instances are not designed for long-running, highly transactional applications. These types of applications require stable, uninterrupted resources, which is not guaranteed with Spot instances due to the possibility of termination.

C. For building distributed fault tolerant databases under a tight deadline.

This is incorrect because Spot instances are not ideal for fault-tolerant databases that require high availability. While they can be used in a distributed system, the potential for interruption makes them unsuitable for applications that need consistent uptime.

Correct Answer

D. Mitigation of phishing attacks

Explanation

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) significantly mitigates phishing attacks by requiring an additional layer of authentication, typically something the user knows (password) and something the user has (e.g., an authentication app or a hardware key). This makes it much harder for attackers to gain access, even if they have the user’s password, as they would also need to have the second authentication factor.

Why other options are wrong

A. Required use of biometrics

This is incorrect because while biometrics (e.g., fingerprint or facial recognition) can be used as a form of authentication, MFA does not necessarily require biometrics. MFA is about using two or more different factors, which could include something you know (password), something you have (security token or smartphone app), or something you are (biometrics).

B. Protection of data in motion

This is incorrect because MFA primarily focuses on securing access to systems and services by verifying the identity of users, rather than directly protecting data in motion. Protection of data in motion is typically achieved through encryption technologies such as SSL/TLS.

C. Federated authentication

This is incorrect because federated authentication is a method that allows users to access multiple systems with a single set of credentials, typically used in Single Sign-On (SSO) systems. While MFA can be used in federated authentication setups, it is not the primary benefit of MFA.

Correct Answer

B. IAM access advisor

Explanation

The IAM access advisor provides valuable insights into the permissions assigned to a user and how frequently those permissions are being used. It helps identify unused permissions, which can help in enforcing the principle of least privilege by allowing administrators to adjust access based on actual usage patterns. This tool assists in evaluating security by ensuring that users only have the permissions they need and are actually using.

Why other options are wrong

A. IAM roles

IAM roles are used to grant specific permissions to entities like users, services, or applications. However, they do not provide insights into permission usage history, which is the focus of the question.

C. IAM policies

IAM policies define what actions are allowed or denied for a user, group, or role. While policies specify permissions, they do not provide insight into how those permissions are being used, which is the main feature of IAM access advisor.

D. IAM credentials

IAM credentials are used to authenticate and authorize users to access AWS resources, but they do not provide information about permission usage or history. The credentials are more concerned with proving identity rather than analyzing permissions.

Correct Answer

A. On-demand self-service

Explanation

On-demand self-service is a key characteristic of cloud computing, enabling users to automatically provision computing resources such as storage, processing power, and network bandwidth without needing to interact with the service provider. This feature makes cloud environments highly scalable and flexible, allowing users to easily scale resources up or down as needed without manual intervention.

Why other options are wrong

B. Broad network access

This characteristic refers to the ability of cloud services to be accessed over the network through a variety of devices, such as computers, smartphones, and tablets. While broad network access is essential for cloud computing, it does not specifically address the automatic provisioning of resources, which is the focus of the question.

C. Multi-tenancy and resource pooling

This characteristic refers to the cloud service provider's ability to pool computing resources and allocate them to different customers, often in a shared environment. Although this is a foundational aspect of cloud computing, it doesn't directly relate to the automation of resource provisioning without human intervention.

D. Measured service

Measured service refers to the cloud computing model where users only pay for the resources they use, often based on metered usage. While this is a critical feature of cloud computing, it does not directly enable the automatic provisioning of resources.