For an application hosted in a public cloud, which of the following controls is MOST critical for the confidentiality of stored data?

The correct answer is A. Encryption settings. Encryption settings directly protect data confidentiality by rendering stored data unreadable to unauthorized parties - even if an attacker gains physical or logical access to the storage medium, encrypted data is useless without the key. Logging settings (B) support accountabili

Submitted by brentm· Apr 18, 2026Information Security Risk Management

Question

Options

AEncryption settings
BLogging settings enabled
CBackup retention settings
DNetwork monitoring

How the community answered

(40 responses)

A
88% (35)
B
3% (1)
C
3% (1)
D
8% (3)

Explanation

Encryption settings directly protect data confidentiality by rendering stored data unreadable to unauthorized parties - even if an attacker gains physical or logical access to the storage medium, encrypted data is useless without the key. Logging settings (B) support accountability and forensic investigation but do nothing to prevent unauthorized reading of data. Backup retention settings (C) address availability and recovery, not confidentiality. Network monitoring (D) helps detect intrusions in transit but doesn't protect data already at rest.

Memory tip: Confidentiality = "Can anyone read this?" - Encryption is the lock on the data itself, making it the only control here that directly answers that question regardless of how the attacker got in.

Topics

#Data Confidentiality#Encryption#Cloud Security#Security Controls

Community Discussion

No community discussion yet for this question.

Full CISM Practice