Managing-Cloud-Security Exam Dumps - WGU Courses and Certificates Questions and Answers

Categorizationis 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.

Cryptographic erasure is a secure data sanitization technique that relies on encryption. The process involves encrypting the data, encrypting the keys with a second layer, and then destroying the encryption keys. Without the keys, the encrypted data becomes unreadable and is effectively destroyed, even though the storage media remains intact.

One-way hashing is used for password storage, not full data destruction. Degaussing is for magnetic media, and overwriting involves physically writing new data over existing sectors.

Cryptographic erasure is widely used in cloud environments where physical media cannot be easily destroyed or reclaimed by customers. It ensures compliance with data retention and privacy regulations while maintaining environmental sustainability by allowing reuse of storage hardware.

Functional testingvalidates that new or updated code performs correctly from the end user’s perspective. This type of testing ensures that the patch delivers intended results without introducing errors. It focuses on verifying user interactions, workflows, and outputs.

Full testing may cover all aspects, but it is broader than necessary. Nonfunctional testing evaluates performance, scalability, or usability, not direct functionality. Tabletop testing is a discussion-based exercise, often used for incident response.

Functional testing ensures customer satisfaction by aligning patches with expected system behavior. It is a core component of Agile and DevOps pipelines, where user experience and rapid delivery are prioritized.

TheDestroyphase of the cloud data life cycle is where information is permanently removed from systems. A common technique in cloud environments for this phase iscrypto-shredding(or cryptographic erasure). Rather than physically destroying the media, crypto-shredding involves deleting or revoking encryption keys used to protect the data. Once those keys are destroyed, the encrypted data becomes mathematically unrecoverable, even if the underlying storage media remains intact.

This method is particularly useful in cloud environments where storage is virtualized and hardware cannot easily be physically destroyed. Crypto-shredding provides compliance-friendly assurance that sensitive data such as personally identifiable information (PII), financial data, or healthcare records cannot be accessed after retention periods expire or contractual obligations end.

By incorporating crypto-shredding into theDestroyphase, organizations align with standards forsecure data sanitization. This ensures legal defensibility during audits and e-discovery and demonstrates proper lifecycle governance. The emphasis is on making data inaccessible while still maintaining operational efficiency and environmental responsibility.