- LPU MCA Semester 1
- CAP470
- Unit 6
CAP470 · Unit 6: Cloud security and standards
Cloud security challenges, authentication, authorization and identity and access management
12 practice questions · in the ETE syllabus
Key points
- Authentication verifies identity; authorization grants permissions
- MFA combines different factor types
- Shared responsibility divides security between provider and customer
- RBAC and least privilege limit access
Cloud computing brings its own security challenges: multi-tenancy (customers share infrastructure and need strong isolation), data breaches, insecure APIs, account hijacking, insider threats and loss of direct control. Security is a shared responsibility: in IaaS the provider secures the facility, hardware and hypervisor, while the customer secures the operating system, applications, data and access.
| Concept | Question it answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | Who are you? | Password, one-time code, fingerprint |
| Authorization | What may you do? | Read but not delete a bucket |
| IAM | Who has access to what? | Users, roles, policies |
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) combines different factor types: something you know (password), something you have (phone or token) and something you are (fingerprint). Single sign-on (SSO) lets users log in once through an identity provider. Role-based access control (RBAC) gives permissions to roles that are assigned to users, and the principle of least privilege grants only the permissions a job requires.
Exam trap: authentication proves identity and authorization grants permissions. A correct password does not imply permission to do everything.
Try two questions
Single sign-on (SSO) lets a user
- Use the same password in every service without any central system
- Skip authentication completely on trusted networks
- Log in once and then access several services without signing in again
- Create a new account at every service for added safety
Show the answer
C. An identity provider vouches for the user to many applications.
Why not A: SSO relies on a central identity provider, not repeated passwords.
Why not B: SSO still authenticates the user once.
Why not D: SSO reduces the number of separate accounts.
Multi-factor authentication improves security because it requires
- Two passwords that are both typed on the same keyboard
- A longer password with more than twenty characters
- A user name that is different from the email address
- Evidence from at least two different kinds of factor, such as something known and something owned
Show the answer
D. Combining a password with a device or biometric makes stolen passwords insufficient.
Why not A: Two passwords are still the same factor type.
Why not B: A longer password is still one factor.
Why not C: A user name is not a secret factor.