WGU Managing-Cloud-Security - WGU Managing Cloud Security (JY02, GZO1)

Information bleed is a risk associated with the Platform as a Service (PaaS) cloud model. Managing Cloud principles explain that PaaS environments are inherently multi-tenant, with multiple customers sharing the same underlying platform components such as runtimes, databases, and middleware.

If isolation controls are weak or misconfigured, data from one tenant may inadvertently become accessible to another. This unintended exposure is referred to as information bleed and represents a significant confidentiality risk in shared environments.

Guest escape is primarily related to virtualization at the infrastructure layer, software interoperability is a functional concern, and web application security applies across all service models. Therefore, information bleed is the most relevant PaaS-specific risk.

A bastion host is a hardened system placed at the boundary between different security zones. It acts as a gateway, controlling access from a less secure network (such as the internet or a lower-trust zone) into a higher-security zone (such as an internal cloud environment).

Secure Shell (SSH) provides secure communication but does not create a boundary. Virtual clients and host isolation are endpoint measures, not boundary defenses.

By placing a bastion host at the perimeter, organizations centralize monitoring, apply strict access controls, and reduce attack surfaces. These hosts are typically stripped down to essential services, patched frequently, and monitored closely. In cloud environments, bastion hosts are essential for controlling administrative access while enforcing strong authentication and logging.

The Change Management Board (CMB), also called the Change Advisory Board (CAB), is the formal authority responsible for reviewing, assessing, and approving planned modifications to IT environments. This group ensures that proposed changes align with business objectives, do not introduce unnecessary risks, and comply with security and regulatory requirements.

Event management teams focus on monitoring events, problem management teams handle root-cause analysis, and executive boards provide strategic direction but are not operational approval authorities. Only the CMB has the explicit role of validating technical and security implications before implementation.

By involving the CMB, organizations enforce structured governance, minimize disruptions, and establish accountability. This practice is central in ITIL and ISO/IEC 20000 standards, ensuring that operational integrity and security are preserved during change cycles.

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.

A key benefit of federated identity and access management (IAM) is the ability to use an organization’s existing identities to access cloud services. Managing Cloud documentation explains that federation allows authentication to occur through a trusted identity provider rather than the cloud service provider.

This enables centralized identity management, reduces credential sprawl, and improves security by enforcing consistent authentication policies such as multi-factor authentication. Federation also simplifies user experience by enabling single sign-on across cloud and on-premises systems.

The other options do not represent core benefits of federated IAM. Therefore, using an organization’s identities is the correct answer.

Acceptance testing evaluates whether the system meets user requirements and performs as expected in real-world conditions. In this case, employees need the graphical interface to work properly for customer data entry. Acceptance testing confirms usability, accuracy, and functionality from the end user’s perspective.

Load testing measures performance under stress, regression testing checks for errors introduced by new changes, and security testing ensures system defenses. These are valuable, but they do not validate end-user satisfaction and workflow alignment.

Acceptance testing is the final validation step before production deployment. It ensures that updates deliver intended business value and user experience. By involving employees in acceptance testing, organizations ensure successful adoption of new systems.

The Private cloud model provides the greatest retention of governance controls for large organizations with legacy systems. Managing Cloud guidance explains that private clouds are dedicated environments operated solely for one organization, either on-premises or hosted by a third party.

This model allows companies to maintain strict control over security policies, compliance requirements, data governance, and system configurations. Legacy systems that require specific architectures, custom integrations, or regulatory oversight can be more easily accommodated in a private cloud environment.

Public clouds offer limited control, community clouds share governance across organizations, and hybrid clouds introduce additional complexity. Therefore, private cloud is the most appropriate model for retaining governance controls with legacy systems.

Access control is the SIEM-related concept that focuses on preventing and detecting account and service hijacking. Managing Cloud guidance explains that access control mechanisms define who can access systems, services, and data, and under what conditions.

SIEM solutions monitor access control events such as failed logins, privilege escalation, and abnormal authentication patterns. By analyzing these events, organizations can detect compromised accounts, stolen credentials, or unauthorized service access.

Digital forensics occurs after an incident, trust is a conceptual principle, and LDAP is a directory protocol rather than a SIEM focus area. Therefore, access control is the correct answer.

Provisioning is the first phase of identity management used to assert a user’s identity. Managing Cloud documentation explains that identity management begins with establishing and registering a user within an identity system. Provisioning involves creating a digital identity, assigning unique identifiers, and associating credentials that allow the user to be recognized by systems and applications.

This phase forms the foundation for all subsequent identity and access management processes. Without proper provisioning, authentication and authorization cannot occur because the system has no trusted identity to evaluate. Provisioning also includes defining initial roles and access levels based on organizational policies.

Centralization and decentralization describe architectural approaches to managing identities rather than lifecycle phases. Deprovisioning occurs at the end of the lifecycle when access is revoked. Therefore, provisioning is correctly identified as the first phase where the user’s identity is established and asserted.

The Stored Communications Act (SCA) is a United States jurisdictional data protection law enacted to limit and regulate forced disclosure of electronic communications by internet service providers. Managing Cloud principles describe the SCA as a legal framework that governs how stored electronic communications and customer data may be accessed by government entities.

The act establishes requirements for warrants, subpoenas, and court orders before service providers can disclose stored data. This protection is particularly relevant in cloud environments, where service providers store large volumes of customer data on behalf of organizations.

The other options are incorrect. APP8 and APP11.1 are Australian Privacy Principles, and GDPR applies to the European Union. Therefore, the Stored Communications Act is the correct U.S. jurisdictional protection.