CompTIA SecurityX (CAS-005)Security ArchitectureEasy
A security architect is designing a system for a global financial institution that processes high-volume transactions and requires continuous availability. The design must ensure that the system can withstand the failure of an entire regional data center without service interruption. Which architectural principle is most critical for achieving this requirement?
- ADefense in Depth
- BRedundancy and Fault Tolerance
- CSeparation of Duties
- DLeast Privilege
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Redundancy and Fault Tolerance
To ensure continuous availability and withstand a data center failure, the system must incorporate redundancy and fault tolerance. This involves duplicating critical components and services across multiple locations so that if one fails, others can take over seamlessly.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Defense in Depth involves multiple layers of security, which is good for protection but not directly for availability during a catastrophic failure.
- C. Separation of Duties is a security control to prevent fraud or error, not a principle for system resilience against infrastructure failure.
- D. Least Privilege is important for security but does not directly address system availability during a data center failure.
Redundancy and Fault Tolerance
The architectural principle of duplicating critical components or functions to ensure system availability and resilience against failures.
- Ensures continuous operation despite component or system failures.
- Achieved through duplication of hardware, software, or data.
- Key for high availability and disaster recovery planning.
Memory trick: Resilience is like a backup plan for when things go wrong, keeping the gears turning.