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CompTIA Cloud+ (CV0-004)SecurityHard

A healthcare provider is deploying a new patient records application in a public cloud. Due to stringent regulatory requirements (e.g., HIPAA), they must ensure that all access to the application and its underlying data is logged and immutable for auditing purposes. Additionally, any changes to these logs must be immediately detectable. Which cloud storage feature should be implemented for the audit logs?

  1. AStandard Object Storage
  2. BEphemeral Storage
  3. CWrite Once Read Many (WORM) Storage
  4. DVersioned Object Storage
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C. Write Once Read Many (WORM) Storage

Write Once Read Many (WORM) storage (often implemented as Object Lock in cloud object storage services) is designed to make data immutable for a specified period, preventing deletion or modification. This directly addresses the requirement for immutable logs that are auditable and where any change would be impossible or immediately detectable as a violation of the WORM policy.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Standard Object Storage allows objects to be modified or deleted, failing the immutability requirement.
  • B. Ephemeral storage is temporary and designed to be wiped, completely unsuitable for persistent, immutable audit logs.
  • D. Versioned Object Storage keeps multiple versions of an object, but previous versions can still be deleted or new versions uploaded, not guaranteeing immutability for auditing.

WORM Storage for Audit Logs

Write Once Read Many (WORM) storage is a data storage paradigm that allows data to be written to a storage device once and prevents the data from being overwritten or erased, ensuring immutability for compliance and auditing.

  • Data cannot be modified or deleted after being written.
  • Essential for regulatory compliance (e.g., HIPAA, FINRA).
  • Used for audit logs, legal holds, and archival data.
  • Implemented via features like 'Object Lock' in cloud object storage.

Memory trick: WORM: 'W'rite 'O'nce, 'R'ead 'M'any, 'N'o 'M'odifications.

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