Hey there, fellow WGU student! If you are taking the Managing Cloud Security WGU D320 OA exam, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of material and concepts that you need to master for the OA exam. Trust me, I know how you feel! I was in your shoes not too long ago, and I was wondering how I could possibly pass the OA exam and finish the course. You don’t need to worry anymore, because I will be guiding you through the unnecessary information and show you the easiest path to achieve your goal. So let’s discuss all the tips and tricks on how to ace this module.
...
What is Managing Cloud Security WGU D320 📖
Welcome to the Managing Cloud Security course! This course focuses on strategies for securing cloud-based data and implementing secure solutions within various cloud service models.
You will demonstrate your understanding of course competencies through objective assessments. Prior completion of prerequisite courses is recommended for optimal success, as they provide foundational knowledge in areas such as network security, information technology, and cryptography.
Prerequisites for this course are:
- D315- Network and Security Foundations
- D316 – IT Foundations
- D317 – Network and Security Foundations
- D430 – Foundations of Information Security
- D325 – Networks
- D329 – Networks and Security Foundations
- D281 – Linux Foundations
- D334 – Introduction to Cryptography
- C845 – Information Systems Security
- D340 – Cyber Defense and Countermeasures
Managing Cloud Security covers essential topics including identity and access management, development of security policies and procedures for cloud applications, risk analysis and management, disaster recovery planning, and compliance with legal and ethical standards.
In this module you will go through below competencies:
- Competency 4092.1.1: Safeguards Cloud Data
- Competency 4092.1.2: Implements Secure Solutions
- Competency 4092.1.3: Implements Operations
- Competency 4092.1.4: Identifies Security Policies and Procedures
- Competency 4092.1.5: Conducts Risk Management
- Competency 4092.1.6: Identifies Legal, Compliance, and Ethical Concerns
By the end of Managing Cloud Security WGU D320, you will possess the skills necessary to identify and mitigate security risks within cloud environments, establish robust security measures, and ensure compliance with relevant regulations. Join us as we delve into the intricacies of cloud security and prepare to excel in this critical field!
...
About the Pre-assessment and the Objective assessment📝
Both the Pre-A and the OA of Managing Cloud Security WGU D320 module contain 80 multiple-choice questions, and you will be given 2 hours to attempt them. The passing score for the assessments is set at 70%. But don’t worry, both assessments are fairly simple if you have already completed the prerequisite modules. D320 combines all these prerequisites, so all the questions can be answered using the knowledge you have already gained. One key note to keep in mind is to pay close attention to the “cloud service models and laws around cloud infrastructure” topic in the course materials, as there will be more questions concentrated on this topic. Also, revise your knowledge of the concepts below before attempting the OA as well.
- Acts and laws in cloud computing and which organizations are behind them (NIST, FIPS, ISO)
- Data labeling
- BC/DR
- Cloud deployment types
- Shared risk and security management
- Roles of cloud access security provider (CASB) and the customer
- How tokenization works
- DAST and SAST
Another tip I can reveal is that you should look at the questions in the assessments from the mind of an IT manager instead of trying to technically dissect them. This will help you to properly grasp the idea of the question and come to the right conclusion easily.
Study Guide for Managing Cloud Security WGU D320📝
In this section, we will discuss the tried and true study method that I have used to successfully complete my OA. This method will ensure that you are well-prepared for the challenge ahead and will also take you to your goal in the shortest amount of time. Be sure to closely follow the steps that I will reveal in this article, and I will guarantee your success in passing the OA. Without further ado, let us begin…
Step 1 – Take the Pre-A of module D320
Yes, you read it correctly. I am advising you to take the Pre-A of the module right away without reading through the course material. If you are confused about why I would advise such a drastic method, let me explain why. As I have mentioned earlier, this module is a combination of several other modules that you have surely already completed (You can find the list of prerequisite modules in the sections above). That means you already have most of the knowledge that is necessary to pass this exam. By attempting the Pre-A first, what we are attempting to do is to take a guesstimate of your knowledge to base your study plan. Once the Pre-A is completed, you can go through the coaching guide that will be generated and get an idea of your weak points. This will significantly reduce the amount of time that you will take to study the course content rather than reading through the study materials directly. Once you open the auto-generated coaching guide, you should note down the areas and topics you have scored the lowest.
If for some reason you have not completed the prerequisite modules, we advise you to check with your Instructor first to confirm if you are on the correct study path. If so, you should go through the study materials first and go to Step 2 directly without taking the Pre-A.
Step 2 – Revise your knowledge
Now that you know which areas you need to work on to refine your knowledge in this module, with the help of the coaching guide, I recommend that you go through the CSA publication provided to you in the WGU study materials and read through the chapters you have obtained the lowest scores on. This will ensure you have complete knowledge of all the course competencies.
The next step is to revise all the course contents once more, from top to bottom. Even though you have completed the prerequisite modules already, it might have been long enough that you already forgot some key concepts and topics. So it is crucial to go through the course content at least one more time as a refresher. For this purpose, we recommend you to go through “Mike Chapple’s LinkedIn learning series on CSSP course prep”. This video series will help you as a quick refresher for each topic in D320.
If you are still not confident enough about the course content, I recommend you go through the CCSP/CISSP official study guide to validate your knowledge. If reading is not your forte, you can find the audiobook version of the official study guide on the O’Reilly media website. This website currently has a free trial period for new joiners, so you can use this to your advantage.
Step 3 – Go through practice quizzes and quizzlets
After step 2, you should have acquired the knowledge to sit for the OA with confidence. Now is the time to test your knowledge and check if you will survive the challenge up ahead. For this, I recommend you go through some of the below resources I have listed.
1) The resources provided by WGU – Wiley efficient learning, Pluralsight, Gwen Bettwy’s Udemy course
Navigate to the module D320 > Course materials > Exam Readiness > Practise Exams
2) Quizzlets on key topics
Quizzlet #1
Quizzlet #2
Quizzlet #3
Quizzlet #4
3) CCSP Official (ISC)2 Practice Tests – Link
Once you go through these practice exams and quizzes, you are finally ready to face the OA.
Step 4 – Retake the Pre-A
Now all that is left is for you to put your knowledge to the test. This time, treat the Pre-A as the final exam. Try not to rush through the questions. Instead, take your time and concentrate on each question, attempting to answer all of them correctly. The result of the Pre-A will further validate your progress in this module.
- Follow the same steps as the first time you took the Pre-A
- Compare your score and coaching report with the previous one and see if you have made progress
- If you pass the Pre-A, congratulate yourself and ready up for the OA
- If you fail the Pre-A, don’t give up and review the topics that you still struggle with
Step 5 – Schedule and sit for the OA
If you have completed all the steps so far, congratulate yourself. This is the final hurdle you have to pass through to achieve your end goal. In my experience, the questions in the OA are written differently than those in the Pre-A. This means that you need to carefully read each question to understand what is being asked. Look out for double negatives and unusual phrasing in some questions that might confuse you. With that in mind, schedule the OA as soon as possible and sit for the exam with confidence.
- Make sure you have a stable internet connection, a webcam, and a microphone.
- Follow the proctoring instructions and rules carefully.
- Use the same strategies and skills that you used for the Pre-A
- Relax and be confident in your abilities.
By following these steps you should be more than ready to pass Managing Cloud Security WGU D320 OA with flying colors. To assist you further in your studies, I have also provided some key topics and concepts you should understand in the section below.
...
Key Topics and Concepts to keep in mind 🔑
These topics and concepts are selected through my experience with the module as well as other former students of WGU as well. So pay close attention to the information provided below and try to memorize the details. This will significantly help you in passing the OA.
DAST and SAST
In cloud computing environments, both DAST and SAST play complementary roles in ensuring the security of applications.
DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing):
DAST is focused on an application’s live execution, which means analyzing a running application for security vulnerabilities while it’s in operation. In this process, the tester replicates the real-time attacks in their entirety and the amount of their response is also analyzed. In cloud computing, DAST tools interact directly with the application over the network and act just like attackers’ behavior resulting in the generation of malicious attacks. As a result of that, DAST is empowered to find and exploit the dependencies that include injection flaws, broken authorization, insecure direct object references, and many others. DAST is particularly useful in cloud environments where applications may be constantly changing or where rapid development and deployment cycles are common.
SAST (Static Application Security Testing):
SAST, on the other hand, considers testing source code or binary objects without executing it. This testing method involves the review of the code for the presence of security bugs, design faults, and adherence to programming standards. Here, SAST tools can scan the code of applications being stored in repositories or IDEs. Via an analysis of the code directly, SAST can spot flaws like buffer overflows, SQL injection, XSS cross-site scripting and unsafe cryptographic algorithms. SAST serves as a useful aid in a cloud environment, which allows security vulnerabilities to be identified early in the development process and consequently lowers the risk of cloud-borne insecure code being deployed to production environments.
Tokenization
Tokenization in cloud computing works on the principle of substituting sensitive information with tokens that are like the placeholders that form a reference for the real data. This is a procedure that shields such data as credit card numbers, social security numbers and PINs from breaking into the system by third parties who are not authorized. Tokenization in cloud computing environments is an excellent way to strengthen data security by reducing the risk of data piracy or unauthorized access to sensitive data. Moreover, it is possible to implement the agreed rules and regulations like PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) or GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) smoothly, since tokenization helps reduce the amount of sensitive data in storage and transit.
Steps of Tokenization:
- Data Identification: Identify sensitive data such as credit card numbers or social security numbers within the application or database.
- Token Generation: Generate unique tokens for each piece of sensitive data. Tokens are random and have no meaningful correlation to the original data.
- Token Storage: Replace the sensitive data with its corresponding token in the application or database. Store the original sensitive data securely in a separate location known as a token vault.
- Token Usage: When the application needs to access the original data, it sends the token to the tokenization system. The system retrieves the corresponding original data from the token vault and returns it to the application.
- Data Protection: Since only tokens are transmitted and stored within the application or database, the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data is reduced. Even if a malicious actor gains access to tokens, they are meaningless without access to the token vault.
- Tokenization Management: Implement management capabilities for tokenization, including encryption of sensitive data within the token vault, access controls, and logging and auditing capabilities to track token usage and access.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
In cloud computing, Business Continuity (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) involve preparing for and responding to unexpected events that could disrupt operations. This includes storing data in multiple locations, using redundant infrastructure, and creating plans for quickly recovering from disasters. By leveraging cloud services, organizations can maintain continuous operations and minimize downtime in the face of unforeseen events.BC/DR works as below;
- Assess Risks: Identify potential threats and risks to IT infrastructure and operations.
- Replicate Data: Store copies of data across multiple locations for redundancy.
- Ensure High Availability: Deploy applications across redundant infrastructure to maintain continuous operation.
- Backup Data: Regularly back up data to secure storage locations.
- Plan for Disaster Recovery: Develop procedures for recovering IT systems and applications in case of a disaster.
- Test Plans: Conduct tests to validate BC/DR plans and make necessary improvements.
- Monitor and Improve: Continuously monitor systems and processes to enhance resilience and preparedness.
...
External Resources 📂
I have listed multiple resources below that you can utilize for further studies on the course material.
...
Conclusion 📄
To sum it up, passing the Managing Cloud Security WGU D320 OA is fairly simple if you already have the knowledge of the prerequisite modules. If you follow my study guide step by step, you will be able to ace the OA in a matter of days. The study guide I have created cuts through all the unnecessary information and leads you to the important information so you can study the module without any unnecessary burden. Make sure you understand the course material, go through the practice questions, and complete the Pre-A as I have recommended. It’s also helpful to get help from your course instructors, use study materials from the university, and stay organized. With hard work, you can achieve your goals in no time. Good luck!
