Encrypting patient data at rest is a critical requirement for healthcare providers to ensure compliance with regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The primary business requirement fulfilled by this practice is the protection of patient privacy while supporting the portability of medical information. By encrypting data at rest, healthcare providers safeguard sensitive patient information from unauthorized access, ensuring that privacy is maintained even if the storage media are compromised. Additionally, encryption supports the portability of patient records, allowing for secure transfer and access across different systems and locations while ensuring that privacy controls are in place.
Reference:
CompTIA SecurityX Study Guide: Emphasizes the importance of data encryption for protecting sensitive information and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
HIPAA Security Rule: Requires healthcare providers to implement safeguards, including encryption, to protect patient data.
"Health Informatics: Practical Guide for Healthcare and Information Technology Professionals" by Robert E. Hoyt: Discusses encryption as a key measure for protecting patient data privacy and supporting data portability.

Comprehensive and Detailed Step by Step
Understanding the Scenario: The question is about ensuring that an organization retains control over its encryption keys. It focuses on different key storage and management methods.
Analyzing the Answer Choices:
A : Encrypting using a key stored in an on-premises hardware security module (HSM): This is thebest option for maintaining complete control over encryption keys. An HSM is a dedicated, tamper-resistant hardware device specifically designed for secure key storage and cryptographic operations. Storing keys on-premises within an HSM ensures the organization has exclusive access.
Reference:
B : Encrypting using server-side encryption capabilities provided by the cloud provider: With server-side encryption, the cloud provider typically manages the encryption keys. This means the organization is relinquishing some control over the keys.
C : Encrypting using encryption and key storage systems provided by the cloud provider: Similar to option B, using cloud-provider-managed key storage systems means the organization doesn't have full, exclusive control over the keys.
D : Encrypting using a key escrow process for storage of the encryption key: Key escrow involves entrusting a third party with a copy of the encryption key. This introduces a potential security risk, as the organization no longer has sole control over the key. Also, the key is not maintained within the organization.
Control: On-premises HSMs provide the highest level of control over encryption keys. The organization has physical and logical control over the HSM and the keys stored within it.
Security: HSMs are designed to be tamper-resistant and protect keys from unauthorized access, even if the surrounding systems are compromised.
Compliance: In some industries, regulatory requirements may mandate that organizations maintain direct control over their encryption keys. On-premises HSMs can help meet these requirements.
CASP+ Relevance: HSMs, key management, and data encryption are fundamental topics in CASP+. The exam emphasizes understanding the security implications of different key management approaches.
Elaboration on Key Management Principles:
Key LifecycleManagement: Proper key management involves managing the entire lifecycle of a key, from generation and storage to rotation and destruction.
Separation of Duties: It's generally a good practice to separate the roles of key management and data encryption to enhance security.
Access Control: Strict access controls should be in place to limit who can access and use encryption keys.
In conclusion, using an on-premises HSM for key storage is the best way to ensure that an organization maintains control over its encryption keys. It provides the highest level of security and control, aligning with best practices in cryptography and key management as emphasized in the CASP+ exam objectives.

Reviewing the asset inventory allows the security team to identify all instances of the affected application versions within the organization. By knowing which systems are running the vulnerable versions, the team can assess the full scope of the impact, determine which systems might be compromised, and prioritize them for further investigation and remediation.
Performing a port scan (Option A) might help identify open ports but does not provide specific information about the application versions. Inspecting egress network traffic (Option B) and analyzing user behavior (Option D) are important steps in the incident response process but do not directly identify which versions of the application are affected.
Reference:
CompTIA Security+ Study Guide
NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2, "Computer Security Incident Handling Guide"
CIS Controls, "Control 1: Inventory and Control of Hardware Assets" and "Control 2: Inventory and Control of Software Assets"

The best solution to harden a three-tier environment (web, database, and application servers) is to implement microsegmentation on the server VLANs. Here's why:
Enhanced Security: Microsegmentation creates granular security zones within the data center, allowing for more precise control over east-west traffic between servers. This helps prevent lateral movement by attackers who may gain access to one part of the network.
Isolation of Tiers: By segmenting the web, database, and application servers, the organization can apply specific security policies and controls to each segment, reducing the risk of cross-tier attacks.
Compliance and Best Practices: Microsegmentation aligns with best practices for network security and helps meet compliance requirements by ensuring that sensitive data and systems are properly isolated and protected.
Reference:
CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Study Guide by Mike Chapple and David Seidl
NIST Special Publication 800-125: Guide to Security for Full Virtualization Technologies CIS Controls: Control 12 - Boundary Defense

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step
Regression testing ensures that new changes do not break existing functionality. It would have identified the memory leak before deployment, preventing downtime.