Hashing produces a fixed-length fingerprint of the script's contents. By comparing the current hash with a known good hash, the engineer can verify if the script has been altered. Hashing is a one-way function used to validate integrity.
Masking (A) hides data, obfuscation (B) hides code logic, and encryption (D) protects confidentiality but does not verify integrity as simply.
Integrity checking through hashing is fundamental in General Security Concepts#6:Chapter 7 CompTIA Security+ Study Guide#.

A responsibility matrix clarifies the division of responsibilities between the cloud service provider (CSP) and the customer, ensuring that each party understands and implements their respective security controls.
References: Security+ SY0-701 Course Content.

A qualitative risk analysis assigns descriptive ratings such as high, medium, or low to risks based on their likelihood and impact without numerical calculations.
Including MTTR/MTBF (A) and ALE/ARO (D) are quantitative methods using metrics. Risk registers (B) document risks but don't specify analysis type.
Qualitative and quantitative risk methods are fundamental in SY0-701 risk management#6:Chapter
17 CompTIA Security+ Study Guide#.

Non-compliance with internal policies, such as corporate security policies, falls under internal non- compliance. These are rules created and enforced within the organization to maintain security standards.
External non-compliance (A) refers to violations of outside regulations or laws. Standards (B) are generally established best practices or industry guidelines, and regulation (C) refers to legal or governmental requirements.
Internal compliance management is a key focus area in the Security Program Management domain of SY0-701
#6:Chapter 16 CompTIA Security+ Study Guide#.

Local data protection regulations are the first thing that a cloud-hosting provider should consider before expanding its data centers to new international locations. Data protection regulations are laws or standards that govern how personal or sensitive data is collected, stored, processed, and transferred across borders.
Different countries or regions may have different data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada, or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States.
A cloud-hosting provider must comply with the local data protection regulations of the countries or regions where it operates or serves customers, or else it may face legal penalties, fines, or reputational damage.
Therefore, a cloud-hosting provider should research and understand the local data protection regulations of the new international locations before expanding its data centers there. References = CompTIA Security+ Study Guide with over 500 Practice Test Questions: Exam SY0-701, 9th Edition, Chapter 7, page 269.
CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 Exam Objectives, Domain 5.1, page 14.