Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET) Practice Exam

Which NIST cloud service model requires the customer to keep the operating system up to date?

1. IaaS

2. PaaS

3. FaaS

4. SaaS

The correct answer is: IaaS

The Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) model is characterized by providing virtualized computing resources over the internet. In this model, customers are responsible not only for managing the applications and data but also for the operating systems of the virtual machines they provision. IaaS gives customers the flexibility to configure, manage, and maintain their environments, which includes updating the operating system to ensure security and performance. This responsibility typically involves applying patches, managing configurations, and installing updates, making it different from other cloud service models where the provider manages more of the underlying infrastructure. In contrast, Platform as a Service (PaaS) abstracts much of the underlying operating system management, allowing customers to focus more on application development. Software as a Service (SaaS) is fully managed by the provider, leaving the customer with no responsibility for the underlying operating system. Function as a Service (FaaS) often involves an event-driven execution model where the customer doesn’t manage the infrastructure directly. Thus, IaaS distinctly requires the customer to keep the operating system up to date, making it the correct choice.