Comprehensive and Detailed in-Depth Explanation:
Why the Correct Answer is C (A CDN with the origin set to its data center):
AContent Delivery Network (CDN)is specifically designed to address the requirements presented:
Low Latency for Global Users:
A CDN caches static and dynamic content onedge serversdistributed across the globe.
This minimizes latency forremote geographic locationsas content is served from thenearest edge serverrather than the centralized New York data center.
SSL Offloading:
Many CDNs offerSSL terminationat the edge, offloading theSSL/TLS handshake processfrom the origin server.
This improvesweb server performanceby reducing the computational load.
Protection Against DoS and DDoS Attacks:
CDNs are equipped withbuilt-in DDoS protection, absorbing andmitigating attacksat the edge rather than letting them hit the origin server.
This capability ensures that the application remainsavailableeven during attack attempts.
High Availability:
CDNs are designed forresiliency and redundancy.
Even if the origin data center goes down, cached content can still be served frommultiple edge locations, enhancing availability.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:
A: A cache server farm in its data center:
While it improves performancelocally, it does not reducelatency for global users.
It lacksDDoS protectionand high availability across regions.
B: A load-balanced group of reverse proxy servers with SSL acceleration:
This approach improvesSSL performanceandavailabilitywithin the data center but does not addressglobal latency.
It also does not inherently provideDDoS mitigation.
D: Dual gigabit-speed internet connections with managed DDoS prevention:
This solution addressesDDoS protection and availabilitybut notlow latency for remote users.
Thebottleneck remainsat the single data center location, leading tohigh latencyfor global users.
Real-World Scenario:
A social media application similar toInstagram or TikTokmust ensurefast content deliveryandresilient performanceworldwide. ACDNenables content to be deliveredcloser to the user, significantly reducingloading times. Furthermore, theSSL offloading and DDoS mitigationcapabilities protect both user data and service availability.
Extract from CompTIA SecurityX CAS-005 Study Guide:
TheCompTIA SecurityX CAS-005 Official Study Guidehighlights thatCDNsare essential for applications with aglobal user base. CDNs providelow latency, enhanced security (including DDoS protection), and increased availabilityby distributing content throughedge locations. This aligns perfectly with the organizational requirements outlined.