Comprehensive and Detailed in-Depth Explanation: The primary focus when reviewing operational database management in a cloud environment should be the security settings configuration. Cloud environments often have complex and customizable security configurations, and any misconfiguration can lead to data breaches or unauthorized access. Ensuring proper security settings helps maintain data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Cloud vendor security certifications (Option A) are important but do not directly address how security is configured. Auto-scaling of provisioning costs (Option B) relates to resource management rather than security. Large-scale data transfers (Option D) may be relevant, but security settings directly impact data protection. ISACA CISA Reference: Domain 5 - Protection of Information Assets