CompTIA Cloud+ Practice Test

After running security automation scripts, an increase in which VM metric is expected?

1. BIOS

2. CPU

3. DMA

4. IPSec

The correct answer is: CPU

When security automation scripts are executed, one of the primary tasks typically involves analyzing or modifying the behavior of virtual machines (VMs) to strengthen their security posture. This process can often lead to an increase in CPU usage. The reason for this increase is that security automation scripts usually involve several computational tasks, such as scanning for vulnerabilities, applying patches, or running assessments. Each of these tasks requires CPU resources to execute the assigned commands, processes, and checks on the VM. Moreover, if the scripts are designed to enhance security through process isolation or the enforcement of additional security checks, the VM's CPU may work harder to manage these additional workloads. In virtualized environments, where multiple VMs share physical resources, an increase in one VM's CPU usage can also momentarily impact the performance of other VMs if resource allocation is not managed properly. In contrast, the other options—BIOS, DMA, and IPSec—do not typically exhibit increased metrics due to running security automation scripts. BIOS does not relate directly to runtime metrics within a VM and operates at a lower hardware level. DMA (Direct Memory Access) is concerned with memory management and data transfer processes within hardware, which are less affected by software-based scripts. IPSec, while a