Domain 7 · Objective reference 7.3 · Chapter 45 of 62
Provision and maintain an approved configuration state
About 5 minutes · Current ISC2 outline effective 15 April 2024; the announced 15 April 2027 replacement requires separate mapping
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Picture the topic
Remember this: A baseline is a maintained state not a one-time document.
Explore the anchors
Define an approved secure configuration.
Concept matching activity
Match this task or description to its concept:
Deploy and record the intended state.
Choose a concept before checking the explanation.
A quick way to study this topic
- Hide the explanation and redraw these three anchors from memory.
- Explain the difference between the anchors in your own words.
- Apply the distinction to the worked example below. Check the full lesson for assumptions and exceptions.
- Recall it again tomorrow, then after a few days. A memory hint is a retrieval cue, not a replacement for understanding.
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What this chapter explains
- Concepts and mechanisms
- Design, evidence and tradeoffs
Concepts and mechanisms
Configuration management establishes and maintains knowledge of an asset’s intended state. Baselines define approved conditions; records track versions and dependencies; drift identifies differences needing evaluation. Automated provisioning can make desired state repeatable, but an incorrect template can repeat a defect at scale. Protect templates, credentials and approval of material changes.
Design, evidence and tradeoffs
Inventory assets and owners, validate deployed state and reconcile exceptions. Include ephemeral cloud resources and non-human identities. Configuration management describes and maintains state, while change management governs modifications to it. Post-change verification should check behavior and access, not merely whether a deployment job ran. Retirement must remove relevant identities and data paths as well as the configuration entry.
Worked example
A storage template accidentally enables public access; automation distributes the error until baseline validation detects the unwanted state.
Check your understanding
Why does repeatable automation not guarantee a secure result?
Show explanation
It consistently applies the specified design, including any incorrect permissions or assumptions in that design.
Source and study boundary
Official syllabus source. The reference identifies the topic being taught. Explanations and examples are original academy material; a topic link does not establish independent approval or sufficient exam mastery.