According to the CSA website, the primary purpose of the Open Certification Framework (OCF) for

the CSA STAR program is to provide global, accredited, trusted certification of cloud providers1 The

OCF is an industry initiative to allow global, trusted independent evaluation of cloud providers. It is a

program for flexible, incremental and multi-layered cloud provider certification and/or attestation

according to the Cloud Security Alliance’s industry leading security guidance and control

framework2 The OCF aims to address the gaps within the IT ecosystem that are inhibiting market

adoption of secure and reliable cloud services, such as the lack of simple, cost effective ways to

evaluate and compare providers’ resilience, data protection, privacy, and service portability2 The

OCF also aims to promote industry transparency and reduce complexity and costs for both providers

and customers3

The other options are not correct because:

Option A is not correct because facilitating an effective relationship between the cloud service

provider and cloud client is not the primary purpose of the OCF for the CSA STAR program, but rather

a potential benefit or outcome of it. The OCF can help facilitate an effective relationship between the

provider and the client by providing a common language and framework for assessing and

communicating the security and compliance posture of the provider, as well as enabling trust and

confidence in the provider’s capabilities and performance. However, this is not the main goal or

objective of the OCF, but rather a means to achieve it.

Option B is not correct because ensuring understanding of true risk and perceived risk by the cloud

service users is not the primary purpose of the OCF for the CSA STAR program, but rather a possible

implication or consequence of it. The OCF can help ensure understanding of true risk and perceived

risk by the cloud service users by providing objective and verifiable information and evidence about

the provider’s security and compliance level, as well as allowing comparison and benchmarking with

other providers in the market. However, this is not the main aim or intention of the OCF, but rather a

result or effect of it.

Option D is not correct because enabling the cloud service provider to prioritize resources to meet its

own requirements is not the primary purpose of the OCF for the CSA STAR program, but rather a

potential advantage or opportunity for it. The OCF can enable the cloud service provider to prioritize

resources to meet its own requirements by providing a flexible, incremental and multi-layered

approach to certification and/or attestation that allows the provider to choose the level of assurance

that suits their business needs and goals. However, this is not the main reason or motivation for the

OCF, but rather a benefit or option for it.

Reference: 1: Open Certification Framework Working Group | CSA 2: Open Certification Framework |

CSA - Cloud Security Alliance 3: Why your cloud services need the CSA STAR Registry listing