ICS-SCADA Exam Dumps - ICS/SCADA Cyber Security Exam

TCP flags are used in the header of TCP segments to control the flow of data and to indicate the status of a connection. Valid TCP flags include:

FIN: Finish, used to terminate the connection.

PSH: Push, instructs the receiver to pass the data to the application immediately.

URG: Urgent, indicates that the data contained in the segment should be processed urgently.

RST: Reset, abruptly terminates the connection upon error or other conditions.

SYN: Synchronize, used during the initial handshake to establish a connection.These flags are integral to managing the state and flow of TCP connections.References:

Douglas E. Comer, "Internetworking with TCP/IP Vol.1: Principles, Protocols, and Architecture".

A data diode is known as a prebuilt directional gateway that is unidirectional, designed specifically to allow data to travel in only one direction, ensuring secure one-way communication. This feature makes data diodes ideal for environments where it iscritical to prevent any possibility of data leakage or unauthorized access from an external network back to a secure network. Data diodes are commonly used in military and industrial applications, including ICS/SCADA systems, to protect sensitive information.References:

U.S. Department of Energy, "Cybersecurity for SCADA Systems".

IPsec offers two modes of operation: Transport mode and Tunnel mode.

Transport mode in IPsec provides security for the payload (the message part) of each packet along the communication path between two endpoints.

In this mode, the IP header of the original packet is not encrypted; it secures only the payload, not protecting the headers. This means while the data is protected, information about the sender and receiver as contained in the IP header is not obscured.

References

"Security Architecture for IP," RFC 4301.

IPsec documentation, Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

WannaCry is a ransomware attack that spread rapidly across multiple computer networks in May 2017.

The vulnerability exploited by the WannaCry ransomware was in the Microsoft Windows implementation of the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol.

Specifically, the exploit, known as EternalBlue, targeted a flaw in the SMBv1 protocol. This flaw allowed the ransomware to spread within corporate networks without any user interaction, making it one of the fastest-spreading and most harmful cyberattacks at the time.

References

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS17-010 - Critical:https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/SecurityBulletins/2017/ms17-010

National Vulnerability Database, CVE-2017-0144:https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-0144

IEC 62443 defines multiple security levels (SLs) tailored to address different types of threats and attackers in industrial control systems.

Security Level 4 (SL4) is designed to protect against sophisticated attacks by adversaries such as hacktivists or terrorists. SL4 involves threats that are targeted with specific intent against the organization, using advanced skills and means.

This level assumes that the adversary is capable of sustained and focused efforts with significant resources, including state-level actors or well-funded groups, aiming at causing widespread disruption or damage.

References

IEC 62443-3-3: System security requirements and security levels.

"Industrial Network Security: Securing Critical Infrastructure Networks for Smart Grid, SCADA, and Other Industrial Control Systems," by Eric Knapp.

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and SCADA networks typically operate in environments where the available bandwidth is limited. They are often characterized by:

Low processing threshold: ICS/SCADA devices generally have limited processing capabilities due to their specialized and often legacy nature.

Legacy systems: Many ICS/SCADA systems include older technology that might not support newer security protocols or high-speed data transfer.

Weak network stack: These systems may have incomplete or less robust network stacks that can be susceptible to specific types of network attacks.

High bandwidth networks are not typical of ICS/SCADA environments, as these systems do not usually require or support high-speed data transmission due to their operational requirements and the older technology often used in such environments.

References

"Navigating the Challenges of Industrial Control Systems," by ISA-99 Industrial Automation and Control Systems Security.

"Cybersecurity for Industrial Control Systems," by the Department of Homeland Security.

LACNIC, the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry, is the regional internet registry (RIR) responsible for allocating and administering IP addresses and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Function: LACNIC manages the distribution of internet number resources (IP addresses and ASNs) in its region, maintaining the registry of domain owners and other related information.

Coverage: The organization covers over 30 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.

Services: LACNIC provides a range of services including IP address allocation, ASN allocation, reverse DNS, and policy development for internet resource management in its region.

Given this role, LACNIC is the correct answer for the registrar that contains information for domain owners in Latin America.

References

"About LACNIC," LACNIC, LACNIC Overview.

"Regional Internet Registries," Wikipedia,Regional Internet Registries.

A Network Intrusion Prevention System (NIPS) is capable of monitoring and validating encrypted data if it is integrated with technologies that allow it to decrypt the traffic.

Typically, network IPS can be set up with SSL/TLS decryption capabilities to inspect encrypted data as it traverses the network. This allows the IPS to analyze the content of encrypted packets and apply security policies accordingly.

Monitoring encrypted traffic is critical in detecting hidden malware, unauthorized data exfiltration, and other security threats concealed within SSL/TLS encrypted sessions.

References

"Network Security Technologies and Solutions," by Yusuf Bhaiji, Cisco Press.

"Decrypting SSL/TLS Traffic with IPS," by Palo Alto Networks.

Ingress filtering is a method used in network security to ensure that incoming packets are allowed or blocked based on a set of security rules.

This type of filtering is often implemented at the boundaries of networks to prevent unwanted or harmful traffic from entering a more secure internal network.

The term "ingress" refers to traffic that is entering a network boundary, whereas "egress" refers to traffic exiting a network.

References

Cisco Networking Academy Program: Network Security.

"Understanding Ingress and Egress Filtering," Network Security Guidelines, TechNet.

A masquerade attack involves an attacker pretending to be an authorized user of a system, thus compromising the authentication component of the IT security model. Authentication ensures that the individuals accessing the system are who they claim to be. By masquerading as a legitimate user, an attacker can bypass this security measure and gain unauthorized access to the system.References:

William Stallings, "Security in Computing".

Port mirroring (also known as SPAN - Switched Port Analyzer) is considered one of the best ways to counter packet monitoring on a switch. This technique involves copying traffic from one or more switch ports (or an entire VLAN) to another port where the monitoring device is connected. Port mirroring allows administrators to monitor network traffic in a non-intrusive way, as it does not affect network performance and is transparent to users and endpoints on the network.References:

Cisco Systems, "Catalyst Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) Configuration Example".

In the context of monitoring and alerts within cybersecurity, the classification of alerts includes true positives, false positives, true negatives, and false negatives.

A false negative is considered the most dangerous type of alert because it occurs when an actual security threat is present but the monitoring system fails to detect and alert it. This allows malicious activities to occur undetected, potentially leading to significant damage or data loss.

The risk with false negatives is that they provide a false sense of security, assuming that systems are secure while in reality, they are compromised.

References

"Security and Network Monitoring Basics," Cisco Systems.

"Understanding Alert Classifications in Cybersecurity," Journal of Information Security.

In the context of physical to logical asset protection in network security, several threats can be directed against the network, including:

Elevation of Privileges: Where unauthorized users gain higher-level permissions improperly.

Flood the Switch: Typically involves a DoS attack where the switch is overwhelmed with traffic, preventing normal operations.

Crack the Password: An attack aimed at gaining unauthorized access by breaking through password security. All these threats can potentially compromise the network's security and the safety of its physical and logical assets.References:

CompTIA Security+ Guide to Network Security Fundamentals.

The first generation of ICS/SCADA systems is considered monolithic, primarily characterized by standalone systems that had no external communications or connectivity with other systems. These systems were typically fully self-contained, with all components hard-wired together, and operations were managed without any networked interaction.References:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, "Recommended Practice: Improving Industrial Control System Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies".

An Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is designed to monitor network or system activities for malicious activities or policy violations and can perform several functions:

Monitor:Observing network traffic and system activities for unusual or suspicious behavior.

Detect:Identifying potential security breaches including both known threats and unusual activities that could indicate new threats.

Respond:Executing pre-defined actions to address detected threats, which can include alerts or triggering automatic countermeasures.References:

Cisco Systems, "Intrusion Detection Systems".

Enumeration is a step in the information-gathering phase of a penetration test or cyber attack where an attacker actively engages with the target to extract detailed information, including IP addressing.

Enumeration: During enumeration, the attacker interacts with network services to gather information such as user accounts, network shares, and IP addresses.

Techniques: Common techniques include using tools like Nmap, Netcat, and Nessus to scan for open ports, services, and to identify the IP addresses in use.

Purpose: The goal is to map the network's structure, find potential entry points, and understand the layout of the target environment.

Because enumeration involves discovering detailed information including IP addresses, it is the correct answer.

References

"Enumeration in Ethical Hacking," GeeksforGeeks, Enumeration.

"Network Enumeration," Wikipedia,Network Enumeration.

In the context of data analysis, enumeration is not typically considered a step. Enumeration is more relevant in security assessments and network scanning contexts where specific details about devices, users, or services are cataloged. Data analysis steps typically include gathering data, preprocessing, analyzing, and interpreting results rather than enumeration, which is more about identifying and listing components in a system or network.References:

"Data Science from Scratch" by Joel Grus, which outlines common steps in data analysis.

To determine the correct Security Association (SA) in the context of IPsec, several elements are required:

SPI (Security Parameter Index): Uniquely identifies the SA.

Partner IP address: The address of the endpoint with which the SA is established.

Protocol: Specifies the type of security protocol used (e.g., AH or ESP). All these components collectively define and identify a specific SA for secure communication between parties.References:

RFC 4301, "Security Architecture for the Internet Protocol".

Within IPsec, the SPI (Security Parameter Index) is a critical component that uniquely identifies a Security Association (SA) for the IPsec session. The SPI is used in the IPsec headers to help the receiving party determine which SA has been agreed upon for processing the incoming packets. This identification is crucial for the proper operation and management of security policies applied to the encrypted data flows.References:

RFC 4301, "Security Architecture for the Internet Protocol," which discusses the structure and use of the SPI in IPsec communications.