SY0-601 Exam Dumps - CompTIA Security+ Exam 2023

ARP poisoning (also known as ARP spoofing) is a type of attack where an attacker sends falsified ARP messages over a local area network to link the attacker's MAC address with the IP address of another host on the network. References: CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives - 2.5 Given a scenario, analyze potential indicators to determine the type of attack. Study Guide: Chapter 6, page 271.

Perfect forward secrecy would ensure that it cannot be used to decrypt all historical data. Perfect forward secrecy (PFS) is a security protocol that generates a unique session key for each session between two parties. This ensures that even if one session key is compromised, it cannot be used to decrypt other sessions.

An identity provider (IdP) is responsible for authenticating users and generating security tokens containing user information. A service provider (SP) is responsible for accepting security tokens and granting access to resources based on the user's identity.

The organization should ensure that a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is installed on all laptops in order to enable built-in Full Disk Encryption (FDE). TPM is a hardware-based security chip that stores encryption keys and helps to protect data from malicious attacks. It is important to ensure that the TPM is properly configured and enabled in order to get the most out of FDE.

The attendee is experiencing delays in the connection, and the HIIPS site requests are reverting to HTTP, indicating that the DNS resolution is redirecting the connection to another server. DNS hijacking is a technique that involves redirecting a user’s requests for a domain name to a different IP address. Attackers use DNS hijacking to redirect users to malicious websites and steal sensitive information, such as login credentials and credit card details.

Reviewing the email event logs can support an investigation for fraudulent submission, as these logs can provide details about the history of emails, including the message content, timestamps, and sender/receiver information. Reference: CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, Exam SY0-601, 3.2 Given a scenario, implement appropriate data security and privacy controls.

Based on these definitions, the best security solution to mitigate the risk of future data disclosures from a laptop would be FDE123. FDE would prevent unauthorized access to the data stored on the laptop even if it is stolen or lost. FDE can also use TPM to store the encryption key and ensure that only trusted software can decrypt the data3. HIDS and VPN are not directly related to data encryption, but they can provide additional security benefits by detecting intrusions and protecting network traffic respectively.

The security analyst is likely observing a Telnet session, as Telnet transmits data in plain text format, including usernames and passwords. Reference: CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, Exam SY0-601, 1.2 Given a scenario, analyze indicators of compromise and determine the type of malware.

Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) is a maintenance metric that measures the average time required to troubleshoot and restore failed equipment. References: CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives - 4.6 Explain the importance of secure coding practices. Study Guide: Chapter 7, page 323.

ISO 27001 is an international standard that outlines the requirements for an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It provides a framework for managing and protecting sensitive information using risk management processes. Acquiring an ISO 27001 certification assures customers that the organization meets security standards and follows best practices for information security management. It helps to build customer trust and confidence in the organization's ability to protect their sensitive information. References: CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, Exam Domain 1.0: Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities, 1.2 Given a scenario, analyze indicators of compromise and determine the type of malware, p. 7

A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. The systems analyst can use firewall rules to block connections from the ten IP addresses in question, or from the entire network block in the specific country. This would be a quick and effective way to address the issue of high connections to the web server initiated by these IP addresses.

A WAF (Web Application Firewall) and NIDS (Network Intrusion Detection System) are both examples of Layer 7 security controls. A WAF can block attacks at the application layer (Layer 7) of the OSI model by filtering traffic to and from a web server. NIDS can also detect attacks at Layer 7 by monitoring network traffic for suspicious patterns and behaviors. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, pages 94-95, 116-118

Enforcing the use of a controlled trusted source of container images is the best solution to prevent incidents like the introduction of a zero-day vulnerability through container images from occurring again. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide by Emmett Dulaney, Chapter 11: Cloud Security, Container Security

SMS-based authentication is considered to be the least secure among the given options. This is because SMS messages can be intercepted or redirected by attackers through techniques such as SIM swapping, man-in-the-middle attacks, or exploiting weaknesses in the SS7 protocol used by mobile networks. Additionally, SMS messages can be compromised if a user's phone is lost, stolen, or infected with malware. In contrast, TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password), HOTP (HMAC-based One-Time Password), and token keys are more secure as they rely on cryptographic algorithms or physical devices to generate one-time use codes, which are less susceptible to interception or unauthorized access. Reference: 1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2017). Digital Identity Guidelines: Authentication and Lifecycle Management (NIST SP 800-63B). https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs /SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-63b.pdf

Auto-update can help keep the app up-to-date with the latest security fixes and enhancements, and reduce the risk of exploitation by attackers who target outdated or vulnerable versions of the app.

Sandboxing can help isolate the app from other processes and resources on the system, and limit its access and permissions to only what is necessary. Sandboxing can help prevent the app from being affected by or affecting other applications or system components, and contain any potential damage in case of a breach.

Input sanitization can help prevent attackers from learning the service account name by removing potentially harmful characters from user input, reducing the likelihood of successful injection attacks. References:

• CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives 2.2: Given a scenario, implement secure coding techniques.
• CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, Sixth Edition, pages 72-73

If the systems are running unsecure protocols and the company that developed them is no longer in business, it is likely that there are no patches available to remediate the issue. References:

• CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives 1.6: Given a scenario, implement secure protocols.
• CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, Sixth Edition, pages 35-36

Isolating the infected attachment is the best course of action for the analyst to take to prevent further spread of the worm. A worm is a type of malware that can self-replicate and infect other devices without human interaction. By isolating the infected attachment, the analyst can prevent the worm from spreading to other devices or networks via email, file-sharing, or other means. Isolating the infected attachment can also help the analyst to analyze the worm and determine its source, behavior, and impact. References:

• https://www.security.org/antivirus/computer-worm/
• https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/resources/worm_mitigation_whitepaper.html

The Diamond Model is a framework for analyzing cyber threats that focuses on four key elements: adversary, capability, infrastructure, and victim. By analyzing these elements, security researchers can gain a better understanding of the threat landscape and develop more effective security strategies.

The issue is DNS spoofing, where the DNS resolution has been compromised and is pointing to a malicious IP address. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: Exam SY0-601, Chapter 7

Continuous integration is a software development practice where developers merge their code into a shared repository several times a day, and the code is tested automatically. This ensures that code changes are tested and integrated continuously, reducing the risk of errors and conflicts.

Detailed Explanation: Data Loss Prevention (DLP) can help prevent employees from stealing data by monitoring and controlling access to sensitive data. DLP can also detect and block attempts to transfer sensitive data outside of the organization, such as via email, file transfer, or cloud storage.

References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: Exam SY0-601, Chapter 10: Managing Identity and Access, p. 465

One of the risks of using legacy software is the lack of vendor support. This means that the vendor may no longer provide security patches, software updates, or technical support for the software. This leaves the software vulnerable to new security threats and vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

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The input "admin' or 1=1--" in the username field is an example of SQL injection (SQLi) attack. In this case, the attacker is attempting to bypass authentication by injecting SQL code into the username field that will cause the authentication check to always return true. References: CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Exam Objectives: 3.1 Given a scenario, use appropriate software tools to assess the security posture of an organization.

The researcher is most likely using the MITRE ATT&CK framework. MITRE ATT&CK is a globally accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) based on real-world observations. It helps security teams better understand and track adversaries by creating a named group, which aligns with the scenario described in the question. The framework is widely recognized and referenced in the cybersecurity industry, including in CompTIA Security+ study materials. References: 1. CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives (SY0-601): https://www.comptia.jp/pdf/Security%2B%20SY0-601%20Exam%20Objectives.pdf 2. MITRE ATT &CK: https://attack.mitre.org/

MITRE ATT&CK is a knowledge base of adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that are observed in real-world cyberattacks. MITRE ATT&CK provides a common framework and language for describing and analyzing cyber threats and their behaviors. MITRE ATT&CK also allows security researchers to create named groups that track specific adversaries based on their TTPs.

The other options are not correct because:

• A. The Cyber Kill Chain is a model that describes the stages of a cyberattack from reconnaissance to exfiltration. The Cyber Kill Chain does not provide a way to create named groups based on adversary TTPs.
• B. The incident response process is a set of procedures and guidelines that defines how an organization should respond to a security incident. The incident response process does not provide a way to create named groups based on adversary TTPs.
• C. The Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis is a framework that describes the four core features of any intrusion: adversary, capability, infrastructure, and victim. The Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis does not provide a way to create named groups based on adversary TTPs.

According to CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Exam Objectives 1.1 Compare and contrast different types of social engineering techniques:

“MITRE ATT&CK is a knowledge base of adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that are observed in real-world cyberattacks. MITRE ATT&CK provides a common framework and language for describing and analyzing cyber threats and their behaviors.”

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://attack.mitre.org/

The responsibilities of ensuring backups are properly maintained and implementing technical controls to protect data are the responsibilities of the data custodian role. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide by Emmett Dulaney, Chapter 7: Securing Hosts and Data, Data Custodian

High availability refers to the ability of a system or service to remain operational and available to users with minimal downtime. By ensuring high availability, the company can maintain good performance and ensure that users have access to the network services they need. High availability can also improve security, as it helps to prevent disruptions that could potentially be caused by security incidents or other issues.

A tabletop exercise is a type of disaster recovery test that simulates a disaster scenario in a discussion-based format, without actually disrupting operations or requiring physical testing of recovery procedures. It is the least time-consuming type of test for the disaster recovery team.

The best backup strategy for minimizing the number of backups that need to be restored in case of data loss is full backups followed by incremental backups. This strategy allows for a complete restoration of data by restoring the most recent full backup followed by the most recent incremental backup. Reference: CompTIA Security+ Certification Guide, Third Edition (Exam SY0-601) page 126

The technique of gaining access to a dual-homed multifunction device and then gaining shell access on another networked asset is an example of pivoting. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide by Emmett Dulaney, Chapter 8: Application, Data, and Host Security, Enumeration and Penetration Testing

The most likely vectors for the unauthorized inclusion of vulnerable code in a software company's final software releases are included third-party libraries and vendors/supply chain. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide by Emmett Dulaney, Chapter 8: Application, Data, and Host Security, Supply Chain and Software Development Life Cycle

Acceptance is a risk management strategy that involves acknowledging the existence and potential impact of a risk, but deciding not to take any action to reduce or eliminate it. This strategy is usually adopted when the cost of implementing controls outweighs the benefit of mitigating the risk, or when the risk is deemed acceptable or unavoidable. In this case, the organization decided not to put controls in place because of the high cost compared to the potential fine, which means they accepted the risk. References: https://www.comptia.org/blog/what-is-risk-acceptance

A captive portal is a web page that requires visitors to authenticate or agree to an acceptable use policy before allowing access to the network. By capturing visitors' MAC addresses and names, potential malicious activity can be traced back to a specific person.

Impossible travel time is a policy that detects and blocks login attempts from locations that are geographically impossible to reach from the previous login location within a certain time frame. For example, if a user logs in from New York and then tries to log in from Tokyo within an hour, the policy would flag this as impossible travel time and disable the account. This policy helps prevent unauthorized access from compromised credentials or attackers using proxy servers. References: 1 CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, page 6, Domain 1.0: Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities, Objective 1.2: Compare and contrast different types of social engineering techniques 2 CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, page 14, Domain 3.0: Implementation, Objective 3.4: Implement identity and account management controls 3 https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/identity-protection/howto-sign-in-risk- policy#impossible-travel

The administrator is most likely trying to avoid VM sprawl, which occurs when too many VMs are created and managed poorly, leading to resource waste and increased security risks. The listed actions can help establish policies, resource allocation, and categorization to prevent unnecessary VM creation and ensure proper management. Reference: CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, Exam SY0-601, 3.6 Given a scenario, implement the appropriate virtualization components.

Containers are a method of virtualization that allow you to run multiple isolated applications on a single server. Containers are lightweight, portable, and scalable, which means they can save resources, improve performance, and simplify deployment. Containers also enable centralized monitoring and management of the applications running on them, using tools such as Docker or Kubernetes. Containers are different from edge computing, which is a distributed computing paradigm that brings computation and data storage closer to the location where it is needed. Microservices are a software architecture style that breaks down complex applications into smaller, independent services that communicate with each other. Thin clients are devices that rely on a server to perform most of the processing tasks and only provide a user interface.

the measure that calculates the average time that equipment will operate before it breaks is MTBF12. MTBF stands for Mean Time Between Failures and it is a metric that represents the average time between two failures occurring in a given period12. MTBF is used to measure the reliability and availability of a product or system12. The higher the MTBF, the more reliable and available the product or system is12.

The most likely cause of the document-scanning software program not responding when launched by the end user is that the software was not added to the application whitelist. An application whitelist is a list of approved software applications that are allowed to run on a system. If the software is not on the whitelist, it may be blocked from running by the system's security policies. Adding the software to the whitelist should resolve the issue and allow the program to run. References: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/31541/application-whitelisting

RADIUS and Kerberos are two protocols that can be used to integrate Active Directory accounts and groups with network and remote-access devices. RADIUS is a protocol that provides centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting for network access. It can use Active Directory as a backend database to store user credentials and group memberships. Kerberos is a protocol that provides secure authentication and encryption for network services. It is the default authentication protocol for Active Directory and can be used by remote-access devices that support it.

Disabling remote logins to the NAS likely involved turning off SSH instead of modifying the configuration file. This would prevent users from using SCP to transfer files to the NAS, even though the data is still viewable from the users' PCs. Source: TechTarget

Non-repudiation is the process of ensuring that a party involved in a transaction or communication cannot deny their involvement. By implementing non-repudiation controls, a cybersecurity analyst can properly track and log user actions, attributing them to a specific individual. This can be achieved through methods such as digital signatures, timestamps, and secure logging mechanisms.

References:

1. CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives (SY0-601): https://www.comptia.jp/pdf/CompTIA%20Security%2B%20SY0-601%20Exam%20Objectives.pdf

2. Stewart, J. M., Chapple, M., & Gibson, D. (2021). CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: Exam SY0-601. John Wiley & Sons.

This is an attempt to redirect traffic to an attacking host by sending an ARP packet that contains the forged address of the next hop router. The attacker tricks the victim into believing that it is the legitimate router by sending a spoofed ARP reply with its own MAC address. This causes the victim to send all its traffic to the attacker instead of the router. The attacker can then intercept, modify, or drop the packets as they please.

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation, which is a law that regulates data protection and privacy in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). GDPR also applies to the transfer of personal data outside the EU and EEA areas. GDPR grants individuals the right to request the deletion or removal of their personal data from an organization’s systems under certain circumstances. This right is also known as the “right to be forgotten” or the “right to erasure”. An organization that receives such a request must comply with it within a specified time frame, unless there are legitimate grounds for retaining the data.

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://gdpr-info.eu/issues/right-to-be-forgotten/

A VPN (virtual private network) is a secure tunnel used to encrypt traffic and prevent unauthorized access to the internal network. It is a secure way to extend a private network across public networks, such as the Internet, and can be used to allow remote users to securely access resources on the internal network. Additionally, a VPN can be used to prevent malicious traffic from entering the internal network.

Salting and hashing are techniques that can improve the security of passwords stored in a database by making them harder to crack or reverse-engineer by hackers who might access the database12.

Salting is the process of adding a unique, random string of characters known only to the site to each password before it is hashed2. Hashing is the process of converting a password into a fixed-length string of characters, which cannot be reversed3. Salting and hashing ensure that the encryption process results in a different hash value, even when two passwords are the same1. This makes it more difficult for an attacker to use pre-computed tables or dictionaries to guess the passwords, or to exploit duplicate hashes in the database4.

OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) is a non-profit organization that provides resources and guidance for improving the security of web applications. It can be the best resource for a software developer who is looking to improve secure coding practices for web applications by offering various tools, frameworks, standards, cheat sheets, testing guides, etc., that cover various aspects of web application security development and testing

An evil twin attack is when an attacker sets up a fake Wi-Fi network that looks like a legitimate network, but is designed to capture user data that is sent over the network. In this case, the user's laptop is constantly disconnecting and reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network, indicating that it is connecting to the fake network instead of the legitimate one. Once the user connects to the fake network, they are unable to access shared folders or other network resources, as those are only available on the legitimate network.

Code signing is a cryptographic process that allows software developers to digitally sign their code. This ensures that the code has not been tampered with since it was signed and that it came from a trusted source.

Testing input validation on the user input fields is important for preventing malicious code from being entered into a system. However, it does not address the authenticity of the code itself.

Performing static code analysis on the software can help to identify security vulnerabilities. However, it cannot guarantee that the code has not been tampered with.

Ensuring secure cookies are used is important for preventing unauthorized access to user data. However, it does not address the authenticity of the code itself.

Therefore, the most appropriate option to ensure the authenticity of the code created by the company is to perform code signing on the software.

Here are some additional benefits of code signing:

• It can help to prevent malware from being installed on users' computers.
• It can help to protect intellectual property.
• It can help to improve user trust.

Capacity planning is the process of determining the resources needed to meet the demand for a service or product. It involves estimating the number of staff members required to sustain the business in the case of a disruption, as well as other factors such as equipment, space, and budget12.

Redundancy, geographic dispersion, and tabletop exercise are not directly related to determining the staff members needed for business continuity. Redundancy is the duplication of critical components or functions to increase reliability and availability2. Geographic dispersion is the distribution of resources across different locations to reduce the impact of a localized disaster2. Tabletop exercise is a simulation of a potential scenario that tests the effectiveness of a business continuity plan

 A jump server is a device that acts as an intermediary between users and other devices on a network. A jump server can provide a secure and controlled access point to the legacy devices without exposing them directly to the network. A jump server can also enforce authentication, authorization, logging, and auditing policies.

SQLi stands for SQL injection, which is a type of web security vulnerability that allows an attacker to execute malicious SQL statements on a database server. SQLi can result in data theft, data corruption, denial of service, or remote code execution.

The attacker in the web server log is trying to exploit a SQLi vulnerability by sending a malicious GET request that contains a UNION ALL SELECT statement. This statement is used to combine the results of two or more SELECT queries into a single result set. The attacker is attempting to retrieve user login, user pass, and user email from the wp users table, which is a WordPress database table that stores user information. The attacker may use this information to compromise the WordPress site or the users’ accounts.

According to Professor Messer’s video1, VDI stands for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and it is a deployment model where employees use their personal computers to access a virtual machine that runs the company’s operating system and applications.

In the scenario described, the company is implementing a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployment model [1]. This allows employees to access the cloud computing environment using their personal computers, while the company manages the operating system. The VDI model is suitable for remote work scenarios because it provides secure and centralized desktop management, while allowing employees to access desktops from any device.

A DLP solution in monitoring mode is a good first step to deploy for data loss prevention. It allows the IT team to observe and analyze the data flows and activities without blocking or interfering with them. It helps to identify the sources and destinations of sensitive data, the types and volumes of data involved, and the potential risks and violations. It also helps to fine-tune the DLP policies and rules before switching to blocking mode, which can disrupt business operations if not configured properly.

ARP poisoning is a type of attack that exploits the ARP protocol to associate a malicious MAC address with a legitimate IP address on a network1. This allows the attacker to intercept, modify or drop traffic between the victim and other hosts on the same network. In this case, the ARP table of the access switch shows that the same MAC address (00-0c-29-58-35-3b) is associated with two different IP addresses (192.168.1.100 and 192.168.1.101) on port Fa0/12. This indicates that an attacker has poisoned the ARP table to redirect traffic intended for 192.168.1.100 to their own device with MAC address 00-0c-29-58-35-3b. The other options are not related to this scenario. DDoS is a type of attack that overwhelms a target with excessive traffic from multiple sources3. MAC flooding is a type of attack that floods a switch with fake MAC addresses to exhaust its MAC table and force it to operate as a hub4. DNS poisoning is a type of attack that corrupts the DNS cache with fake entries to redirect users to malicious websites.

References: 1: https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/arp-spoofing/  2: https://community.cisco.com/t5/networking-knowledge-base/network-tables-mac-routing-arp/ta- p/4184148 3: https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/ddos-att ack/ 4: https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/mac-flooding/ : https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/dns-spoofing-poisoning/

After the root cause of a security incident has been identified, it is important to take the time to analyze what went wrong and how it could have been prevented. This process is known as “lessons learned” and allows organizations to identify potential improvements to their security processes and protocols. Lessons learned typically involve a review of the incident and the steps taken to address it, a review of the security systems and procedures in place, and an analysis of any potential changes that can be made to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

The reason for this is that older versions of Windows may have known vulnerabilities that have been patched in more recent versions. If a company is not regularly patching their systems, they are leaving those vulnerabilities open to exploit, which can allow malware to infect the systems.

It is important to regularly update and patch systems to address known vulnerabilities and protect against potential malware infections. This is an important aspect of proper security management.

Here is a reference to the CompTIA Security+ certification guide which states that "Properly configuring and maintaining software, including patch management, is critical to protecting systems and data."

A standard naming convention policy would provide guidelines on how to label new network devices as part of the initial configuration. A standard naming convention policy is a document that defines the rules and formats for naming network devices, such as routers, switches, firewalls, servers, or printers. A standard naming convention policy can help an organization achieve consistency, clarity, and efficiency in network management and administration.

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/solutions/Enterprise/Network_Virtualization/PathIsolationDesignGuide/PathIsolationDesignGuide.pdf

shadow IT is the use of IT-related hardware or software by a department or individual without the knowledge or approval of the IT or security group within the organization12. Shadow IT can encompass cloud services, software, and hardware. The main area of concern today is the rapid adoption of cloud-based services1.

According to one source3, shadow IT helps you know and identify which apps are being used and what your risk level is. 80% of employees use non-sanctioned apps that no one has reviewed, and may not be compliant with your security and compliance policies.

A privileged access management (PAM) system is a solution that helps protect organizations against cyberthreats by monitoring, detecting, and preventing unauthorized privileged access to critical resources12. A PAM system can meet the requirements of the project by providing features such as:

• Check-in/checkout of credentials: A PAM system can store and manage privileged credentials in a secure vault, and allow authorized users to check out credentials when needed and check them back in when done. This reduces the risk of credential theft, misuse, or sharing23.
• The ability to use but not know the password: A PAM system can enable users to access privileged accounts or resources without revealing the actual password, using methods such as password injection, session proxy, or single sign-on23. This prevents users from copying, changing, or sharing passwords2.
• Automated password changes: A PAM system can automatically rotate and update passwords for privileged accounts according to predefined policies, such as frequency, complexity, and uniqueness23. This ensures that passwords are always strong and unpredictable, and reduces the risk of password reuse or compromise2.
• Logging of access to credentials: A PAM system can record and audit all activities related to privileged access, such as who accessed what credentials, when, why, and what they did with them23. This provides visibility and accountability for privileged access, and enables detection and investigation of anomalies or incidents2.

A PAM system is different from OAuth 2.0, which is an authorization framework that enables third-party applications to obtain limited access to an HTTP service on behalf of a resource owner4. OAuth 2.0 does not provide the same level of control and security over privileged access as a PAM system does.

A PAM system is also different from a secure enclave, which is a hardware-based security feature that creates an isolated execution environment within a processor to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access or modification5. A secure enclave does not provide the same functionality as a PAM system for managing privileged credentials and access.

A PAM system is also different from an OpenID Connect authentication system, which is an identity layer on top of OAuth 2.0 that enables users to verify their identity across multiple websites using a single login6. OpenID Connect does not provide the same scope and granularity as a PAM system for controlling and monitoring privileged access.

A data collector is a person or entity that collects personal data from individuals for a specific purpose. A data collector may or may not be the same as the data controller or the data processor, depending on who determines the purpose and means of processing the data and who actually processes the data.

A digital forensics chain-of-custody form is a document that records the chronological and logical sequence of custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of digital evidence. A digital forensics chain-of-custody form should include the following information:

• The provenance of the artifacts: The provenance of the artifacts refers to the origin and history of the digital evidence, such as where, when, how, and by whom it was collected, handled, analyzed, or otherwise controlled.
• The date and time: The date and time refer to the specific moments when the digital evidence was collected, handled, analyzed, transferred, or disposed of by each person involved in the chain of custody.

Other information that may be included in a digital forensics chain-of-custody form are:

• The identification of the artifacts: The identification of the artifacts refers to the unique identifiers or labels assigned to the digital evidence, such as serial numbers, barcodes, hashes, or descriptions.
• The signatures of the custodians: The signatures of the custodians refer to the names and signatures of each person who had custody or control of the digital evidence at any point in the chain of custody.
• The location of the artifacts: The location of the artifacts refers to the physical or logical places where the digital evidence was stored or processed, such as a lab, a server, a cloud service, or a device.

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/topic/chain-of-custody-in-digital-forensics/

False rejection Short Explanation: A false rejection occurs when a biometric system fails to recognize an authorized user and denies access. This can happen due to poor quality of the biometric sample, environmental factors, or system errors. References: https://www.comptia.org/blog/wh at-is-biometrics

• Using a SIEM tool to monitor network traffic in real-time and detect any anomalies or malicious activities
• Monitoring all network protocols and ports to detect suspicious volumes of traffic or connections to uncommon IP addresses
• Monitoring for outbound traffic patterns that indicate malware communication with command and control servers, such as beaconing or DNS tunneling
• Using a CASB tool to control access to cloud resources and prevent data leaks or downloads
• Encrypting data at rest and in transit and enforcing strong authentication and authorization policies

NIC Teaming is a feature that allows a server to be connected to multiple network switches, providing redundancy and increased network availability. If one of the switches goes down, the server will still be able to send and receive data through one of the other switches. To configure NIC Teaming in Windows Server, see Microsoft's documentation: https://docs.microso ft.com/en-us/windows-server/networking/technologies/nic-teaming. For more information on NIC Teaming and other network redundancy features, refer to the CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Official Text Book and Resources.

A SOC 2 report is a document that provides an independent assessment of a service organization’s controls related to the Trust Services Criteria of Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, or Privacy. A SOC 2 report can help a security practitioner evaluate the current security posture of a vendor that provides cloud services1.

The best solution to meet the given requirements is to deploy a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution. PAM solutions allow administrators to create and manage administrative accounts that are assigned to specific users and that have complex passwords. Additionally, PAM solutions provide the ability to enable audit trails and logging on all systems, as well as to set up temporal access for administrative accounts. SAML, ABAC, and CASB are not suitable for this purpose.

The total loss expected per year due to a threat targeting an asset can be calculated using the Single Loss Expectancy (SLE) multiplied by the Annualized Rate of Occurrence (ARO). SLE is the monetary loss expected from a single event, while ARO is the estimated frequency of that event occurring in a year. Reference: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: Exam SY0-501, 7th Edition, by Emmett Dulaney and Chuck Easttom, Chapter 9: Risk Management, page 414.

A tabletop exercise is a type of security exercise that involves a simulated scenario of a security incident and a discussion of how the security team would respond to it1. A tabletop exercise is a low-impact and cost-effective way to test the security team’s preparedness, identify gaps and areas for improvement, and enhance communication and coordination among team members2. A tabletop exercise is different from a red-team exercise, which is a simulated attack by an authorized group of ethical hackers to test the security defenses and response capabilities of an organization3. A business continuity plan testing is a process of verifying that an organization can continue its essential functions and operations in the event of a disaster or disruption4. A functional exercise is a type of security exercise that involves a realistic simulation of a security incident and requires the security team to perform their roles and responsibilities as if it were a real event.

References: 1: https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2022/volume-1/cybersecurity-incident-response-exercise-guidance  2: https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/security-exercises  3: https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/red-team-blue-team/  4: https://www.ready.gov/business-continuity-plan : https://www.ready.gov/exercises

Non-PII stands for non-personally identifiable information, which is any data that does not directly identify a specific individual. Non-PII can include information such as job title, business phone number, location, first initial with last name, and race. Non-PII can be used for various purposes, such as statistical analysis, marketing, or research. However, non-PII may still pose some privacy risks if it is combined or linked with other data that can reveal an individual’s identity.

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/non-personally-identifiable-information-npii.asp

Chain of custody is a process that documents the chronological and logical sequence of custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of materials, including physical or electronic evidence. Chain of custody is important to ensure the integrity and admissibility of evidence in legal proceedings. Chain of custody can help evidence collection assurance by providing proof that the evidence has been handled properly and has not been tampered with or contaminated.

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://www.thoughtco.com/chain-of-custody-4589132

A private cloud model would best suit the company's priorities of control and security over cost and ease of management. In a private cloud, the infrastructure is dedicated to a single organization, providing greater control over the environment and the ability to implement strict security measures. This is in contrast to public, community, or hybrid cloud models, where resources are shared among multiple organizations, potentially compromising control and security. While private clouds can be more expensive and more difficult to manage, they the highest level of control and security for the company.

An intrusion prevention system (IPS) is the best solution to implement on the company’s network to detect and prevent suspicious attempts to access company resources. An IPS is a network security technology that continuously monitors network traffic for malicious or anomalous activity and takes automated actions to block or mitigate it. An IPS can also alert the system administrators of any potential threats and provide detailed logs and reports of the incidents. An IPS can help the company to improve its security posture and prevent data breaches, unauthorized access, or denial-of-service attacks. References:

• https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cyberpedia/what-is-an-intrusion-prevention-system-ips
• https://www.forcepoint.com/cyber-edu/intrusion-prevention-system-ips

Virtual machines are software-based simulations of physical computers that run on a host system and share its resources. They can provide resiliency for legacy information systems that cannot be migrated to a newer OS due to software compatibility issues by allowing OS patches to be installed in a non-production environment without affecting the production environment. They can also create backups of the systems for recovery by taking snapshots or copies of the virtual machine files.

Cuckoo is a sandbox that is specifically written to run programs inside and identify any malware. A sandbox is a virtualized environment that isolates the program from the rest of the system and monitors its behavior. Cuckoo can analyze files of various types, such as executables, documents, URLs, and more. Cuckoo can provide a report of the files’ activity against known threats, such as network traffic, file operations, registry changes, API calls, and so on.

A security operations center can implement Cuckoo to execute files to test for malicious activity and generate a report of the analysis. Cuckoo can help the security operations center to detect and prevent malware infections, investigate incidents, and perform threat intelligence.

802.1X is a standard for network access control that provides authentication and encryption for devices that connect to a LAN/WLAN. 802.1X uses the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) to exchange authentication messages between a supplicant (the device requesting access), an authenticator (the device granting access), and an authentication server (the device verifying credentials). 802.1X can prevent on-path attacks and evil twin attacks by requiring users to provide valid credentials before accessing the network and encrypting the data transmitted over the network.

On-path attacks are attacks that involve intercepting or modifying network traffic between two endpoints. An on-path attacker can eavesdrop on sensitive information, alter or inject malicious data, or redirect traffic to malicious destinations. On-path attacks are frequently perpetrated over WiFi networks1.

Evil twin attacks are attacks that involve setting up a fake WiFi access point that mimics a legitimate one. An evil twin attacker can trick users into connecting to the fake network and then monitor or manipulate their online activity. Evil twin attacks are more common on public WiFi networks that are unsecured and leave personal data vulnerable23.

A full inventory of all hardware and software would help ensure a security analyst is able to accurately measure the overall risk to an organization when a new vulnerability is disclosed, as it would allow the analyst to identify which systems and applications are affected by the vulnerability and prioritize the remediation efforts accordingly. A full inventory would also help the analyst to determine the impact and likelihood of a successful exploit, as well as the potential loss of confidentiality, integrity and availability of the data and services. References:

• https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-601/sy0-601-video/risk-analysis/
• https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/certification/security-plus-risk-management-processes-and-concepts/
• https://www.comptia.org/landing/securityplus/index.html
• https://www.comptia.org/blog/complete-guide-to-risk-management

Resource policies are cloud features that allow and deny access to specific features in order to increase data security. Resource policies are rules or statements that define what actions can be performed on a particular resource by which entities under what conditions. Resource policies can be attached to cloud resources such as virtual machines, storage accounts, databases, or functions. Resource policies can help enforce security best practices, compliance requirements, and cost management. Resource policies can also help implement the principle of least privilege, which grants users only the minimum level of access they need to perform their tasks.

WAF stands for Web Application Firewall, which is a type of firewall that can monitor, filter and block web traffic to and from web applications. WAF can protect web applications from common attacks such as cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, directory traversal, buffer overflow and more. WAF can also enforce security policies and rules that can prevent parameter manipulation or tampering by an unknown third party. WAF is the best solution to help protect against the attack on the web API, as it can inspect the HTTP requests and responses and block any malicious or anomalous activity. Verified References:

• Other Application Attacks – SY0-601 CompTIA Security+ : 1.3 https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-601/sy0-601-video/other-application-attacks/ (See Web Application Firewall)
• CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Exam Cram https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/comptia-security-sy0-601/9780136798767/ch03.xhtml (See Web Application Firewall)
• Security+ domain #1: Attacks, threats, and vulnerabilities [updated 2021] https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/certification/security-domain-1-threats-attacks-and-vulnerabilities/ (See Web application firewall)

iptables is a command-line tool that allows an administrator to configure firewall rules for a Linux system. The -F option flushes or deletes all the existing rules in the selected chain or in all chains if none is given. It can be used to remove the rules that caused the network to be unresponsive and restore the default firewall behavior. 

NFC allows two devices to communicate with each other when they are in close proximity to each other, typically within 5 centimetres. This makes it the most secure connection method for the company's data transfer requirements.

A simulation exercise is designed to create an experience that is as close as possible to a real-world incident response scenario. It involves simulating an attack or other security incident and then having security personnel respond to the situation as they would in a real incident. References: CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Exam Objectives: 1.1 Explain the importance of implementing security concepts, methodologies, and practices.

A generator will provide uninterrupted power to the data centers, ensuring that they are not affected by any power disruptions, intentional or otherwise. This is more reliable than a dual supply or a PDU, and more effective than daily backups, which would not be able to protect against an outage lasting an hour.

Container security is a solution that can enable the company to detect security threats in applications that run in isolated environments within the cloud environment. Containers are units of software that package code and dependencies together, allowing applications to run quickly and reliably across different computing environments. Container security involves securing the container images, the container runtime, and the container orchestration platforms. Container security can help prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, malware infections, or denial-of-service attacks on the applications running in containers. References: 1 CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, page 9, Domain 2.0: Architecture and Design, Objective 2.3: Summarize secure application development, deployment, and automation concepts 2 CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, page 10, Domain 2.0: Architecture and Design, Objective 2.4: Explain the importance of embedded and specialized systems security 3 https://www.comptia.org/blog/what-is-container-security

Graphical user interface, application Description automatically generated

A security administrator needs to add fault tolerance and load balancing to the connection from the file server to the backup storage. Which of the following is the best choice to achieve this objective?

A. Multipathing

B. RAID

C. Segmentation

D. 8021.1

Answer: A

to achieve the objective of adding fault tolerance and load balancing to the connection from the file server to the backup storage is multipathing1. Multipathing is a technique that allows a system to use more than one path to access a storage device1. This can improve performance by distributing the workload across multiple paths, and also provide fault tolerance by switching to an alternative path if one path fails1. Multipathing can be implemented using software or hardware solutions1.

 B. Constructing the secondary site in a geographically disperse location would ensure that a natural disaster at the primary site would not affect the secondary site. It would also allow for failover during traffic surge situations by distributing the load across different regions. D. Installing generators would provide protection against power surges and outages by providing backup power sources in case of a failure. Generators are part of the physical security requirements for data centers as they ensure availability and resilience. References: 1 CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, page 8, Domain 2.0: Architecture and Design, Objective 2.1: Explain the importance of secure staging deployment concepts 2 CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, page 9, Domain 2.0: Architecture and Design, Objective 2.3: Summarize secure application development, deployment, and automation concepts 3 CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, page 11, Domain 2.0: Architecture and Design, Objective 2.5: Explain the importance of physical security controls

IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) is a technology that provides secure communication over the internet by encrypting traffic and authenticating it at both the sender and receiver. It can be used to create secure tunnels between two or more devices, allowing users to access resources securely and privately.

SSL VPN (Secure Sockets Layer Virtual Private Network) is a type of VPN that uses an SSL/TLS connection to encrypt traffic between two or more devices. It is a secure and reliable solution for providing remote access, as all traffic is encrypted and authenticated. Additionally, SSL VPNs can also be used to restrict access to certain websites and services, making them a secure and robust solution for remote access.

bluejacking is the sending of unsolicited messages over Bluetooth to Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phones, PDAs or laptop computers. Bluejacking does not involve device hijacking, despite what the name implies. In this context, a human might say that the best answer to the question is B. BluJacking, because it is a method that can insert contacts without having physical access to the device.

Mitigating controls are designed to reduce the impact or severity of an event that has occurred or is likely to occur. They do not prevent or detect the event, but rather limit the damage or consequences of it. For example, a backup system is a mitigating control that can help restore data after a loss or corruption.

In this case, the company is focused on reducing risks from removable media threats, which are threats that can compromise data security, introduce malware infections, or cause media failure123. Removable media threats can be used to bypass network defenses and target industrial/OT environments2. The company cannot prohibit removable media entirely because of certain primary applications that require them, so it implements mitigating controls to lessen the potential harm from these threats.

Some examples of mitigating controls for removable media threats are:

• Encrypting data on removable media
• Scanning removable media for malware before use
• Restricting access to removable media ports
• Implementing policies and procedures for removable media usage and disposal
• Educating users on the risks and best practices of removable media

A wildcard certificate is a type of digital certificate that can be used to secure multiple subdomains under a single domain name. For example, a wildcard certificate for *.example.com can be used to secure www.example.com, mail.example.com, blog.example.com, etc. A wildcard certificate can make administration easier by reducing the number of certificates that need to be issued, managed, and renewed. It can also save costs and simplify configuration.

Containers are a type of virtualization technology that allow applications to run in a secure, isolated environment on a single host. They can be quickly scaled up or down as needed, making them an ideal solution for unpredictable loads. Additionally, containers are designed to be lightweight and portable, so they can easily be moved from one host to another. Reference: CompTIA Security+ Sy0-601 official Text book, page 863.

Hoaxing is a type of social engineering attack that involves sending false or misleading information via email or other means to trick recipients into believing something that is not true. Hoaxing emails often contain a request or an incentive for the recipients to forward the email to others, such as a warning of a virus, a promise of a reward, or a petition for a cause. The goal of hoaxing is to spread misinformation, cause panic, waste resources, or damage reputations.

A hoaxing email is primarily intended to mislead recipients into forwarding the email to others, which can increase the reach and impact of the hoax.

An SLA or service level agreement is a type of third-party risk management policy that defines the expectations and obligations between a service provider and a customer. An SLA typically includes metrics and standards for measuring the quality and performance of the service, as well as penalties or remedies for non-compliance. An SLA can also specify the reporting requirements for data breaches or other incidents that may affect the customer’s security or privacy.

Applying patches is the first step to lower the risk to the production hardware, as patches are updates that fix vulnerabilities or bugs in the software or firmware. Patches can prevent attackers from exploiting known vulnerabilities and compromising the production hardware. Applying patches should be done regularly and in a timely manner, following a patch management policy and process. References: 1 CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, page 9, Domain 2.0: Architecture and Design, Objective 2.3: Summarize secure application development, deployment, and automation concepts 2 CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives, page 10, Domain 2.0: Architecture and Design, Objective 2.4: Explain the importance of embedded and specialized systems security 3 https://www.comptia.org/blog/patch-management-best-practices

Before connecting security devices to the network, it is crucial to address default settings first. Manufacturers often ship devices with default settings that include default usernames, passwords, and configurations. These settings are widely known and can be easily exploited by attackers. Changing default settings helps to secure the device and prevent unauthorized access. Reference: CompTIA Security+ SY0-501 Exam Objectives, Section 3.2: "Given a scenario, implement secure systems design." (https://www.comptia.jp /pdf/Security%2B%20SY0-501%20Exam%20Objectives.pdf)

A host-based firewall is a software application that runs on each individual host and controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on a set of rules. A host-based firewall can be used to block or allow specific ports, protocols, IP addresses, or applications.

An engineer can use a host-based firewall to accomplish the task of disabling all web-server ports except 443 on a group of 100 web servers in a cloud environment. The engineer can configure the firewall rules on each web server to allow only HTTPS traffic on port 443 and deny any other traffic. Alternatively, the engineer can use a centralized management tool to deploy and enforce the firewall rules across all web servers.

Non-repudiation is the ability to ensure that a party cannot deny a previous action or event. Cryptographic concepts that can be used to implement non-repudiation include hashing and digital signatures, which use a private key to sign a message and ensure that the signature is unique to the signer. References: CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives (SY0-601)

The chmod command is used to change the permissions of a file or directory. The analyst can use chmod to reduce the permissions for existing users and groups and remove the set-user-ID bit from the file. References:

• CompTIA Security+ Study Guide Exam SY0-601, Chapter 6

Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) is a deployment model that allows employees to select from a predefined list of devices. It provides employees with flexibility in device preference while allowing the company to maintain control and security over company data and infrastructure. CYOD deployment model provides a compromise between the strict control provided by Corporate-Owned, Personally Enabled (COPE) deployment model and the flexibility provided by Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) deployment model. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, Chapter 6: Securing Application, Data, and Host Security, 6.5 Implement Mobile Device Management, pp. 334-335

DNS poisoning, also known as DNS spoofing or DNS cache poisoning, is a form of computer security hacking in which corrupt Domain Name System (DNS) data is introduced into the DNS resolver’s cache, causing the name server to return an incorrect result record, such as an IP address. This results in traffic being diverted to the attacker’s computer (or any other malicious destination).

DNS poisoning can be performed by various methods, such as:

• Intercepting and forging DNS responses from legitimate servers
• Compromising DNS servers and altering their records
• Exploiting vulnerabilities in DNS protocols or implementations
• Sending malicious emails or links that trigger DNS queries with poisoned responses

According to CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Exam Objectives 1.4 Given a scenario, analyze potential indicators to determine the type of attack:

“DNS poisoning, also known as DNS spoofing or DNS cache poisoning, is a form of computer security hacking in which corrupt Domain Name System (DNS) data is introduced into the DNS resolver’s cache, causing the name server to return an incorrect result record.”

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-cache-poisoning/

Detailed Explanation: The attack being attempted is directory traversal, which is a web application attack that allows an attacker to access files and directories outside of the web root directory. A WAF can help mitigate this attack by detecting and blocking attempts to access files outside of the web root directory.

References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: Exam SY0-601, Chapter 4: Securing Application Development and Deployment, p. 191

Multifactor authentication (MFA) would be the best control to require from a third-party identity provider to help mitigate attacks such as credential theft and brute-force attacks. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, Exam SY0-601, Chapter 2

Crosscut shredders are used to destroy paper documents and reduce the risk of data leakage through dumpster diving. Dumpster diving is a method of retrieving sensitive information from paper waste by searching through discarded documents.

References:

• CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, Exam SY0-601, 4th Edition, Chapter 2

HSM stands for hardware security module, which is a physical device that is used to store and manage cryptographic keys in a secure and tamper-resistant manner. HSMs can provide high-performance encryption and decryption operations, as well as key generation, backup, and recovery. HSMs can also prevent unauthorized access or extraction of the keys, even by the cloud service provider or the HSM vendor. HSMs can enhance the protection of a critical environment that is used to store and manage encryption keys for a financial institution or any other organization that deals with sensitive data. References:

• https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security
• https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-501/hardware-security-3/

 This type of attack occurs when an attacker replaces a digitally signed document with another version that has a different hash value. The author would be able to notice the additional verbiage, however, since the hash value would have changed, they would not be able to validate an integrity issue.

A Business Impact Analysis (BIA) is a critical component of a Business Continuity Plan (BCP). It identifies and prioritizes critical business functions and determines the impact of their disruption. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide 601, Chapter 10

Emulating the malware in a heavily monitored DMZ segment is the best option for observing network-based transactions between a callback domain and the malware running on an enterprise PC. This approach provides an isolated environment for the malware to run, reducing the risk of lateral spread and detection by the adversary. Additionally, the DMZ can be monitored closely to gather intelligence on the adversary's tactics and techniques. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, page 129

A SIEM is a security solution that helps detect security incidents by monitoring for notable events across the enterprise. A detective control is a control that is designed to detect security incidents and respond to them. Therefore, a SIEM represents a detective control.

A communications plan should be used to inform the affected parties about the sale of sensitive user data on a website. The communications plan should detail how the organization will handle media inquiries, how to communicate with customers, and how to respond to other interested parties.

A security patch is a software update that fixes a vulnerability or bug that could be exploited by attackers. Security patches are essential for maintaining the security and functionality of systems and applications.

If the vulnerability that was used to exploit the server is present in historical vulnerability scan reports, and a patch is available for the vulnerability, it means that the patch was either not applied or was uninstalled at some point. A possible reason for uninstalling a security patch could be user impact, such as performance degradation, compatibility issues, or functionality loss.

The other options are not correct because:

• B. An adversary altered the vulnerability scan reports. This could be a possibility, but it is less likely than option A. An adversary would need to have access to the vulnerability scan reports and be able to modify them without being detected. Moreover, altering the reports would not prevent the patch from being applied or uninstalled.
• C. A zero-day vulnerability was used to exploit the web server. This is not correct because a zero-day vulnerability is a vulnerability that is unknown to the public or the vendor, and therefore has no patch available. The question states that a patch is available for the vulnerability that was used to exploit the server.
• D. The scan reported a false negative for the vulnerability. This is not correct because a false negative is when a scan fails to detect a vulnerability that is present. The question states that the vulnerability is present in historical vulnerability scan reports, which means that it was detected by previous scans.

According to CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Exam Objectives 1.4 Given a scenario, analyze potential indicators to determine the type of attack:

“A security patch is a software update that fixes a vulnerability or bug that could be exploited by attackers.”

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://www.getastra.com/blog/security-audit/vulnerability-scanning-report/

Access control vestibules, also known as mantraps or airlocks, are physical security features that require individuals to pass through two or more doors to enter a secure area. They are effective at preventing tailgating, as only one person can pass through each door at a time.

References:

• https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/what-is-a-mantrap
• CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, Sixth Edition (SY0-601), page 222

Configuring the guest wireless network on a separate VLAN from the company's internal wireless network will prevent visitors from accessing company resources. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: Exam SY0-601, Chapter 4

A Raspberry Pi device connected to an Ethernet port could be configured as a rogue access point, allowing an attacker to intercept and analyze network traffic or perform other malicious activities. References: CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Exam Objectives: 3.2 Given a scenario, implement secure network architecture concepts.

two possible solutions that can be implemented to prevent these issues from reoccurring are password history and geofencing12. Password history is a feature that prevents users from reusing their previous passwords1. This can enhance password security by forcing users to create new and unique passwords periodically1. Password history can be configured by setting a policy that specifies how many previous passwords are remembered and how often users must change their passwords1.

Geofencing is a feature that restricts access to a system or network based on the geographic location of the user or device2. This can enhance security by preventing unauthorized access from hostile or foreign regions2. Geofencing can be implemented by using GPS, IP address, or other methods to determine the location of the user or device and compare it with a predefined set of boundaries2.

Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) should be implemented to integrate incident response processes into a workflow with automated decision points and actions based on predefined playbooks. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, Exam SY0-601, Chapter 9

An uncredentialed scan would miss missing patches for third-party software on Windows workstations and servers. A credentialed scan, however, can scan the registry and file system to determine the patch level of third-party applications. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide by Emmett Dulaney, Chapter 4: Identity and Access Management, The Importance of Credentialing Scans

SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) is a type of audit report that evaluates the controls of service providers to verify their compliance with industry standards for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. A Type 2 report is based on an audit that tests the effectiveness of the controls over a period of time, unlike a Type 1 report which only evaluates the design of the controls at a specific point in time.

A SOC 2 Type 2 report would provide evidence of the vendor's security controls and how effective they are over time, which can help the security manager assess the vendor's security posture despite the vendor not allowing for a direct audit.

The security manager should request a SOC 2 Type 2 report to assess the security posture of the vendor. References: CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: Exam SY0-601, Chapter 5

To improve the security of the WiFi network and prevent unauthorized devices from accessing the network, the configuration options of RADIUS and WPA2-PSK should be enabled. RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) is an authentication protocol that can be used to control access to the WiFi network. It can provide stronger authentication and authorization than WEP and WPA. WPA2-PSK (WiFi Protected Access 2 with Pre-Shared Key) is a security protocol that uses stronger encryption than WEP and WPA. It requires a pre-shared key (PSK) to be entered on each device that wants to access the network. This helps prevent unauthorized devices from accessing the network.

WAP stands for wireless access point, which is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. WAP placement refers to where and how WAPs are installed in a building or area.

WAP placement should be closely coordinated between the technology, cybersecurity, and physical security departments because it affects several aspects of network performance and security, such as:

• Coverage: WAP placement determines how well wireless devices can access the network throughout the building or area. WAPs should be placed in locations that provide optimal signal strength and avoid interference from other sources.
• Capacity: WAP placement determines how many wireless devices can connect to the network simultaneously without affecting network speed or quality. WAPs should be placed in locations that balance network load and avoid congestion or bottlenecks.
• Security: WAP placement determines how vulnerable wireless devices are to eavesdropping or hacking attacks from outside or inside sources. WAPs should be placed in locations that minimize exposure to unauthorized access and maximize encryption and authentication methods.

A screened subnet is a network segment that can be used for servers that require connections from untrusted networks. It is placed between two firewalls, with one firewall facing the untrusted network and the other facing the trusted network. This setup provides an additional layer of security by screening the traffic that flows between the two networks. References: CompTIA Security+ Certification Guide, Exam SY0-501

The scenario describes a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack where the attacker intercepts traffic and downgrades the secure SSL/TLS connection to an insecure HTTP connection. This type of attack is commonly known as SSL/TLS downgrade attack or a stripping attack. The attacker is able to see and modify the communication between the client and server.

Federating user digital identities using SAML-based protocols enables Single Sign-On (SSO), which allows users to log in once and access multiple applications without having to enter their credentials for each one. References:

• CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives 1.3: Explain authentication and access controls.
• CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, Sixth Edition, pages 41-42

Firmware is software that allows your computer to communicate with hardware devices, such as network routers, switches, or firewalls. Firmware updates can fix bugs, improve performance, and enhance security features. Without firmware updates, the devices you connect to your network might not work properly or might be vulnerable to attacks1. You can have Windows automatically download recommended drivers and firmware updates for your hardware devices1, or you can use a network monitoring software to keep track of the firmware status of your devices2. You should also follow the best practices for keeping devices and software up to date, such as enforcing automatic updates, monitoring update status, and testing updates before deploying them

Bollards are posts designed to prevent vehicles from entering an area. They are usually made of steel or concrete and are placed close together to make it difficult for vehicles to pass through. In addition to preventing vehicles from entering an area, bollards can also be used to protect buildings and pedestrians from ramming attacks. They are an effective and cost-efficient way to protect buildings and pedestrians from unauthorized access.

The best option to describe where an attacker can purchase DDoS or ransomware services is the dark web. The dark web is an anonymous, untraceable part of the internet where a variety of illicit activities take place, including the purchase of DDoS and ransomware services. According to the CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Official Text Book, attackers can purchase these services anonymously and without the risk of detection or attribution. Additionally, the text book recommends that organizations monitor the dark web to detect any possible threats or malicious activity.

Isolating the device is the first thing that a security analyst should do if they suspect that a user’s device might be compromised. Isolating the device means disconnecting it from the network or placing it in a separate network segment to prevent further communication with potential attackers or malicious hosts. Isolating the device can help contain the incident, limit the damage or data loss, preserve the evidence, and facilitate the investigation and remediation.

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/topic/incident-response-process/

Industrial control systems (ICS) are devices that monitor and control physical processes, such as power generation, manufacturing, or transportation. Newer ICS devices may have voice and audio capabilities that can be exploited by attackers to eavesdrop on sensitive conversations or capture confidential information. This can result in the loss of intellectual property or trade secrets. References: https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/what-is-industrial-control-system-security

Command Output1 = Logic Bomb

A logic bomb is a type of malicious code that executes when certain conditions are met, such as a specific date or time, or a specific user action1. In this case, the logic bomb is a script that runs every minute and checks if there is a user named john in the /etc/password file. If there is, it drops the production database using a MySQL command3. This could cause severe damage to the system and the data.

To prevent logic bombs, you should use antivirus software that can detect and remove malicious code, and also perform regular backups of your data. You should also avoid opening suspicious attachments or links from unknown sources, and use strong passwords for your accounts1.

Command Output2 = backdoorA backdoor is a type of malicious code that allows an attacker to access a system or network remotely, bypassing security measures1. In this case, the backdoor is a script that runs every time the date command is executed and prompts the user to enter their full name. Then, it opens a reverse shell connection using the nc command and downloads a virus file from a malicious website using the wget command2. This could allow the attacker to execute commands on the system and infect it with malware.

To prevent backdoors, you should use antivirus software that can detect and remove malicious code, and also update your system and applications regularly. You should also avoid executing unknown commands or scripts from untrusted sources, and use firewall rules to block unauthorized connections

 User-agent spoofing is a technique that allows an attacker to modify the user-agent header of an HTTP request to impersonate another browser or device12. User-agent spoofing can be used to bypass security controls that rely on user-agent filtering or validation12. In this case, the attacker spoofed the user-agent header to match the company’s mobile application, which was allowed to access the back-end server’s API2.

A red-team test is a type of security assessment that simulates a real-world attack on an organization’s network, systems, applications, and people. The goal of a red-team test is to evaluate the organization’s security posture, identify vulnerabilities and gaps, and test the effectiveness of its detection and response capabilities. A red-team test is usually performed by a group of highly skilled security professionals who act as adversaries and use various tools and techniques to breach the organization’s defenses. A red-team test is often conducted without the knowledge or consent of most of the organization’s staff, except for a few senior executives who authorize and oversee the exercise.

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://cybersecurity.att.com/blogs/security-essentials/what-is-red-teaming

 A certificate issued by an internal CA is not trusted by default by external users or applications. Therefore, when a user tries to reach the application that uses an internal CA certificate, they will receive a warning message that their connection is not private1. The best way to fix this issue is to use a certificate signed by a well-known public CA that is trusted by most browsers and operating systems1. To do this, the security administrator needs to send a certificate signing request (CSR) to a public CA and install the signed certificate on the application’s server2. The other options are not recommended or feasible. Ignoring the warning and continuing to use the application normally is insecure and exposes the user to potential man-in-the-middle attacks3. Installing the certificate on each endpoint that needs to use the application is impractical and cumbersome, especially if there are many users or devices involved3. Sending the new certificate to the users to install on their browsers is also inconvenient and may not work for some browsers or devices3.

References: 1: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure /active-directory/develop/howto-create-self-signed-certificate 2: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-gateway/mutual-au thentication-certificate-management 3: https://serverfault.com/questions/1106443/should-i-use-a-public-or-a-internal-ca-for-client-certificate-mtls

Load balancing and RAID are the best options to accomplish the objective of improving both server-data fault tolerance and site availability under high consumer load. Load balancing is a method of distributing network traffic across multiple servers to optimize performance, reliability, and scalability. Load balancing can help improve site availability by preventing server overload, ensuring high uptime, and providing redundancy and failover. RAID stands for redundant array of independent disks, which is a technology that combines multiple physical disks into a logical unit to improve data storage performance, reliability, and capacity. RAID can help improve server-data fault tolerance by providing data redundancy, backup, and recovery.

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://www.nginx.com/resources/glossary/load-balancing/ https://www.ibm.com/cloud/learn/raid

Rainbow table is a type of attack that should concern a security administrator when reviewing the /etc/shadow file. The /etc/shadow file is a file that stores encrypted passwords of users in a Linux system. A rainbow table is a precomputed table of hashes and their corresponding plaintext values that can be used to crack hashed passwords. If an attacker obtains a copy of the /etc/shadow file, they can use a rainbow table to find the plaintext passwords of users.

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/rainbow-table-in-cryptography/

Preventing information exposure is a secure application development concept that aims to block verbose error messages from being shown in a user’s interface. Verbose error messages are detailed messages that provide information about errors or exceptions that occur in an application. Verbose error messages may reveal sensitive information about the application’s structure, configuration, logic, or data that could be exploited by attackers. Therefore, preventing information exposure involves implementing proper error handling mechanisms that display generic or user-friendly messages instead of verbose error messages.

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://owasp.org/www-project-top-ten/2017/A6_2017-Security_Misconfiguration

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies are used to identify and protect sensitive data, and often include a list of exceptions that allow certain types of data to be uploaded or shared. By modifying the exception list on the DLP, the security analyst can allow the tax document to be uploaded without compromising the security of the system. (Reference: CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Official Textbook, page 479-480)

A dump file is the first thing that a security analyst should review to determine more information about a compromised device that displayed an error screen and shut down. A dump file is a file that contains a snapshot of the memory contents of a device at the time of a system crash or error. A dump file can help a security analyst analyze the cause and source of the crash or error, as well as identify any malicious code or activity that may have triggered it.

References: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security#examdetails https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/comptia-security-sy0-601-exam-objectives https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/introduction-to-crash-dump-files

A corrective control is a type of security control that is designed to mitigate the damage caused by a security incident or to restore the normal operations after an incident. A corrective control can include actions such as restoring from backups, applying patches, isolating infected systems, or implementing new policies and procedures. A corrective control is different from a preventive control, which aims to stop an incident from happening, or a detective control, which aims to identify and record an incident. References:

• https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-601/sy0-601-video/security-controls-3/
• https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/comptia-security-all-in-one/9781260464016/ch31.xhtml
• https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-501/security-controls-2/

A turnstile is a physical security control that regulates the entry and exit of people into a facility or an area. It can prevent unauthorized access, tailgating, etc., by requiring valid credentials or tokens to pass through

MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) is a method of verifying a user’s identity by requiring two or more factors or attributes that belong to different categories. The categories are something you know (such as a password or a PIN), something you have (such as a token or a smart card), something you are (such as a fingerprint or an iris scan), something you do (such as a gesture or a voice command), and somewhere you are (such as a location or an IP address). In this case, the user enters a password (something you know) and then receives an authentication code (something you have) to log in to a workstation.

Data owner is the role that is responsible for defining the protection type and classification type for a given set of files. Data owner is a person in the organization who is accountable for a certain set of data and determines how it should be protected and classified. General counsel is the role that provides legal advice and guidance to the organization. Risk manager is the role that identifies, analyzes, and mitigates risks to the organization. Chief Information Officer is the role that oversees the information technology strategy and operations of the organization

https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-601/sy0-601-video/data-roles-and-responsibilities/

A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated with medium confidence

Mimikatz is a tool that can extract plaintext credentials from memory on Windows systems. A malicious flash drive can bypass the GPO blocking the flash drives by using techniques such as autorun.inf or HID spoofing to execute Mimikatz on the target system without user interaction or consent. This can cause AV alerts indicating Mimikatz attempted to run on the remote systems and also reduce the storage capacity of the flash drives to only 512KB by creating hidden partitions or files on them. 

The last incremental backup that was conducted 72 hours ago would be the best option to restore the services to a secure state, as it would contain the most recent data before the ransomware infection. Incremental backups only store the changes made since the last backup, so they are faster and use less storage space than full backups. Restoring from an incremental backup would also minimize the data loss and downtime caused by the ransomware attack. References:

• https://www.comptia.org/blog/mature-cybersecurity-response-to-ransomware
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HszU4nEAlFc

A SHA 2 signature is a cryptographic hash function that produces a unique and fixed-length output for any given input. It can provide non-repudiation during a forensics investigation by verifying the integrity and authenticity of a drive image and proving that it has not been altered or tampered with since it was created

TLS (Transport Layer Security) is a cryptographic protocol that provides secure communication over the internet. It can protect the data transmitted between the website and the visitors from eavesdropping, tampering, etc. It is the most secure protocol to implement for a website that sells products online using a credit card.

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation, which is a legal framework that sets guidelines for the collection and processing of personal information of individuals within the European Union (EU). GDPR also applies to organizations outside the EU that offer goods or services to, or monitor the behavior of, EU data subjects. GDPR aims to protect the privacy and rights of EU citizens and residents regarding their personal data. GDPR defines personal data as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, such as name, identification number, location data, online identifiers, or any factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of that person. A company that is auditing the manner in which its European customers’ personal information is handled should consult GDPR to ensure compliance with its rules and obligations. References:

• https://www.gdpreu.org/the-regulation/key-concepts/personal-data/
• https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations-2/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/key-definitions/what-is-personal-data/

Reputation is the perception or opinion that customers, partners, investors, etc., have about a company or its products and services. It can affect the revenue and profitability of a company after a network breach, even if no intellectual property or customer information was stolen, because it can damage the trust and confidence of the stakeholders and reduce their willingness to do business with the company

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a set of security standards and requirements for organizations that store, process, or transmit payment card data. It aims to protect cardholder data and prevent fraud and data breaches. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is a regulation that governs the collection, processing, and transfer of personal data of individuals in the European Union. It aims to protect the privacy and rights of data subjects and impose obligations and penalties on data controllers and processors. These are the frameworks that the security officer should map the existing controls to, as they are relevant for a credit card transaction company that has a new office in Europe

A pass-the-hash attack is a type of replay attack that captures and uses the hash of a password. The attacker then attempts to log on as the user with the stolen hash. This type of attack is possible be-cause some authentication protocols send hashes over the network instead of plain text passwords. The packet capture shows that the attacker used NTLM authentication, which is vulnerable to pass-the-hash attacks

Disabling access is an automation use case that can enhance the security posture of an organization by rapidly updating permissions when employees leave a company or change job roles internally. It can prevent unauthorized access and data leakage by revoking or modifying the access rights of employees based on their current status and role.

An evil-Twin attack is a type of wireless network attack that involves setting up a rogue access point that mimics a legitimate one. It can trick users into connecting to the rogue access point instead of the real one, and then intercept or modify their traffic, steal their credentials, launch phishing pages, etc. It is the most likely cause of the issue that users are experiencing slow speeds, unable to connect to network drives, and required to enter their credentials on web pages when working in the section of the building that is closest to the parking lot, where an external access point could be placed nearby.

PowerShell is a scripting language and command-line shell that can be used to automate tasks and manage systems. PowerShell can also be used by malware to execute malicious commands and evade detection. The code snippet in the question is a PowerShell command that creates a new partition on disk 2, formats it with NTFS file system, and assigns it a drive letter C. This could be part of an attack that wipes out the original data on the disk or creates a hidden partition for storing malware or stolen data. References:

• https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-601/sy0-601-video/scripting-and-automation/
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/storage/new-partition?view=windowsserver2022-ps

Corrective controls are security measures that are implemented after an incident to repair the damage and restore normal operations. They can include actions such as patching systems, restoring backups, removing malware, etc. An organization that is repairing damage after an incident is implementing corrective controls. 

Network and firewall logs should be analyzed to identify the impacted host in a cybersecurity incident involving a command-and-control server. A command-and-control server is a central server that communicates with and controls malware-infected devices or bots. A command-and-control server can send commands to the bots, such as downloading additional malware, stealing data, or launching attacks. Network logs can help to identify any suspicious or anomalous network traffic, such as connections to unknown or malicious domains, high-volume data transfers, or unusual protocols or ports. Firewall logs can help to identify any blocked or allowed traffic based on the firewall rules, such as connections to or from the command-and-control server, or any attempts to bypass the firewall. References:

• https://cybersecurity.att.com/blogs/security-essentials/command-and-control-server-detection-methods-best-practices
• https://www.howtogeek.com/726136/what-is-a-command-and-control-server-for-malware/

CIS benchmarks are best practices and standards for securing various operating systems, applications, cloud environments, etc. They are developed by a community of experts and updated regularly to reflect the latest threats and vulnerabilities. They can be used to update and reconfigure the OS-level security configurations to ensure compliance and reduce risks. 

Spraying is a password attack that involves trying a few common passwords against a large number of usernames. Spraying is different from brute-force attacks, which try many possible passwords against one username, or dictionary attacks, which try a list of words from a dictionary file against one username. Spraying is often used when the web application has a lockout policy that prevents multiple failed login attempts for the same username. Spraying can be detected by looking for patterns of failed login attempts from the same source IP address with different usernames and the same or similar passwords.

MITRE ATT&CK is a knowledge base and framework that analyzes and categorizes threat actors and real-world events based on their tactics, techniques and procedures. It can help improve the incident response team’s process by providing a common language and reference for identifying, understanding and mitigating threats

Tor (The Onion Router) is a network and a software that enables anonymous communication over the internet. It routes the traffic through multiple relays and encrypts it at each layer, making it difficult to trace or monitor. It can access the dark web, which is a part of the internet that is hidden from conventional search engines and requires special software or configurations to access

A business continuity plan is a document or a process that outlines how an organization can continue its critical operations and functions in the event of a disruption or disaster. It can include strategies and procedures for recovering or relocating resources, personnel, data, etc., to ensure minimal downtime and impact. The organization will most likely consult the business continuity plan when setting up offices in a temporary work space after its corporate offices were destroyed due to a natural disaster.

SPIM (Spam over Internet Messaging) is a type of VoIP-associated vulnerability that involves sending unsolicited or fraudulent messages over an internet messaging service, such as Skype or WhatsApp. It can trick users into clicking on malicious links, downloading malware, providing personal or financial information, etc., by impersonating a legitimate entity or creating a sense of urgency or curiosity. Vishing (Voice Phishing) is a type of VoIP-associated vulnerability that involves making unsolicited or fraudulent phone calls over an internet telephony service, such as Google Voice or Vonage. It can trick users into disclosing personal or financial information, following malicious instructions, transferring money, etc., by using voice spoofing, caller ID spoofing, or interactive voice response systems. 

DLP stands for Data Loss Prevention, which is a technology that can monitor, detect and prevent the unauthorized transmission of sensitive data, such as PII (Personally Identifiable Information). DLP can be implemented on endpoints, networks, servers or cloud services to protect data in motion, in use or at rest. DLP can also block or alert on data transfers that violate predefined policies or rules. DLP is the best tool to assist with detecting an employee who has accidentally emailed a file containing a customer’s PII, as it can scan the email content and attachments for any data that matches the criteria of PII and prevent the email from being sent or notify the administrator of the incident. Verified References:

• Data Loss Prevention Guide to Blocking Leaks - CompTIA https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/data-loss-prevention-a-step-by-step-guide-to-blocking-leaks
• Data Loss Prevention – SY0-601 CompTIA Security+ : 2.1 https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-601/sy0-601-video/data-loss-prevention-4/
• Data Loss Prevention – CompTIA Security+ SY0-501 – 2.1 https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-501/data-loss-prevention-3/

Credential stuffing is a type of attack that involves using stolen or leaked usernames and passwords from one website or service to gain unauthorized access to other websites or services that use the same credentials. It can exploit the common practice of reusing passwords across multiple accounts. It is the most likely attack that has been used to compromise the manager’s corporate account, given that the manager is using the same password across multiple external websites and the corporate account, and one of the websites recently experienced a data breach.

A risk register is a document or a tool that records and tracks information about the identified risks and their analysis, such as likelihood, impact, priority, mitigation strategies, residual risks, etc. It can contain ranked and ordered information on the likelihood and potential impact of catastrophic events that may affect business processes and systems, while also highlighting the residual risks that need to be managed after mitigating controls have been implemented.

Surveillance systems are constantly scanned by internet bots and have the highest risk of attack in the case of the default configurations because they are often connected to the internet and use weak or default passwords that can be easily guessed or cracked by malicious bots. Internet bots are software applications that run automated tasks over the internet, usually with the intent to imitate human activity or exploit vulnerabilities. Some bots are used for legitimate purposes, such as web crawling or indexing, but others are used for malicious purposes, such as spamming, phishing, denial-of-service attacks, or credential stuffing. Security misconfigurations are one of the most common gaps that criminal hackers look to exploit. Therefore, it is important to secure the configuration of surveillance systems by changing the default passwords, updating the firmware, disabling unnecessary services, and enabling encryption and authentication.

https://www.cctvcameraworld.com/setup-ip-camera-sys tem-on-network/

SSH stands for Secure Shell, which is a protocol that can be used to securely transfer files over the internet. SSH uses encryption and authentication to protect the data in transit and ensure the identity of the sender and receiver. SSH can also support compression, tunneling, and port forwarding. SSH can be used to send files to a business partner by using a command-line tool such as scp or sftp, or by using a graphical user interface (GUI) tool such as FileZilla or WinSCP. SSH can also be used to remotely access and manage servers or devices over the internet. References:

• https://www.globalscape.com/solutions/secure-file-transfer
• https://www.jscape.com/blog/how-to-securely-transfer-large-files-over-the-internet

Mobile device management (MDM) is a solution that allows an organization to manage, monitor, and secure mobile devices that are used by employees for work purposes. It can protect company information on user devices by enforcing policies and controls such as encryption, password, remote wipe, etc., and detecting and preventing unauthorized access or data leakage.

Off-site replication is a process of copying and storing data in a remote location that is geographically separate from the primary site. It can ensure minimal downtime for organizations with critical computing equipment located in earthquake-prone areas by providing a backup copy of data that can be accessed and restored in case of a disaster or disruption at the primary site.

This firewall rule set allows a subnet to only access DHCP, web pages, and SFTP, and specifically blocks FTP by allowing or denying traffic based on the source, destination, and port. The rule set is as follows:

• Allow any source and any destination on port 80 (HTTP)
• Allow any source and any destination on port 443 (HTTPS)
• Allow any source and any destination on port 67 (DHCP server)
• Allow any source and any destination on port 68 (DHCP client)
• Allow any source and any destination on port 22 (SFTP)
• Deny any source and any destination on port 21 (FTP)
• Deny any source and any destination on any other port

SED stands for Self-Encrypting Drive, which is a type of hard drive that automatically encrypts and decrypts data using a built-in hardware encryption engine1. SEDs do not require any additional software or configuration, and they do not affect the performance or usability of the laptop2. SEDs also have a feature called Instant Secure Erase, which allows the user to quickly and securely wipe the data on the drive by deleting the encryption key1.

 Integrity is a security concept that ensures that data is accurate, complete and consistent, and that it has not been tampered with or modified in an unauthorized or unintended way. Integrity is important for e-commerce organizations to protect against erroneous purchases, as it can prevent data corruption, duplication, loss or manipulation that could affect the transactions or the records of the customers. Integrity can be achieved by using methods such as hashing, digital signatures, checksums, encryption and access control. Verified References:

• Security+ (Plus) Certification | CompTIA IT Certifications https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security (See What Skills Will You Learn?)
• CompTIA Security+ 601 - Infosec https://www.infosecinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CompTIA-Security-eBook.pdf (See Security+: 5 in-demand cybersecurity skills)
• CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Certification Study Guide https://www.comptia.org/training/books/security-sy0-601-study-guide (See Chapter 1: Threats, Attacks and Vulnerabilities, Section 1.4: Cryptography and PKI)

Site-to-site VPN is a type of VPN solution that connects two or more networks or sites across the public internet in a secure and encrypted way. Site-to-site VPN can be implemented using VPN appliances, such as firewalls or routers, that can establish and maintain the VPN tunnel between the sites. Site-to-site VPN can support multiple users or devices that need to access resources on the other site without requiring individual VPN clients or software. Site-to-site VPN is the best solution to support the new remote office, as it can provide secure and seamless connectivity between the office network and the main network of the organization. Verified References:

• Virtual Private Networks – SY0-601 CompTIA Security+ : 3.3 https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-601/sy0-601-video/virtual-private-networks-sy0-601-comptia-security-3-3/ (See Site-to-Site VPN)
• VPN Technologies – CompTIA Security+ SY0-501 – 3.2 https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-501/vpn-technologies/ (See Site-to-Site VPN)
• Security+ (Plus) Certification | CompTIA IT Certifications https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security (See Domain 3: Architecture and Design, Objective 3.3: Given a scenario, implement secure network architecture concepts.)

A weekly, full backup with daily incremental backups would use the least amount of storage space for backups, as it would only store the changes made since the last backup, whether it is a full or incremental backup. Incremental backups are faster and use less storage space than full or differential backups, but they require more time and media to restore data. A full backup is a complete copy of all data, which requires more time and storage space to perform, but allows a faster and easier recovery. A differential backup is a copy of the data that changed since the last full backup, which requires less time and storage space than a full backup, but more than an incremental backup. A differential backup allows a faster recovery than an incremental backup, but slower than a full backup. References:

• https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Full-incremental-or-differential-How-to-choose-the-correct-backup-type
• https://www.nakivo.com/blog/backup-types-explained/

A single point of failure is a component or element of a system that, if it fails, will cause the entire system to fail or stop functioning. It can pose a high risk and impact for business continuity and availability. A high availability pair is a configuration that involves two identical devices or systems that operate in parallel and provide redundancy and failover capabilities. It can remove the single point of failure by ensuring that if one device or system fails, the other one can take over its functions without interruption or downtime. 

Credentials are sent in cleartext is the greatest risk associated with using FTP. FTP is an old protocol that does not encrypt the data or the credentials that are transmitted over the network. This means that anyone who can capture the network traffic can see the usernames and passwords of the FTP users, as well as the files they are transferring. This can lead to data breaches, identity theft, and unauthorized access. Private data can be leaked (Option A) is a possible consequence of using FTP, but not the root cause of the risk. FTP is prohibited by internal policy (Option B) is a compliance issue, but not a technical risk. Users can upload personal files (Option C) is a management issue, but not a security risk

https://www.infosectrain.com/blog/comptia-security-sy0-601-domain-5-governance-risk-and-compliance/

A zero-day vulnerability is a security flaw that is unknown to the vendor and the public, and therefore has no patch or fix available. A zero-day attack is an exploit that takes advantage of a zero-day vulnerability before the vendor or the security community becomes aware of it. A zero-day attack can cause serious damage to a system or network, as there is no defense against it until a patch is released. References:

• https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/certification/security-domain-1-threats-attacks-and-vulnerabilities/
• https://www.linkedin.com/learning/comptia-security-plus-sy0-601-cert-prep-1-threats-attacks-and-vulnerabilities/zero-days-and-the-advanced-persistent-threat
• https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-501/zero-day-attacks-4/

Jailbreaking is a process of bypassing or removing the manufacturer-imposed restrictions on a mobile device’s operating system, allowing users to install unauthorized applications, modify settings, etc. It is a primary security concern for setting up a BYOD program because it can expose the device and its data to malware, vulnerabilities, unauthorized access, etc

SaaS (Software as a Service) is a cloud model that provides clients with applications and software that are hosted and managed by a cloud provider over the internet. It can move email services to the cloud by allowing clients to access and use email applications without installing or maintaining them on their own devices or servers

A right-to-audit clause is a contractual provision that allows one party to audit the records and activities of another party to ensure compliance with security policies and standards. It can help a company monitor the ongoing security maturity of a new vendor by conducting annual security audits and identifying any gaps or issues that need to be addressed.

QUESTIO NO: 399

An organization has hired a red team to simulate attacks on its security pos-ture, which Of following will the blue team do after detecting an IOC?

A. Reimage the impacted workstations.

B. Activate runbooks for incident response.

C. Conduct forensics on the compromised system,

D. Conduct passive reconnaissance to gather information

Answer: B

A runbook is a set of predefined procedures and steps that guide an incident response team through the process of handling a security incident. It can help the blue team respond quickly and effectively to an indicator of compromise (IOC) by following the best practices and predefined actions for containment, eradication, recovery and lessons learned.

MDM stands for mobile device management, which is a solution that allows organizations to manage and secure mobile devices used by employees. MDM can help prevent data loss and leakage by enforcing policies and restrictions on the devices, such as encryption, password, app installation, remote wipe, and so on. MDM can also monitor and audit the device activity and compliance status. MDM can be the best mitigation strategy to prevent data leakage from an employee’s COPE tablet via cloud storage, as it can block or limit the access to cloud services, or apply data protection measures such as containerization or encryption. References:

• https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/solutions/corporate-owned-personally-enabled
• https://www.professormesser.com/security-plus/sy0-601/sy0-601-video/mobile-device-management/

A network DLP (Data Loss Prevention) solution is a tool that monitors and controls the data that is transmitted over a network. It can inspect in-transit files on the enterprise network to search for PII (Personally Identifiable Information), credit card data, and classification words by using predefined rules and policies, and then block, encrypt, quarantine, or alert on any sensitive data that is detected or leaked. 

Web serverBotnet Enable DDoS protectionUser RAT Implement a host-based IPSDatabase server Worm Change the default application passwordExecutive KeyloggerDisable vulnerable servicesApplication Backdoor Implement 2FA using push notification

A screenshot of a computer program Description automatically generated with low confidence

Network access restrictions can limit the exposure of systems that have expired vendor support and lack an immediate replacement, as they can prevent unauthorized or unnecessary access to those systems from other devices or networks. Network access restrictions can include firewalls, network segmentation, VPNs, access control lists, and other methods that can filter or block traffic based on predefined rules or policies. Network access restrictions can reduce the security risks introduced by running systems that have expired vendor support, as they can mitigate the impact of potential vulnerabilities or exploits that may affect those systems. Verified References:

• CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam Objectives Version 3.0 https://www.comptia.jp/pdf/Security%2B%20SY0-601%20Exam%20Objectives.pdf (See Domain 2.1: Given a scenario, implement secure protocols.)
• CompTIA Security+ SY0-501 Study Guide https://www.certblaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/CompTIA-Security-SY0-501-Study-Guide.pdf (See Chapter 2: Technologies and Tools, Section 2.5: Firewall and Network Security Appliances.)

Pseudo-anonymization is a technique of replacing sensitive data with artificial identifiers or pseudonyms that preserve some characteristics or attributes of the original data. It can protect employee data while allowing the companies to successfully share this information by removing direct identifiers such as names, addresses, etc., but retaining indirect identifiers such as job roles, pay scales, etc., that are relevant for the comparison.

Data entropy is a measure of the randomness or unpredictability of data. High data entropy means that the data has more variation and less repetition, making it harder to guess or crack. It can increase cryptographic security by making the encryption keys and ciphertext more complex and resistant to brute-force attacks, frequency analysis, etc

Testing the policy in a non-production environment before enabling the policy in the production network would prevent the issue of making several company servers unreachable. A non-production environment is a replica of the production network that is used for testing, development, or training purposes. By testing the policy in a non-production environment, the technician can verify the functionality and impact of the policy without affecting the real network or users. This can help to identify and resolve any errors or conflicts before applying the policy to the production network. Testing the policy in a non-production environment can also help to ensure compliance with security standards and best practices.

Archiving is the process of storing data for long-term preservation. In the context of IT security, archiving logs is the process of collecting and storing log files from devices in a centralized location. This allows organizations to access and analyze log data for troubleshooting, compliance, and security auditing purposes.

Log aggregation is the process of collecting log data from multiple sources and storing it in a single location. This can be done for performance or security reasons. However, log aggregation does not necessarily involve storing the logs in an off-site location.

DLP (Data Loss Prevention) is a set of technologies and processes that are used to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. DLP can be used to prevent data from being exfiltrated from an organization's network, but it does not typically involve storing logs in an off-site location.

SCAP (Security Content Automation Protocol) is a set of standards and tools that are used to automate the assessment and remediation of security vulnerabilities. SCAP can be used to collect log data from devices, but it does not typically involve storing the logs in an off-site location.

Therefore, the best answer to the question is archiving.

Security information and event management (SIEM) is a solution that collects, analyzes, and correlates logs and events from various sources such as firewalls, servers, applications, etc., within an organization’s network. It can centralize logs to create a baseline and have visibility on security events by providing a unified dashboard and reporting system for log management and security monitoring.

A false positive is a type of alert that indicates a security incident when there is none. It can be caused by misconfigured or overly sensitive security tools or systems that generate false or irrelevant alerts. In this case, the alert from the company’s SIEM that Mimikatz attempted to run on the remote systems was a false positive because it was triggered by a legitimate vulnerability scanning tool that uses Mimikatz as part of its functionality.