CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) Question 40

A security engineer must establish a method to assess compliance with company security policies as they apply to the unique configuration of individual endpoints, as well as to the shared configuration policies of common devices.

Which of the following tools is the security engineer using to produce the above output?

A. Vulnerability scanner
B. SIEM
C. Port scanner
D. SCAP scanner

Correct Answer: B

CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) Question 27

A company contracts a security engineer to perform a penetration test of its client-facing web portal. Which of the following activities would be MOST appropriate?

A. Use a protocol analyzer against the site to see if data input can be replayed from the browser
B. Scan the website through an interception proxy and identify areas for the code injection
C. Scan the site with a port scanner to identify vulnerable services running on the web server
D. Use network enumeration tools to identify if the server is running behind a load balancer

Correct Answer: C

CompTIA Security+ Question K-94

Which of the following tools would allow Ann, the security administrator, to be able to BEST quantify all traffic on her network?

A. Honeypot
B. Port scanner
C. Protocol analyzer
D. Vulnerability scanner

Answer: C

Explanation:
A Protocol Analyzer is a hardware device or more commonly a software program used to capture network data communications sent between devices on a network. By capturing and analyzing the packets sent between the systems on the network, Ann would be able to quantify the amount of traffic on the network. Well known software protocol analyzers include Message Analyzer (formerly Network Monitor) from Microsoft and Wireshark (formerly Ethereal).

CompTIA Security+ Question J-72

Which of the following types of technologies is used by security and research personnel for identification and analysis of new security threats in a networked environment by using false data/hosts for information collection?

A. Honeynet
B. Vulnerability scanner
C. Port scanner
D. Protocol analyzer

Answer: A

Explanation:
A honeynet is a network set up with intentional vulnerabilities; its purpose is to invite attack, so that an attacker’s activities and methods can be studied and that information used to increase network security. A honeynet contains one or more honey pots, which are computer systems on the Internet expressly set up to attract and “trap” people who attempt to penetrate other people’s computer systems. Although the primary purpose of a honeynet is to gather information about attackers’ methods and motives, the decoy network can benefit its operator in other ways, for example by diverting attackers from a real network and its resources. The Honeynet Project, a non-profit research organization dedicated to computer security and information sharing, actively promotes the deployment of honeynets. In addition to the honey pots, a honeynet usually has real applications and services so that it seems like a normal network and a worthwhile target. However, because the honeynet doesn’t actually serve any authorized users, any attempt to contact the network from without is likely an illicit attempt to breach its security, and any outbound activity is likely evidence that a system has been compromised. For this reason, the suspect information is much more apparent than it would be in an actual network, where it would have to be found amidst all the legitimate network data. Applications within a honeynet are often given names such as “Finances” or “Human Services” to make them sound appealing to the attacker.

CompTIA Security+ Question H-100

Which of the following tools would a security administrator use in order to identify all running services throughout an organization?

A. Architectural review
B. Penetration test
C. Port scanner
D. Design review

Answer: C

Explanation:
Different services use different ports. When a service is enabled on a computer, a network port is opened for that service. For example, enabling the HTTP service on a web server will open port 80 on the server. By determining which ports are open on a remote server, we can determine which services are running on that server. A port scanner is a software application designed to probe a server or host for open ports. This is often used by administrators to verify security policies of their networks and by attackers to identify running services on a host with the view to compromise it. A port scan or portscan can be defined as a process that sends client requests to a range of server port addresses on a host, with the goal of finding an active port. While not a nefarious process in and of itself, it is one used by hackers to probe target machine services with the aim of exploiting a known vulnerability of that service. However the majority of uses of a port scan are not attacks and are simple probes to determine services available on a remote machine.

CompTIA Security+ Question H-75

Emily, the Chief Information Officer (CIO), has requested an audit take place to determine what services and operating systems are running on the corporate network. Which of the following should be used to complete this task?

A. Fingerprinting and password crackers
B. Fuzzing and a port scan
C. Vulnerability scan and fuzzing
D. Port scan and fingerprinting

Answer: D

Explanation:
Different services use different ports. When a service is enabled on a computer, a network port is opened for that service. For example, enabling the HTTP service on a web server will open port 80 on the server. By determining which ports are open on a remote server, we can determine which services are running on that server. A port scanner is a software application designed to probe a server or host for open ports. This is often used by administrators to verify security policies of their networks and by attackers to identify running services on a host with the view to compromise it.

A port scan or portscan can be defined as a process that sends client requests to a range of server port addresses on a host, with the goal of finding an active port. While not a nefarious process in and of itself, it is one used by hackers to probe target machine services with the aim of exploiting a known vulnerability of that service. However the majority of uses of a port scan are not attacks and are simple probes to determine services available on a remote machine.

Fingerprinting is a means of ascertaining the operating system of a remote computer on a network. Fingerprinting is more generally used to detect specific versions of applications or protocols that are run on network servers. Fingerprinting can be accomplished “passively” by sniffing network packets passing between hosts, or it can be accomplished “actively” by transmitting specially created packets to the target machine and analyzing the response

CompTIA Security+ Question G-62

Jane, a security analyst, is reviewing logs from hosts across the Internet which her company uses to gather data on new malware. Which of the following is being implemented by Jane’s company?

A. Vulnerability scanner
B. Honeynet
C. Protocol analyzer
D. Port scanner

Answer: B

Explanation:
The Internet hosts used to gather data on new malware are known as honeypots. A collection of honeypots is known as a honeynet. A honeynet is a network set up with intentional vulnerabilities; its purpose is to invite attack, so that an attacker’s activities and methods can be studied and that information used to increase network security. A honeynet contains one or more honey pots, which are computer systems on the Internet expressly set up to attract and “trap” people who attempt to penetrate other people’s computer systems. Although the primary purpose of a honeynet is to gather information about attackers’ methods and motives, the decoy network can benefit its operator in other ways, for example by diverting attackers from a real network and its resources. The Honeynet Project, a non-profit research organization dedicated to computer security and information sharing, actively promotes the deployment of honeynets. In addition to the honey pots, a honeynet usually has real applications and services so that it seems like a normal network and a worthwhile target. However, because the honeynet doesn’t actually serve any authorized users, any attempt to contact the network from without is likely an illicit attempt to breach its security, and any outbound activity is likely evidence that a system has been compromised. For this reason, the suspect information is much more apparent than it would be in an actual network, where it would have to be found amidst all the legitimate network data. Applications within a honeynet are often given names such as “Finances” or “Human Services” to make them sound appealing to the attacker.

A virtual honeynet is one that, while appearing to be an entire network, resides on a single server.

CompTIA Security+ Question G-55

Which of the following is a penetration testing method?

A. Searching the WHOIS database for administrator contact information
B. Running a port scanner against the target’s network
C. War driving from a target’s parking lot to footprint the wireless network
D. Calling the target’s helpdesk, requesting a password reset

Answer: D

Explanation:
A penetration test is a proactive and authorized attempt to evaluate the security of an IT infrastructure by safely attempting to exploit system vulnerabilities, including OS, service and application flaws, improper configurations, and even risky end-user behavior. Such assessments are also useful in validating the efficacy of defensive mechanisms, as well as end-users’ adherence to security policies. Penetration testing evaluates an organization’s ability to protect its networks, applications,

endpoints and users from external or internal attempts to circumvent its security controls to gain unauthorized or privileged access to protected assets. Test results validate the risk posed by specific security vulnerabilities or flawed processes, enabling IT management and security professionals to prioritize remediation efforts. By embracing more frequent and comprehensive penetration testing, organizations can more effectively anticipate emerging security risks and prevent unauthorized access to critical systems and valuable information. Penetration tests are not always technically clever attempts to access a network. By calling the target’s helpdesk and requesting a password reset, if they reset the password without requiring proof that you are authorized to request a password change, you can easily gain access to the network.

CompTIA Security+ Question A-83

A security administrator wants to perform routine tests on the network during working hours when certain applications are being accessed by the most people. Which of the following would allow the security administrator to test the lack of security controls for those applications with the least impact to the system?

A. Penetration test
B. Vulnerability scan
C. Load testing
D. Port scanner

Answer: B

Explanation:
A vulnerability scan is the process of scanning the network and/or I.T. infrastructure for threats and vulnerabilities. The threats and vulnerabilities are then evaluated in a risk assessment and the necessary actions taken to resolve and vulnerabilities. A vulnerability scan scans for known weaknesses such as missing patches or security updates.

A vulnerability scan is the automated process of proactively identifying security vulnerabilities of computing systems in a network in order to determine if and where a system can be exploited and/or threatened. While public servers are important for communication and data transfer over the Internet, they open the door to potential security breaches by threat agents, such as malicious hackers. Vulnerability scanning employs software that seeks out security flaws based on a database of known flaws, testing systems for the occurrence of these flaws and generating a report of the findings that an individual or an enterprise can use to tighten the network’s security.

CompTIA Security+ Question A-82

During a security assessment, an administrator wishes to see which services are running on a remote server. Which of the following should the administrator use?

A. Port scanner
B. Network sniffer
C. Protocol analyzer
D. Process list

Answer: A

Explanation:
Different services use different ports. When a service is enabled on a computer, a network port is opened for that service. For example, enabling the HTTP service on a web server will open port 80 on the server. By determining which ports are open on a remote server, we can determine which services are running on that server. A port scanner is a software application designed to probe a server or host for open ports. This is often used by administrators to verify security policies of their networks and by attackers to identify running services on a host with the view to compromise it. A port scan or portscan can be defined as a process that sends client requests to a range of server port addresses on a host, with the goal of finding an active port. While not a nefarious process in and of itself, it is one used by hackers to probe target machine services with the aim of exploiting a known vulnerability of that service. However the majority of uses of a port scan are not attacks and are simple probes to determine services available on a remote machine.