CompTIA Security+ Question L-45

An organization’s security policy states that users must authenticate using something you do. Which of the following would meet the objectives of the security policy?

A. Fingerprint analysis
B. Signature analysis
C. Swipe a badge
D. Password

Answer: B

Explanation:
Authentication systems or methods are based on one or more of these five factors: Something you know, such as a password or PIN Something you have, such as a smart card, token, or identification device Something you are, such as your fingerprints or retinal pattern (often called biometrics) Something you do, such as an action you must take to complete authentication Somewhere you are (this is based on geolocation)

Writing your signature on a document is ‘something you do’. Someone can then analyze the signature to see if it matches one stored on record.

CompTIA Security+ Question L-34

Which of the following is the MOST intrusive type of testing against a production system?

A. White box testing
B. War dialing
C. Vulnerability testing
D. Penetration testing

Answer: D

Explanation:
Penetration testing is the most intrusive type of testing because you are actively trying to circumvent the system’s security controls to gain access to the system. Penetration testing (also called pen testing) is the practice of testing a computer system, network or Web application to find vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit. Pen tests can be automated with software applications or they can be performed manually. Either way, the process includes gathering information about the target before the test (reconnaissance), identifying possible entry points, attempting to break in (either virtually or for real) and reporting back the findings. The main objective of penetration testing is to determine security weaknesses. A pen test can also be used to test an organization’s security policy compliance, its employees’ security awareness and the organization’s ability to identify and respond to security incidents. Penetration tests are sometimes called white hat attacks because in a pen test, the good guys are attempting to break in.

Pen test strategies include:

Targeted testing Targeted testing is performed by the organization’s IT team and the penetration testing team working together. It’s sometimes referred to as a “lights-turned-on” approach because everyone can see the test being carried out.

External testing This type of pen test targets a company’s externally visible servers or devices including domain name servers (DNS), e-mail servers, Web servers or firewalls. The objective is to find out if an outside attacker can get in and how far they can get in once they’ve gained access.

Internal testing This test mimics an inside attack behind the firewall by an authorized user with standard access privileges. This kind of test is useful for estimating how much damage a disgruntled employee could cause.

Blind testing A blind test strategy simulates the actions and procedures of a real attacker by severely limiting the information given to the person or team that’s performing the test beforehand. Typically, they may only be given the name of the company. Because this type of test can require a considerable amount of time for reconnaissance, it can be expensive.

Double blind testing Double blind testing takes the blind test and carries it a step further. In this type of pen test, only one or two people within the organization might be aware a test is being conducted. Double-blind tests can be useful for testing an organization’s security monitoring and incident identification as well as its response procedures.

CompTIA Security+ Question L-17

A user has received an email from an external source which asks for details on the company’s new product line set for release in one month. The user has a detailed spec sheet but it is marked “Internal Proprietary Information”. Which of the following should the user do NEXT?

A. Contact their manager and request guidance on how to best move forward
B. Contact the help desk and/or incident response team to determine next steps
C. Provide the requestor with the email information since it will be released soon anyway
D. Reply back to the requestor to gain their contact information and call them

Answer: B

Explanation:
This is an incident that has to be responded to by the person who discovered it- in this case the user. An incident is any attempt to violate a security policy, a successful penetration, a compromise of a system, or any unauthorized access to information. It’s important that an incident response policy establish at least the following items: Outside agencies that should be contacted or notified in case of an incident Resources used to deal with an incident Procedures to gather and secure evidence List of information that should be collected about an incident Outside experts who can be used to address issues if needed Policies and guidelines regarding how to handle an incident Since the spec sheet has been marked Internal Proprietary Information the user should refer the incident to the incident response team.

CompTIA Security+ Question L-11

Ann, a security administrator at a call center, has been experiencing problems with users intentionally installing unapproved and occasionally malicious software on their computers. Due to the nature of their jobs, Ann cannot change their permissions. Which of the following would BEST alleviate her concerns?

A. Deploy a HIDS suite on the users’ computers to prevent application installation.
B. Maintain the baseline posture at the highest OS patch level.
C. Enable the pop-up blockers on the users’ browsers to prevent malware.
D. Create an approved application list and block anything not on it.

Answer: D

Explanation:
You can use Software Restriction Policy or its successor AppLocker to prevent unauthorized applications from running or being installed on computers. Software Restriction Policies (SRP) is Group Policy-based feature that identifies software programs running on computers in a domain, and controls the ability of those programs to run. Software restriction policies are part of the Microsoft security and management strategy to assist enterprises in increasing the reliability, integrity, and manageability of their computers. You can use AppLocker as part of your overall security strategy for the following scenarios: Help prevent malicious software (malware) and unsupported applications from affecting computers in your environment. Prevent users from installing and using unauthorized applications. Implement application control policy to satisfy portions of your security policy or compliance requirements in your organization.

CompTIA Security+ Question K-86

To protect corporate data on removable media, a security policy should mandate that all removable devices use which of the following?

A. Full disk encryption
B. Application isolation
C. Digital rights management
D. Data execution prevention

Answer: A

Explanation:
Full-disk encryption encrypts the data on the hard drive of the device or on a removable drive. This feature ensures that the data on the device or removable drive cannot be accessed in a useable form should it be stolen.

CompTIA Security+ Question K-61

An auditor is given access to a conference room to conduct an analysis. When they connect their laptop’s Ethernet cable into the wall jack, they are not able to get a connection to the Internet but have a link light. Which of the following is MOST likely causing this issue?

A. Ethernet cable is damaged
B. The host firewall is set to disallow outbound connections
C. Network Access Control
D. The switch port is administratively shutdown

Answer: C

Explanation:
Network Access Control (NAC) means controlling access to an environment through strict adherence to and implementation of security policies. The goals of NAC are to prevent/reduce zero-day attacks, enforce security policy throughout the network, and use identities to perform access control.

CompTIA Security+ Question K-43

A major security risk with co-mingling of hosts with different security requirements is:

A. Security policy violations.
B. Zombie attacks.
C. Password compromises.
D. Privilege creep.

Answer: A

Explanation:
The entire network is only as strong as the weakest host. Thus with the co-mingling of hosts with different security requirements would be risking security policy violations.

CompTIA Security+ Question J-77

Which of the following is a management control?

A. Logon banners
B. Written security policy
C. SYN attack prevention
D. Access Control List (ACL)

Answer: B

Explanation:
Management control types include risk assessment, planning, systems and Services Acquisition as well as Certification, Accreditation and Security Assessment; and written security policy falls in this category.

CompTIA Security+ Question J-66

A computer is put into a restricted VLAN until the computer’s virus definitions are up-to-date.
Which of the following BEST describes this system type?

A. NAT
B. NIPS
C. NAC
D. DMZ

Answer: C

Explanation:
Network Access Control (NAC) means controlling access to an environment through strict adherence to and implementation of security policies. The goals of NAC are to prevent/reduce zero-day attacks, enforce security policy throughout the network, and use identities to perform access control.

CompTIA Security+ Question I-69

Peter, a security analyst, asks each employee of an organization to sign a statement saying that they understand how their activities may be monitored. Which of the following BEST describes this statement? (Select TWO).

A. Acceptable use policy
B. Risk acceptance policy
C. Privacy policy
D. Email policy
E. Security policy

Answer: A,C

Explanation:
Privacy policies define what controls are required to implement and maintain the sanctity of data privacy in the work environment. Privacy policy is a legal document that outlines how data collected is secured. It should encompass information regarding the information the company collects, privacy choices you have based on your account, potential information sharing of your data with other parties, security measures in place, and enforcement. Acceptable use policies (AUPs) describe how the employees in an organization can use company systems and resources, both software and hardware.