D329 Networks and Security Applications - Set 2 - Part 1

Correct Answer: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability

The CIA triad defines the core security objectives: confidentiality (restricting access), integrity (preventing unauthorized modification), and availability (ensuring access when needed).

Correct Answer: Confidentiality

Encryption renders data unreadable without the key, primarily protecting confidentiality, though some schemes also provide integrity assurance.

Correct Answer: Integrity

A cryptographic hash detects any change to data, since altering the input produces a different digest, making hashes a primary tool for verifying integrity.

Correct Answer: Redundant systems and backups

Redundancy, failover, and backups keep systems and data accessible despite failures or attacks, directly supporting the availability objective.

Correct Answer: Verifying the claimed identity of a user or system

Authentication verifies that an entity is who it claims to be, typically through credentials, before any access decision is made.

Correct Answer: Determining what an authenticated identity is permitted to do

Authorization follows authentication and determines which resources and operations the verified identity may access.

Correct Answer: Recording what authenticated users actually did

Accounting logs user activity, providing the audit trail needed for accountability, forensic investigation, and compliance reporting.

Correct Answer: Something you know, have, and are

Authentication factors fall into knowledge (password), possession (token or phone), and inherence (biometric) categories.

Correct Answer: A password plus a code from a hardware token

True MFA combines factors from different categories. Two passwords or a password plus a security question are both knowledge factors and do not qualify.

Correct Answer: Granting only the minimum access needed to perform a role

Least privilege limits each account to the minimum permissions required, reducing the damage possible from compromise, error, or insider misuse.

Correct Answer: Assigning permissions to roles, and roles to users

RBAC attaches permissions to defined roles and assigns users to roles, simplifying administration and making access rights consistent and auditable.

Correct Answer: Dividing critical tasks so no single person can complete them alone

Separation of duties requires more than one person to complete a sensitive process, reducing the risk of fraud or unilateral misuse.

Correct Answer: Layering multiple independent controls so one failure is not catastrophic

Defense in depth layers controls at network, host, application, and data levels so that compromise of one control does not result in full breach.

Correct Answer: Filtering traffic between networks according to defined rules

A firewall enforces policy on traffic crossing a boundary, permitting or denying based on addresses, ports, protocols, or application characteristics.

Correct Answer: A stateful firewall tracks connection state to make context-aware decisions

A stateful firewall maintains a connection table, permitting return traffic for established sessions, while a stateless filter evaluates each packet in isolation.

Correct Answer: Monitors traffic and generates alerts on suspicious activity

An IDS observes traffic or host activity and alerts on suspicious patterns. It detects and reports but does not itself block.

Correct Answer: An IPS can actively block detected malicious traffic

An IPS sits inline and can drop or reject traffic it identifies as malicious, whereas an IDS only observes and alerts.

Correct Answer: A segmented zone hosting public-facing services isolated from the internal network

A demilitarized zone hosts internet-facing services in a segment isolated from the internal network, so compromise of a public server does not directly expose internal systems.

Correct Answer: Limiting how far an attacker can move after compromising one system

Segmentation restricts lateral movement, containing a breach to one zone rather than allowing an attacker to reach the entire network from a single foothold.

Correct Answer: Creating an encrypted tunnel across an untrusted network

A virtual private network encrypts traffic between endpoints across untrusted networks, protecting confidentiality and integrity for remote access or site-to-site links.