D329 Networks and Security Applications - Set 3 - Part 1

Correct Answer: WPA3

WPA3 is the most current standard, providing stronger encryption and improved protection against offline password guessing than WPA2.

Correct Answer: Its encryption is fundamentally broken and can be cracked in minutes

WEP has fatal cryptographic weaknesses in its use of initialization vectors, allowing the key to be recovered rapidly with freely available tools.

Correct Answer: The name identifying a wireless network

The Service Set Identifier is the network name broadcast by an access point so clients can identify and connect to it.

Correct Answer: No, it provides minimal protection since the SSID is still discoverable

A hidden SSID still appears in client association traffic and is easily discovered with basic tools. It is obscurity, not genuine security.

Correct Answer: MAC addresses can be observed and spoofed by an attacker

MAC addresses travel unencrypted in wireless frames, so an attacker can observe an allowed address and spoof it, bypassing the filter entirely.

Correct Answer: An unauthorized wireless access point connected to the network

A rogue access point is attached without authorization, potentially bypassing perimeter controls and providing an unmonitored entry path into the network.

Correct Answer: A malicious access point impersonating a legitimate network name

An evil twin broadcasts a legitimate-looking SSID so victims connect to the attacker's access point, allowing interception of their traffic.

Correct Answer: It encrypts traffic that would otherwise be exposed on an untrusted network

Public networks are untrusted and potentially hostile. A VPN encrypts all traffic end to end, protecting it from interception on the local network.

Correct Answer: Port-based network access control requiring authentication before access

802.1X requires devices to authenticate, typically against a RADIUS server, before the switch port or wireless connection grants network access.

Correct Answer: Providing centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting

RADIUS centralizes AAA services so network devices delegate authentication decisions to one authoritative source rather than maintaining local accounts.

Correct Answer: Enforcing security posture requirements before allowing devices onto the network

NAC verifies device identity and security posture, such as patch level and antivirus status, before granting network access, quarantining non-compliant devices.

Correct Answer: A decoy system designed to attract and study attackers

A honeypot is a deliberately exposed decoy with no legitimate business use, so any interaction with it signals malicious activity and reveals attacker techniques.

Correct Answer: Discovering which services are listening on a target system

Port scanning probes a target to identify open ports and running services, mapping the attack surface for further exploitation attempts.

Correct Answer: Reducing the attack surface available to an adversary

Every listening service is a potential entry point. Disabling unnecessary services and closing their ports removes those opportunities entirely.

Correct Answer: Reducing vulnerabilities by removing unnecessary services and applying secure configuration

Hardening minimizes the attack surface by disabling unneeded services, removing default accounts, applying secure settings, and keeping software patched.

Correct Answer: They are publicly documented and among the first things attackers try

Vendor default usernames and passwords are published in manuals and online databases, making unchanged defaults a trivial entry point for attackers.

Correct Answer: A documented standard secure configuration applied consistently to systems

A security baseline defines the required secure configuration for a class of systems, providing a consistent, auditable standard for deployment and review.

Correct Answer: Systems gradually deviating from their approved secure configuration

Over time, ad hoc changes cause systems to diverge from the approved baseline, reintroducing vulnerabilities. Regular auditing detects and corrects drift.

Correct Answer: Ensuring changes are reviewed, tested, and documented before implementation

Change management reviews proposed changes for risk, ensures testing and rollback plans exist, and documents what changed, reducing outages and security regressions.

Correct Answer: A formal document defining security requirements and expected behavior

A security policy states management's requirements and expectations, providing the authoritative basis for technical standards, procedures, and enforcement.