Cyber Resilience and Redundancy

Question 1

Cyber Resilience

Answer 1

Ability to deliver outcomes despite adverse cyber events

Question 2

Redundancy

Answer 2

Having additional systems or processes for continued functionality

Answer 3

Swift Recovery
 Enables organizations to recover swiftly after cyber
events

Continuous Operations
 Ensures continuous operations despite attacks or
technical failures

Question 4

High availability and its elements

Answer 4

Importance
 Critical for continuous operations

Elements
 Load balancing
 Clustering
 Redundancy in power
 Connections
 Servers
 Services
 Multi-cloud systems

Question 5

Data Redundancy

Answer 5

Achieved by
 Redundant storage devices
Types
 RAID configurations

Question 6

Capacity Planning importance and considerations

Answer 6

Efficient scaling during peak demand

Considerations
 People
 Technology
 Infrastructure

Question 7

Power Components

Answer 7

 Generators, UPS, line conditioners, power distribution
centers (PDCs)
 Ensures constant power supply to data centers

Question 8

Data backup types and methos

Answer 8

Types
 Onsite
 Offsite

Methods
 Encryption
 Snapshots
 Recovery
 Replication
 Journaling

Question 9

Importance of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) Plan

Answer 9

Ensures smooth business operations during unforeseen events

Question 10

Backup Site Options

Answer 10

 Hot
 Cold
 Warm Sites
 Geographic Dispersion
 Virtual Sites
 Platform Diversity

Question 11

Testing Methods

Answer 11

 Tabletop Exercises
 Failover Techniques
 Simulation
 Parallel Processing
 Use Cases
 Support different scenarios within organizations

Question 12

High Availability

Answer 12

 Aims to keep services continuously available by
minimizing downtime
 Achieved through load balancing, clustering,
redundancy, and multi-cloud strategies

Question 13

Uptime and Availability Standards

Answer 13

Uptime
 The time a system remains online, typically expressed
as a percentage

Five nines
 Refers to 99.999% uptime, allowing only about 5
minutes of downtime per year

Six nines
 Refers to 99.9999% uptime, allows just 31 seconds of
downtime per year

Question 14

Load balancing

Answer 14

 Distributes workloads across multiple resources
 Optimizes resource use, throughput, and response
time
 Prevents overloading of any single resource
 Incoming requests are directed to capable servers

Question 15

Clustering

Answer 15

 Uses multiple computers, storage devices, and network
connections as a single system
 Provides high availability, reliability, and scalability
 Ensures continuity of service even in case of hardware
failure
 Can be combined with load balancing for robust
solutions

Question 16

Redunduncy

Answer 16

 Involves duplicating critical components to increase
system reliability

Redundancy can be implemented by adding multiple
 Power supplies
 Network connections
 Servers
 Software services

Question 17

Multi-Cloud Approach

Answer 17

 Distributes data, applications, and services across
multiple cloud providers
 Mitigates the risk of a single point of failure
 Offers flexibility for cost optimization
 Aids in avoiding vendor lock-in
 Requires proper data management, unified threat
management, and consistent policy enforcement for
security and compliance

Question 18

Strategic planning

Answer 18

 Design a robust system architecture to achieve high
availability
 Utilize load balancing, clustering, redundancy, and
multi-cloud approaches
 Proactive measures reduce the risk of service
disruptions and downtime costs
 Safeguard organizational continuity and reliability in a
competitive environment

Question 19

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) Overview

Answer 19

RAIDs are essential for ensuring data redundancy, availability, and performance in enterprise networks

The choice of RAID type depends on specific requirements for performance and fault tolerance

RAID 0
 Provides data striping across multiple disks
* Used for improved performance but offers no data
redundancy
o Multiple drives increase read and write speeds
 Suitable for scenarios where performance is essential,
and data redundancy is not a concern

RAID 1
 Provides redundancy by mirroring data identically on
two storage devices
 Ensures data integrity and availability
 Suitable for critical applications and maintains a
complete copy of data on both devices
 Only one storage device can fail without data loss or
downtime

RAID 5
 Utilizes striping with parity across at least three storage
devices
 Offers fault tolerance by distributing data and parity
 Can continue operations if one storage device fails
 Data reconstruction is possible but results in slower
access speeds

RAID 6
 Similar to RAID 5 but includes double parity data
 Requires at least four storage devices
 Can withstand the failure of two storage devices
without data loss

RAID 10
 Combines RAID 1 (mirroring) and RAID 0 (striping)
 Offers high performance, fault tolerance, and data
redundancy
 Requires an even number of storage devices, with a
minimum of four

Question 20

3 RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) resilient categories

Answer 20

1: Failure-resistant
 Resists hardware malfunctions through redundancy
(e.g., RAID 1)

2: Fault-tolerant
 Allows continued operation and quick data rebuild in
case of failure (e.g., RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10)

3: Disaster-tolerant
 Safeguards against catastrophic events by maintaining
data in independent zones (e.g., RAID 1, RAID 10)

Question 21

4 aspectos of capacity planning

Answer 21

1: People
 Analyze current personnel skills and capacity
 Forecast future personnel needs for hiring, training, or
downsizing
 Ensure the right number of people with the right skills
for strategic objectives
Example
 Hiring seasonal employees for holiday retail demand

2: Technology
 Assess current technology resources and their usage

Predict future technology demands
 Consider scalability and potential investments in new
technology

Example
 Ensuring an e-commerce platform can handle traffic
spikes

3: Infrastructure
 Plan for physical spaces and utilities to support
operations
 Includes office spaces, data centers, and more
 Optimize space and power consumption
Example
 Data center capacity planning for server installations

4: Processes
 Optimize business processes for varying demand levels
 Streamline workflows, improve efficiency, and consider
outsourcing
Example
 Automating employee onboarding to handle high
demand

Question 22

Key terms:
Surges
Spikes
Sags
Undervoltage events (Brownouts)
Power loss events (Blackouts)

Answer 22

Surges
 Sudden, small increases in voltage beyond the standard level (e.g., 120V in the US)

Spikes
 Short-lived voltage increases, often caused by short
circuits, tripped breakers, or lightning

Sags
 Brief decreases in voltage, usually not severe enough to
cause system shutdown

Undervoltage Events (Brownouts)
 Prolonged reduction in voltage, leading to system
shutdown

Power Loss Events (Blackouts)
 Complete loss of power for a period, potentially causing data loss and damage

Question 23

3 types of Power Protection Components

Answer 23

1: Line Conditioners
 Stabilize voltage supply and filter out fluctuations
 Mitigate surges, sags, and undervoltage events
 Prevent unexpected system behavior and hardware
degradation
 Unsuitable for significant undervoltage events or
complete power failures

2: Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)
 Provide emergency power during power source failures
 Offer line conditioning functions
 Include battery backup to maintain power during short-
duration failures
 Typically supply 15 to 60 minutes of power during a
complete power failure

3: Generators
 Convert mechanical energy into electrical energy for
use in an external circuit through the process of
electromagnetic induction
 Backup generators supply power during power grid
outages
 Smaller generators for limited applications (e.g.,
emergency lighting)
Different Types of Generators
- Portable gas-engine generators
- Permanently installed generators
- Battery-inverter generators

Question 24

Power Distribution Centers (PDC)

Answer 24

 Central hub for power reception and distribution
 Includes circuit protection, monitoring, and load
balancing
 Integrates with UPS and backup generators for
seamless transitions during power events

Question 25

Considerations for Data Centers

Answer 25

 Large data centers use rack-mounted UPS for server
protection
 UPS provides line conditioning and battery backup for
10-15 minutes
 Power distribution units manage load balancing and
line conditioning
 Backup generators are crucial for extended power
outages but require startup time
 Building data centers with redundancy and protections
tailored to use cases and budgets

Question 26

Onsite and Offsite Data Backups

Answer 26

Onsite Backup
 Storing data copies in the same location as the original
data

Offsite Backup
 Storing data copies in a geographically separate
location

Importance
 Onsite backups are convenient but vulnerable to
disasters
 Offsite backups protect against physical disasters

Question 27

Determining factor of backup frequency is the organization’s Recovery Point Objective (RPO). What is RPO and its considerations:

Answer 27

 Ensures that the backup plan will maintain the amount
of data required to keep any data loss under the
organization’s RPO threshold

Considerations:
 Data change rate
 Resource allocation
 Organizational needs

Question 28

Fundamental safeguard that protects the backup data from unauthorized access and potential breaches

Answer 28

Data-at-rest Encryption
 Encrypting data as it is written to storage

Data-in-transit Encryption
 Protecting data during transmission

Importance
 Safeguarding backup data from unauthorized access
and breaches

Question 29

5 key steps in the data recovery process

Answer 29

 Selection of the right backup
 Initiating the recovery process
 Data validation
 Testing and validation
 Documentation and reporting
 Notification

Importance
 Regaining access to data in case of loss or system
failure; a well-defined and tested recovery plan is
essential

Question 30

Journaling

Answer 30

Maintaining a detailed record of data changes over time

Benefits
 Enables granular data recovery
 Maintains an audit trail
* Ensures data integrity and compliance

Question 31

Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)

Answer 31

Ensures an organization’s ability to recover from disruptive events or disasters
 Requires detailed planning and forethought

Question 32

Business Continuity Planning (BC Plan)

Answer 32

 Plans and processes for responding to disruptive
events
 Addresses a wide range of threats and disruptive
incidents
 Involves preventative actions and recovery steps
 Can cover both technical and non-technical disruptions

Question 33

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

Answer 33

 Focuses on plans and processes for disaster response
 Subset of the BC Plan
 Focuses on faster recovery after disasters
 Addresses specific events like hurricanes, fires, or

Question 34

Strategies for Business Continuity

Answer 34

 Consider alternative locations for critical infrastructure
 Distribute staff across multiple geographic regions
 Use cloud services to maintain operations during
disasters

Question 35

The Role of Senior Management

Answer 35

 Senior managers are responsible for developing the BC
Plan
 Goals for BC and DR efforts should be set by senior
management
 Appoint a Business Continuity Coordinator to lead the
Business Continuity Committee

Question 36

Business Continuity Committee

Answer 36

 Comprises representatives from various departments
(IT, Legal, Security, Communications, etc.)
 Determines recovery priorities for different events
 Identifies and prioritizes systems critical for business
continuity

Question 37

Redundant Site

Answer 37

Backup location or facility that can take over essential functions and operations in case the primary site experiences a failure or disruption

Question 38

Types of Continuity Locations

Answer 38

1: Hot Sites
 Up and running continuously, enabling a quick
switchover
 Requires duplicating all infrastructure and data
 Expensive, but provides instant availability

2: Warm Sites
 Not fully equipped, but fundamentals in place
 Can be up and running within a few days
 Cheaper than hot sites but with a slight delay

3: Cold Sites
 Fewer facilities than warm sites
 May be just an empty building, ready in 1-2 months
 Cost-effective but adds more recovery time
 Mobile Sites
 Can be hot, warm, or cold
 Utilizes portable units like trailers or tents
 Offers flexibility and quick deployment (e.g., military
DJC2)

4: Platform Diversity
 Critical for effective virtual redundant sites
 Diversify operating systems, network equipment, and
cloud platforms
 Reduces the risk of a single point of failure
 Ensures resilience and adaptability in case of
disruptions

5: Virtual Sites
 Leveraging cloud-based environments for redundancy

Virtual Hot Site
 Fully replicated and instantly accessible in the cloud

Virtual Warm Site
 Involves scaling up resources when needed

Virtual Cold Site
 Minimizes ongoing costs by activating resources only
during disasters
 Offers scalability, cost-effectiveness, and easy
maintenance

6: Geographic Dispersion
 Spreading resources across different locations for
higher redundancy
 Mitigates the risk of localized outages
 Enhances disaster recovery capabilities

Question 39

Considerations for Redundant Site Selection

Answer 39

 Think about technology stack, people’s workspace, and
long-term support
 Determine which type of redundant site suits your
organization’s needs
 Ensure continuity of essential functions and services in
the event of disruptions

Question 40

Resilience Testing

Answer 40

 Ensures the system can recover from unforeseen
incidents
 Conducted through tabletop exercises, failover tests,
simulations, and parallel processing
 Helps prepare for events like power loss, natural
disasters, ransomware attacks, and data breaches

Question 41

Recovery Testing

Answer 41

 Evaluates the system’s capacity to restore normal
operation after a disruptive event
 Involves executing planned recovery actions
 Performed through failover tests, simulations, and
parallel processing
 Ensures that planned recovery procedures work
effectively in a real-world scenario

Question 42

Tabletop Exercies

Answer 42

 Scenario-based discussion among key stakeholders
 Assess and improve an organization’s preparedness
and response
 No deployment of actual resources
 Identifies gaps and seams in response plans
 Promotes team-building among stakeholders
 Low-cost and engaging for participants

Question 43

Failover Tests

Answer 43

 Controlled experiment for transitioning from primary to
backup components
 Ensures uninterrupted functionality during disasters
 Requires more resources and time
 Validates the effectiveness of disaster recovery plans
 Can identify and rectify issues in the failover process

Question 44

Simulations

Answer 44

 Computer-generated representation of a real-world
scenario
 Allows for hands-on response actions in a virtual
environment
 Assesses incident responders and system
administrators in real-time
 Helps evaluate reactions and staff performance
 Provides feedback for learning and improvement

Question 45

Parallel Testin and its uses

Answer 45

 Replicates data and system processes onto a secondary
system
 Runs primary and secondary systems concurrently
 Tests reliability and stability of the secondary setup
 Ensures no disruption to day-to-day operations
 Assesses the system’s ability to handle multiple failure
scenarios simultaneously

Uses of Parallel Processing
Resilience Testing
 Tests the ability of the system to handle multiple failure
scenarios

Recovery Testing
 Tests the efficiency of the system to recover from
multiple points of failure