Live Study Practice Questions (Messer) Flashcards
A hacker is using a cryptographic attack to gain access to system data. Which of the following would be the most likely attack type?
A) DDos
B) Downgrade
C) SQLi
D) On-Path
E) Spraying
✅ Downgrade: This is a cryptographic attack where an attacker forces a system to switch to a weaker or outdated cryptographic protocol. This makes it easier for the attacker to exploit vulnerabilities and gain access to system data. This matches the description of the attack.
Why the other options are incorrect:
❌ DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service): This is not a cryptographic attack. It’s about overwhelming a server with traffic to disrupt service, not about gaining access to data.
❌ SQLi (SQL Injection): This is an injection attack where malicious SQL code is inserted to manipulate databases. While it can give access to data, it’s not a cryptographic attack.
❌ On-path (Man-in-the-Middle): This attack involves intercepting and possibly altering communications. While it can involve cryptographic weaknesses if encryption is bypassed, it’s not inherently a cryptographic attack.
❌ Spraying (Password Spraying): This is a brute-force attack where an attacker tries common passwords across multiple accounts. It’s an authentication attack, not a cryptographic one.
A Security engineer received an alert showing a change to teh corporate web server configuration file. Which of the following would be the most likelyb source of this alert?
A) FIM
B) IPS
C) NGFW
D) IPsec VPN
E) NAC
✅ FIM (File Integrity Monitoring): FIM solutions monitor and alert on unauthorized or unexpected changes to critical system files, including configuration files. Since the alert is about a change to the corporate web server’s configuration file, FIM is the most likely source of the alert.
Why the other options are incorrect:
❌ IPS (Intrusion Prevention System): IPS detects and prevents malicious network traffic or known attack patterns, but it does not monitor file changes on a system.
❌ NGFW (Next-Generation Firewall): An NGFW provides advanced firewall capabilities, like deep packet inspection and intrusion prevention, but it does not track changes to server configuration files.
❌ IPsec VPN: This is a protocol for securing network traffic between devices. It has nothing to do with monitoring file changes.
❌ NAC (Network Access Control): NAC enforces security policies to control which devices can connect to a network. It does not monitor file integrity.
Two companies have agreed to sign a BPA. Which of the following would be the most likely reason for this agreement?
A) Keep informaiton confidentail between parties
B) Remove private information on request
C) Reserve a disaster recovery location
D) Start a business together
E) Perform ongoing security audits
The correct answer is D) Start a business together.
Here’s why:
✅ BPA (Business Partnership Agreement): A BPA is a contractual agreement between two or more companies that defines the terms and conditions of their business relationship, including roles, responsibilities, and profit-sharing. It’s commonly used when companies plan to start a business venture together.
Why the other options are incorrect:
❌ A) Keep information confidential between parties: This would be covered by a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), not a BPA.
❌ B) Remove private information on request: This aligns with data privacy regulations or agreements like a Data Processing Agreement (DPA), not a BPA.
❌ C) Reserve a disaster recovery location: This would be part of a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) or related service-level agreements, but not a BPA.
❌ E) Perform ongoing security audits: This would be part of a security agreement or audit policy, but it’s not the primary purpose of a BPA.
A developer has built an application with extensive use of data masking. Which of the following would be the most likely reason for this?
A) Undeniable proof of the data source
B) Hides sensitive data on the screen
C) Automatically encrypts stored data
D) Ensures a unique hash for each data record
E) Hides private data within another media type
✅ Correct Answer:
B) Hides sensitive data on the screen.
Data masking is primarily used to hide or obscure sensitive data when it’s displayed, especially in non-production environments. This prevents unauthorized individuals from viewing real sensitive data, such as credit card numbers or personal information, by displaying masked values instead.
❌ Incorrect Answers Explained:
A) Undeniable proof of the data source: This relates to data integrity or digital signatures, which ensure authenticity, not data masking. Masking is not about proving where data comes from.
C) Automatically encrypts stored data: Encryption secures data by transforming it into an unreadable format requiring a decryption key. Data masking does not encrypt data but simply hides it for display or testing purposes.
D) Ensures a unique hash for each data record: This is related to hashing, which converts data into a fixed-length value. Masking does not involve generating hashes.
E) Hides private data within another media type: This describes steganography, where data is concealed within other files like images or audio. Data masking is not related to this method.
A download page includes the download link and a long string of hexadecimal characters. Which of the following would be the most likely reason for displaying this information?
A) Decryption key
B) File metadata
C) Integrity verification
D) Key escrow
E) Authentication password
✅ Correct Answer:
C) Integrity verification.
A long string of hexadecimal characters on a download page is most likely a hash value (such as MD5, SHA-1, or SHA-256). This is used for integrity verification, allowing users to confirm that the downloaded file has not been altered or corrupted by comparing the calculated hash of the downloaded file to the provided hash.
❌ Incorrect Answers Explained:
A) Decryption key: A decryption key is used to decrypt encrypted data, but it is not typically displayed openly on a download page, as that would compromise security.
B) File metadata: Metadata includes information like file creation date, author, or size, but it is not typically displayed as a hexadecimal string for users to verify.
D) Key escrow: This is a process where cryptographic keys are held in trust to allow recovery in case of data loss. It’s not related to displaying information for download integrity.
E) Authentication password: Passwords are used for authentication but are never displayed as hexadecimal hashes on download pages for security reasons.
