CompTIA Security+ Part 3

A logic bomb is a type of malicious code that is programmed to execute at a specific time or when certain conditions are met. It is often hidden within legitimate software or systems and remains dormant until the trigger event occurs. Once activated, it can cause significant damage by deleting files, corrupting data, or disrupting system operations. Unlike a Denial of Service (DoS) attack, which aims to overwhelm a system with excessive traffic, a logic bomb is specifically designed to carry out a targeted attack at a predetermined time. It is distinct from a worm or rootkit, which have different methods and objectives.

A logic bomb is a type of malicious code that is triggered by a specific date or time key. It is designed to execute a set of instructions or actions when that specific date or time is reached. Unlike other types of malware such as trojans, worms, and botnets, which can be triggered by various events or actions, a logic bomb is specifically programmed to activate at a predetermined date or time. This makes it a powerful tool for cybercriminals to cause damage or disrupt systems at a specific moment.

A mantrap is the best technology to install at the data center to prevent piggybacking. A mantrap is a physical access control system that consists of two interlocking doors. Only one door can be open at a time, and individuals must be authenticated and verified before being allowed to enter the data center. This prevents unauthorized staff from entering the data center by piggybacking on authorized staff, as each individual must be verified separately before gaining access. Security badges, hardware locks, and token access may provide some level of security, but they do not offer the same level of protection against piggybacking as a mantrap.

A password cracker is a tool used to test the strength of passwords by attempting to guess or crack them. It uses various techniques such as brute force, dictionary attacks, and rainbow tables to find weak passwords. By identifying weak passwords, an administrator can take necessary actions to strengthen the security of the system, such as enforcing password complexity rules or prompting users to change their passwords.

A pop-up blocker is a feature that is typically found in web browsers. It is designed to prevent unwanted pop-up windows from appearing while browsing the internet. Pop-up windows often contain advertisements or other unwanted content, and can be disruptive to the user experience. By blocking these pop-ups, web browsers help to enhance the browsing experience by reducing distractions and potential security risks.

Biometric reader and smartcard offer the best security controls because they provide a combination of something the technician has (smartcard) and something the technician is (biometric data). This ensures that only authorized individuals with both the correct smartcard and biometric data can access the data center, making it a highly secure solution. Combination locks and key locks can be easily bypassed or keys can be lost/stolen. Smartcard and proximity reader also provide good security, but biometric data adds an extra layer of authentication. Magnetic lock and pin can be vulnerable to PIN theft or unauthorized access.

This is an example of steganography, which is the practice of concealing a message or information within another medium, such as an image, audio file, or video. In this case, the highly sensitive message is hidden inside a JPEG image of a beach resort, making it difficult for anyone to detect or access the hidden message without the knowledge of the method used for concealment. Steganography is often used for covert communication or to protect sensitive information from being intercepted.

Mantraps are physical security devices that are designed to prevent unauthorized access to a secure area. They typically consist of a small enclosed space with two or more doors that can only be opened one at a time. The purpose of a mantrap is to ensure that only one person can enter the secure area at a time, preventing piggybacking, which is when an unauthorized person follows closely behind an authorized person to gain access. Therefore, mantraps are specifically used to prevent piggybacking.

The correct answer is "Computer media must be sanitized." This means that when disposing of computers, it is important to ensure that all data stored on the computer's media (such as hard drives or solid-state drives) is properly erased or destroyed to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information. Sanitizing the media involves using methods such as data wiping or physical destruction to ensure that the data cannot be recovered. This is an essential step in maintaining the security and privacy of the information stored on the computer.

The service provided by message authentication code (MAC) hash is integrity. MAC hash ensures that the data has not been tampered with or altered during transmission. It verifies the authenticity and integrity of the message by generating a unique hash value based on the message and a secret key. This hash value is then compared at the receiving end to ensure that the message has not been modified in transit.

To ensure the data on the old hard drives is completely and securely erased before disposing of them, the user should use a certified wipe program. This program will overwrite the data on the drives multiple times, making it extremely difficult for anyone to recover the information. Reformatting the hard drives once may not completely erase the data and can still be recovered. Installing antivirus or running anti-spyware on the drives is not necessary for data erasure.

A Faraday cage is a mechanism that prevents electromagnetic emanations from being captured. It is a shielded enclosure made of conductive material that blocks external electromagnetic fields from entering or escaping. The conductive material absorbs and redirects the electromagnetic energy, effectively isolating the contents inside the cage from external electromagnetic interference. This makes it an effective solution for protecting sensitive electronic equipment or preventing unauthorized access to electromagnetic signals. Installing a repeater, using an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), or disabling SSID broadcast do not provide the same level of protection against electromagnetic emanations as a Faraday cage.

A digital signature is a cryptographic representation of non-repudiation because it provides a way to verify the authenticity and integrity of a digital document or message. It is created using the private key of the sender and can be verified using the corresponding public key. This ensures that the sender cannot deny their involvement in creating or sending the message, providing non-repudiation.

Least privilege is the concept that requires users and system processes to be assigned minimum levels of permissions to carry out the assigned task. This means that users and processes are only given the necessary permissions to perform their specific tasks and nothing more. By implementing least privilege, organizations can minimize the potential damage that can be caused by unauthorized access or misuse of privileges. It helps to reduce the attack surface and limit the potential impact of security breaches.

Awareness training reduces the effectiveness of telephone social engineering by educating individuals about the tactics and techniques used by social engineers. This training helps individuals recognize and respond appropriately to suspicious or manipulative phone calls, thereby minimizing the chances of falling victim to social engineering attacks. By increasing awareness and knowledge about social engineering, individuals are better equipped to identify and protect themselves against these types of attacks, making telephone social engineering less effective.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) allows for a secure connection to be made through a web browser. It provides encryption and authentication to ensure that the data transmitted between the web browser and the server is secure and cannot be intercepted or tampered with by unauthorized parties. SSL is commonly used for secure online transactions, such as e-commerce websites, online banking, and secure login pages. It is indicated by a padlock symbol in the web browser's address bar, indicating that the connection is encrypted and secure.

Creating a virtual server on existing equipment is the quickest method to create a secure test server for a programmer. This is because it eliminates the need to acquire new equipment and allows for the efficient utilization of existing resources. By creating a virtual server, the programmer can isolate and test their applications without affecting the production environment. Additionally, virtual servers offer enhanced security features such as isolation, snapshotting, and the ability to easily revert to previous states, making them an ideal choice for creating secure test environments.

Accepting the risk is the best course of action in this scenario because the cost to mitigate the risk is higher than the expected loss if the risk actually occurs. This means that it would be more cost-effective to accept the risk and deal with any potential losses if they occur, rather than spending more money on trying to mitigate the risk. Running a new risk assessment may not be necessary since the current assessment has already determined that accepting the risk is the best option. Rejecting the risk would not be advisable as it would involve incurring unnecessary costs to mitigate the risk.

Installing only needed software is a recommended practice to harden workstations and servers. By installing only necessary software, the attack surface is reduced, minimizing the potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors. Unnecessary software increases the potential attack vectors and can introduce security risks. Therefore, installing only needed software helps to enhance the security posture of workstations and servers.

The administrator should check for an SMTP open relay as the first step. An SMTP open relay is a misconfigured mail server that allows unauthorized users to send emails through it. This can result in an unusual amount of email being sent from the PC at odd times. By checking for an open relay, the administrator can determine if the PC is being used as a relay for spam or malicious activity.

The best time to discuss the appropriate use of electronic devices with a new employee is at the time of hire. This is because it is important to establish clear expectations and guidelines regarding the use of electronic devices from the very beginning of the employment relationship. By addressing this topic at the time of hire, the employer can ensure that the new employee understands the company's policies and can start their employment with a clear understanding of what is expected of them in terms of using electronic devices.

Penetration testing is the most intrusive on a network because it involves actively attempting to exploit vulnerabilities and gain unauthorized access to the network. This process often includes simulating real-world attacks to identify weaknesses in the network's defenses. In contrast, protocol analyzers, port scanners, and vulnerability testing are less intrusive as they focus on analyzing network traffic, scanning for open ports, and identifying potential vulnerabilities respectively, without actively attempting to breach the network's security.

If the physical server crashes, all of the local virtual servers go offline immediately. This is a risk associated with a virtual server because virtual servers rely on the physical server to function. If the physical server fails, it will result in the loss of access to all the virtual servers hosted on it. This can lead to significant downtime and disruption of services for users relying on those virtual servers.

Mandatory vacations can help in detecting fraud because when an employee is forced to take time off, it allows other employees or auditors to step in and perform their duties temporarily. This temporary replacement can uncover any irregularities or fraudulent activities that may have been hidden while the employee was present. By ensuring that all employees take vacations, it becomes more difficult for individuals to consistently engage in fraudulent behavior without being caught.

A service pack is a collection of fixes for an application or operating system that has been tested by the vendor. It typically includes updates, enhancements, and patches to address security vulnerabilities, bugs, and performance issues. Service packs are released periodically and are designed to provide a comprehensive solution to known problems, ensuring that the software is up to date and stable. Unlike individual patches or hotfixes, service packs are more extensive and encompass a wider range of updates, making them a reliable and convenient solution for users.

This situation is an example of a false positive. A false positive occurs when a system or tool incorrectly identifies something as a threat or error when it is actually safe or correct. In this case, the antivirus server is mistakenly flagging an approved application as a threat, causing unnecessary concern for the marketing department.

An anomaly-based tool is the correct answer because it is described as a network monitoring application that looks for behaviors on the network outside the standard baseline. Unlike signature-based tools that rely on known patterns or protocols analyzers that focus on examining network traffic, anomaly-based tools detect abnormal or unusual behavior on the network. These tools use machine learning algorithms or statistical analysis to establish a baseline of normal behavior and then identify any deviations from that baseline, which could indicate potential security threats or anomalies.

File integrity auditing is the process of comparing cryptographic hash functions of system executables, configuration files, and log files. This ensures that the files have not been tampered with or modified in any way. By comparing the hash values, any changes or discrepancies can be identified, indicating a potential security breach or unauthorized access. This helps in maintaining the integrity and security of the files and the overall system.

A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is the most likely cause of the sudden spike in CPU activity on the web server. A DoS attack occurs when a server is flooded with a high volume of traffic or requests, overwhelming its resources and causing it to become unresponsive or slow down. This can lead to a significant increase in CPU activity as the server tries to handle the excessive load. Spyware, Trojan, and privilege issues are less likely to cause such a sudden and significant spike in CPU activity.

A cipher can be reversed, meaning that it is possible to decrypt the encrypted message and obtain the original message. On the other hand, a hash cannot be reversed, meaning that it is not possible to obtain the original input data from the hash value. This is because a hash function is designed to be one-way, providing a fixed-size output regardless of the input size. In contrast, a cipher is designed to be reversible, allowing for encryption and decryption of data.

Risk analysis involves evaluating and assessing potential risks in order to identify their likelihood and impact on a project or organization. It involves analyzing the potential risks, their causes, and their potential consequences. By evaluating and assessing risks, organizations can make informed decisions on how to mitigate or manage these risks effectively. This helps in minimizing the negative impact of risks and maximizing the chances of project success.

The correct answer is that the remote PC has a zombie master application running and the local PCs have a zombie slave application running. This means that the remote PC is controlling the actions of the local PCs, which are unknowingly sending packets to the external PC. This is a common scenario in a botnet attack, where the attacker gains control over multiple computers to carry out malicious activities.

Backing up all data at a preset interval to tape and storing those tapes at a sister site in another city provides protection from disaster in case the primary site is permanently lost. Storing the tapes at a sister site in another city ensures that the backup data is physically located in a different geographical location, reducing the risk of losing the data in case of a catastrophic event such as a fire, flood, or earthquake. This off-site storage strategy helps to ensure business continuity and data recovery in the event of a disaster.

After determining which patches are needed and applying them, the next step in patch management is to audit for the successful application of the patches. This involves checking whether the patches were successfully installed on the systems and if any further actions are required. Auditing helps ensure that the patches are effectively protecting the systems and addressing the vulnerabilities. It allows organizations to identify any issues or gaps in the patch management process and take necessary actions to mitigate risks.

A protocol analyzer can be used to identify an active attack if an administrator does not have a NIDS examining network traffic. A protocol analyzer captures and analyzes network traffic, allowing the administrator to inspect the packets and identify any suspicious or malicious activity. By analyzing the protocols and data within the captured packets, the administrator can detect signs of an active attack, such as unusual traffic patterns, unauthorized access attempts, or malicious payloads. Therefore, a protocol analyzer can serve as an effective tool for identifying active attacks in the absence of a NIDS.

Crosstalk is a problem most often associated with UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) cable. It occurs when signals from one wire interfere with signals on adjacent wires, causing signal degradation and data errors. This interference is more common in UTP cables due to their lack of shielding, which makes them more susceptible to external electromagnetic interference. Crosstalk can be minimized by using proper cable spacing, twisting the pairs tightly together, and using higher quality cables.

When a user logs into their network with a smart card, the private key is used. A smart card contains a chip that securely stores the user's private key, which is used for authentication and encryption purposes. The private key is kept secret and is used to decrypt data that has been encrypted with the corresponding public key. Using the private key ensures that only the authorized user can access the network and that the communication between the user and the network is secure.

Storing the keys in escrow means that the administrator will keep a copy of the employee's private keys in a secure location. This ensures that even if the employee leaves the company permanently, the company will still have access to their private keys. This can be useful in situations where the private keys are necessary for accessing encrypted data or systems. By storing the keys in escrow, the company can maintain control and access to the employee's encrypted information even after they have left the company.

In discretionary access control (DAC), the access and privileges are determined by the owner. The owner of the resource has the authority to grant or deny access to other users. They have the ability to set permissions and define who can access the resource and what actions they can perform on it. The owner has full control over the access rights and can modify them as needed.

Disabling unused services reduces the attack surface of an operating system by limiting the number of potential entry points for attackers. When services are disabled, they are not actively running or listening for connections, which reduces the opportunities for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities in those services. This helps to minimize the overall risk and makes it harder for attackers to gain unauthorized access to the system. Patch management, installing antivirus, and installing HIDS can also enhance security, but they do not directly reduce the attack surface like disabling unused services does.

Backup tapes should not be kept near a power line because the electromagnetic field generated by the power line can interfere with the data stored on the tapes. This interference can cause data corruption or loss, rendering the backup tapes useless for data recovery purposes. Therefore, it is important to keep backup tapes away from power lines to ensure the integrity and reliability of the stored data.

Forensics software could best assist in the recovery of a crashed hard drive because it is specifically designed to analyze and recover data from damaged or corrupted storage devices. This software can help in identifying and repairing any issues with the hard drive, retrieving lost or deleted files, and reconstructing the file system. It also has advanced features for data carving and disk imaging, which are essential for recovering data from a crashed hard drive. Drive optimization, drive sanitization, and damage and loss control are not directly related to data recovery and would not be as effective in recovering a crashed hard drive.

Pop-up blocker applications do not require periodic updates to stay accurate because their purpose is to block unwanted pop-up windows, rather than detecting and protecting against specific threats or vulnerabilities. On the other hand, signature-based HIDS, antivirus applications, and rootkit detection applications need regular updates to ensure that they have the latest information about new threats, viruses, and rootkits in order to effectively detect and prevent them.

Netstat is a command-line tool used to display active network connections, listening ports, and related network statistics. It provides information about the current network connections on the desktop, including the source and destination IP addresses, port numbers, protocol, and state of the connections. By using Netstat, the technician can quickly identify any suspicious or excessive network activity that may be causing the performance issues on the desktop.

The use of a physical token, PIN, and a password during authentication is an example of two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication requires the user to provide two different types of credentials to verify their identity. In this case, the physical token serves as one factor, while the PIN and password serve as the second factor. This adds an extra layer of security as it combines something the user has (the physical token) with something the user knows (the PIN and password).

IPSec is often used along with L2TP for secure communication over a network. L2TP provides the tunneling mechanism for creating a virtual private network (VPN), while IPSec provides the encryption and authentication protocols to secure the data transmitted over the network. Together, L2TP and IPSec offer a robust and secure solution for remote access and site-to-site VPN connections. S/MIME is a protocol for secure email communication, SSH is a protocol for secure remote access, and 3DES is a symmetric encryption algorithm, but they are not typically used in conjunction with L2TP.

A network mapper would be the best tool for an administrator to quickly find a rogue server on the network. A network mapper is a software tool that scans the network and creates a map of all the devices connected to it. By using a network mapper, the administrator can easily identify any unauthorized or unknown servers that may be present on the network. This allows for quick detection and removal of rogue servers, ensuring the security and integrity of the network.

Hardening techniques are security measures implemented to protect systems from potential vulnerabilities and attacks. Applying security templates, network-based patch management, and disabling non-required services are all examples of hardening techniques as they help enhance the security of a system. However, running weekly spyware applications is not a hardening technique but rather a measure to detect and remove malicious software that may already be present on a system. While this is a good practice for maintaining system security, it is not specifically considered a hardening technique.

When a patch is not available and workarounds do not correct the problem, it would be appropriate to install a hotfix. A hotfix is a software update specifically designed to address a specific issue or problem. In this situation, since no patch is available and the workarounds are not effective, installing a hotfix would be the most suitable solution to fix the problem.

The correct answer is "Man-in-the-middle." In a man-in-the-middle attack, an attacker intercepts and alters communication between two parties without their knowledge. In this scenario, the product suggested by the CEO would act as a man-in-the-middle by intercepting the SSL session, decrypting it, scanning the content for inappropriate material, and then re-encrypting and forwarding it to the intended recipient without the staff knowing. This allows the company to monitor and control the content being accessed without the users being aware of it.