IT Security & Ethical Hacking

Data leakage is a security risk while using peer-to-peer software because it involves the unauthorized or unintentional disclosure of sensitive or confidential information. Peer-to-peer networks allow for direct sharing of files and data between participants, which can increase the risk of data being leaked or accessed by unauthorized individuals. This can result in privacy breaches, loss of sensitive information, and potential legal and financial consequences for individuals or organizations involved.

Before implementing the new routine on the production application server, the programmer should follow the process of change management. Change management involves planning, coordinating, and controlling changes to the system in a structured and organized manner. This process ensures that any changes made to the server variable in the coding of the authentication function are properly documented, tested, and approved before being implemented. It helps to minimize risks, ensure the stability and reliability of the system, and maintain the integrity of the proprietary sales application.

A pop-up blocker is the most effective in preventing adware because it blocks unwanted pop-up advertisements that often contain adware. Adware is commonly distributed through pop-up ads that appear while browsing the internet. By blocking these pop-ups, a pop-up blocker prevents the adware from being downloaded or installed onto the user's device. This helps to maintain a secure and adware-free browsing experience.

The restricted area of memory that Java applets run in is the sandbox. The other options do not represent the restricted area of memory that Java applets run in.

Open Relay is a type of SMTP Relay that is being exploited. When an application receives more data than it is programmed to accept, it is a buffer overflow. The application will either terminate or write data beyond the allocated space. A cookie is a text file that a browser maintains on a user's hard disk in order to store information about the user. SMTP Relay is an email feature that is intended to allow the server to forward email to other servers.

The three components of the computer security triad that interact to provide a reasonably secure environment are physical, operational, and management.

The three primary goals of information security are prevention, detection, and response. Response refers to developing strategies and techniques to deal with an attack or loss. Detection refers to identifying events when they occur. Prevention refers to preventing computer or information violations from occurring.

A hot site is a location that can provide operations within hours of a failure. A warm site provides some of the capabilities of a hot site but requires more work to become operational. A cold site is a facility that isn't immediately ready to use; you must bring along your own network and equipment. There is no such entity as a round site.

An archive is a collection of data that is removed from the system because it's no longer needed on a regular basis. A backup is a restorable copy of any set of data that is needed on the system. The other two choices are not relevant.

Risk assessments should be based on a quantitative measurement of risk, impact, and asset value. This means that the assessment should involve assigning numerical values to the level of risk, the potential impact of the risk, and the value of the assets at risk. This approach allows for a more objective and accurate evaluation of the risks involved in a given situation. Absolute measurements of threats, qualitative measurements of risk and impact, and surveys of annual loss, potential threats, and asset value may not provide the same level of precision and specificity as a quantitative measurement.

The Security log will show unauthorized usage attempts after auditing a file. This log is specifically designed to track security-related events and activities, such as unauthorized access attempts, failed login attempts, and other security breaches. By analyzing the Security log, administrators can identify and investigate any unauthorized usage attempts on the audited file, helping to maintain the integrity and security of the system.

To test the integrity of a company's backup data, one can restore a portion of the backup. This involves selecting a specific subset of the backup data and restoring it to ensure that the data is retrievable and intact. By doing so, the company can verify that the backup process is functioning properly and that the data can be successfully restored if needed. This method allows for a practical assessment of the backup system's reliability and ensures that the company's data can be recovered in case of any data loss or system failure.

SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) was an early protocol used for connecting computers to the internet over serial lines. However, it had limitations such as lack of error checking and authentication. PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) was developed as a replacement for SLIP, providing features like error detection, authentication, and multilink support. It became widely adopted and is now the standard protocol for establishing internet connections. Therefore, PPP has largely replaced SLIP in modern networking.

Social engineering attacks are most effective in environments where there is a lack of security awareness and controls. A public building with shared office space provides opportunities for attackers to gain unauthorized access or manipulate individuals through impersonation or deception. Similarly, a company with a help desk whose personnel have minimal training may be more susceptible to social engineering tactics, such as phishing or pretexting, where attackers exploit human vulnerabilities to gain access to sensitive information or systems.

The correct answer is sandbox. In web development, a sandbox is a secure environment where web scripts can be run separately from other processes. It ensures that the script cannot interfere with or access any other processes or data on the system. This helps to prevent malicious code or unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Time of day restriction would be the best measure to prevent night shift workers from logging in with stolen IDs and passwords from day shift workers. By restricting the login access to specific times of the day, it ensures that only authorized individuals can log in during the night shift hours. This prevents unauthorized access by anyone who may have obtained the login credentials from the day shift workers.

RAID 0, disk striping, requires a minimum of two disks. RAID 1, mirroring, requires a minimum of two disks. RAID 3, disk striping with a dedicated parity disk, requires a minimum of three disks. RAID 5, disk striping with parity, requires a minimum of three disks.

The three key steps of the forensics process are acquiring the evidence, authenticating the evidence, and analyzing the evidence.

A HIDS is installed to monitor system files. System files are critical components of a computer's operating system, and any unauthorized changes or modifications to these files can indicate a potential security breach or intrusion. By monitoring system files, a HIDS can detect and alert administrators about any suspicious or unauthorized activities that may compromise the security of the computer or network.

IPSec is the correct answer because it is a widely used encryption technology that provides secure communication over the internet. It can be used to create a virtual private network (VPN) between the employee's home network and the corporate network, ensuring that all data transmitted between the two is encrypted and protected from unauthorized access. This makes it an ideal choice for employees to securely connect to the corporate network while working from home.

A hash is a unique number that is generated based upon the files contents and should be verified after downloading. Hash functions take the data of a file and produce a fixed-size string of characters, which is the hash value. This hash value can be used to verify the integrity of the downloaded file by comparing it with the original hash value. If the two hash values match, it indicates that the file has not been tampered with during the download process.

Scanning is the process that attackers use to gather information about how your network is configured. Packet sniffing is the process of monitoring data that is transmitted across a network. Footprinting is the process of systematically identifying a network and its security posture. Signal analysis/intelligence involves methods used to gain information about your environment including footprinting and scanning.

Security tokens are forms of certificates that contain rights and access privileges of a token bearer as part of their token. Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) challenges a system to verify identity and employs an encrypted challenge. Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) offers no true security and is one of the simplest forms of authentication: both the username and the password are sent as clear text and checked for a match. Kerberos authenticates a principal (user, system, program, and so on) and provides it with a ticket.

While all the choices listed are various types of access attacks, only in an active interception attack is a computer placed between the sender and receiver to capture information while it's sent. In a snooping attack, someone looks through your files in hopes of finding something interesting. In a passive interception attack, someone routinely monitors network traffic. In an eavesdropping attack, the attacker listens in on or overhears parts of a conversation.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a regulation that mandates national standards and procedures for the storage, use, and transmission of personal medical information. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) dictates that educational institutions may not release information to unauthorized parties without the express permission of the student or their parents. The Cyberspace Electronic Security Act (CESA) gives law enforcement the right to gain access to encryption keys and cryptography methods. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires financial institutions to develop privacy notices and notify customers that they are entitled to privacy.

Malware that uses virtualization techniques can be difficult to detect because it may be running at a more privileged level than the antivirus software. This means that the malware has higher access rights and can hide itself from detection by the antivirus software. It can also manipulate and control the virtualized environment, making it harder for security measures to identify and remove the malware. This allows the malware to operate undetected and carry out malicious activities without being noticed.

A secure cipher is a cryptographic algorithm that can be reversed, meaning that the original plaintext can be recovered from the encrypted ciphertext using the appropriate key. On the other hand, a secure hash function is a one-way function that cannot be reversed, meaning that it is computationally infeasible to retrieve the original input from its hash value. Therefore, the statement "A cipher can be reversed, a hash cannot" correctly describes the difference between a secure cipher and a secure hash.

The two most common, or popular, spoofing attacks today are IP spoofing and DNS spoofing. The other choices do not represent the most popular spoofing attacks.

The common levels within an information policy are public (for all advertisements and information posted on the Web), internal (for all intranet-type information), private (for personnel records, client data, and so on), and confidential (PKI information and other restricted data).

A due care policy identifies the level of care used to maintain the confidentiality of private information. A separation of duties policy is intended to reduce the risk of fraud and prevent losses in an organization. A document disposal and destruction policy is used to define how information that is no longer needed is handled. An incident response policy defines how an organization will respond to an incident.

UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is a connectionless protocol, meaning that it does not require a synchronization process or a connection setup before transmitting data. UDP packets are not connection-oriented and do not require the establishment of a virtual circuit like TCP (Transmission Control Protocol). Therefore, the correct answer is UDP Attack, as this type of attack exploits the vulnerabilities in the UDP protocol to disrupt or manipulate network communications.

The SYN (Synchronize) attack is the correct answer because it specifically mentions misusing the TCP three-way handshake process to overload network servers. In this type of attack, the attacker sends a large number of SYN requests to a target server, but does not complete the handshake process by sending the final ACK packet. This causes the server to keep waiting for the final ACK and ties up its resources, resulting in denial of service for authorized users.

In an access attack, someone who should not be able to get it wants access to your resources. During a modification and repudiation attack, someone wants to modify information in your system(s). A denial-of-service (DoS) attack tries to disrupt your network and services. Interception is a type of access attack but not a general attack category type.

Rootkits have become popular and work by hiding certain things (such as running processes) from the operating system. Spyware is software that acts on behalf of a third party and collects information. Adware is a type of spyware that is often used to generate unwanted/unsolicited pop-up advertisements. SCR viruses are those that are disguised as or within screen savers.

The .bat extension is used for batch files. The .com extension is used on command files. The .exe extension is used on executable files. All of these are executable files.

A polymorphic virus will change its form in order to avoid detection. A stealth virus avoids detection by making itself indistinguishable from other applications. A retrovirus attacks, or bypasses, the antivirus software installed on a computer. A multipartite virus attacks a system in multiple ways.

A service-level agreement (SLA) is an agreement between your company and a service provider stipulating the performance you can expect or demand from the vendor.

The correct answer is 143 and 110. Email clients typically use these ports to communicate with email servers. Port 143 is used for the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), which allows clients to access and manage their email on the server. Port 110 is used for the Post Office Protocol (POP3), which is another protocol for retrieving email from a server.

The SYN attack is the correct answer because it specifically targets the session initiation process between a TCP client and server. In this attack, the attacker sends a flood of SYN requests to the server, but never completes the handshake process by sending the final ACK packet. This causes the server to allocate resources for the incomplete connections, eventually leading to a denial of service as the server becomes overwhelmed.

A birthday attack is a type of network attack where two different messages are sent using the same hash function, resulting in the same message digest. This attack takes advantage of the birthday paradox, which states that in a group of 23 people, there is a 50% chance that two people will have the same birthday. Similarly, in a hash function, as the number of messages increases, the probability of two messages having the same message digest also increases. Therefore, the correct answer is the birthday attack.

Jamming is intended to disrupt existing systems by injecting or flooding a channel with garbage data. A DoS attack in IM can take the form of many windows popping open as soon as the user tries to close one. A malformed MIME message can cause buffer overflow.

SCR viruses are those that are disguised as or within screen savers. Grayware is a classification for software that is annoying; this includes spyware (which acts on behalf of a third party and collects information) and adware. Adware is often used to generate unwanted/unsolicited pop-up advertisements. Rootkits have become popular and work by hiding certain things (such as running processes) from the operating system.

To resolve the problem of staff members unknowingly downloading malicious code from Internet websites, the technician should disable unauthorized ActiveX controls. ActiveX controls are a type of software component that can be used to enhance functionality on websites but can also be exploited by malicious code. By disabling unauthorized ActiveX controls, the technician can prevent staff members from inadvertently downloading and executing malicious code, thereby reducing the risk of security breaches and malware infections. This solution directly addresses the root cause of the problem and mitigates the risk of further incidents.

A stealth virus is a type of virus that attempts to avoid detection by masking itself from applications. It may attach itself to the boot sector of the hard drive, making it difficult to detect and remove. Unlike a polymorphic virus, which changes its code to avoid detection, a stealth virus hides its presence by intercepting system calls and modifying the results returned to the applications. This allows the virus to remain active in the system without being detected by antivirus software. Therefore, the correct answer is Stealth Virus.

Enabling scanning of all e-mail attachments is the most effective method of preventing computer viruses from spreading throughout the network. This is because many viruses are often transmitted through e-mail attachments, and scanning these attachments for viruses can help to detect and block any infected files before they can infect the network. By implementing this measure, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of virus infections spreading through their network via e-mail.

This is an example of two-factor authentication because it requires two different factors to authenticate the system - a user ID and PIN, as well as a palm scan. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security compared to single-factor authentication, which only requires one factor such as a password. Three-factor authentication would require three different factors for authentication.

Footprinting is the process of systematically identifying a network and its security posture. Packet sniffing is the process of monitoring data that is transmitted across a network. Scanning is the process that attackers use to gather information about how your network is configured. Signal analysis/intelligence involves methods used to gain information about your environment including footprinting and scanning.

Availability of 99.999 percent is known as five nines availability.

The first step in creating a security baseline would be to establish a security policy. This involves defining the organization's goals, objectives, and guidelines for security. By creating a security policy, the organization sets the foundation for implementing security measures and controls. It provides a framework for identifying and addressing potential risks and vulnerabilities, and helps ensure consistency and compliance with industry standards and regulations. Once the security policy is in place, other steps such as identifying the use case, installing software patches, and vulnerability testing can be carried out based on the guidelines provided by the policy.

A backup generator is a countermeasure that can be used to ensure that power is delivered to critical systems. In the event of a power outage or failure, a backup generator can provide temporary power to keep the systems running. This helps to prevent disruptions and ensure the continuity of operations. Backup generators are often used in conjunction with other measures, such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), to provide a reliable and redundant power source for critical systems.

Hoaxes can create as much damage as a real virus because they can spread misinformation and cause panic among users. People may fall for hoaxes, leading them to take unnecessary actions that can harm their devices or compromise their personal information. Additionally, hoaxes can also waste valuable time and resources as people try to address the false threat. Therefore, it is important to take hoaxes seriously and verify the information before taking any action.

Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMCP) is used to manage group or multicasting sessions. Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is used to manage and monitor devices in a network. Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is used to report errors and reply to requests from programs such as ping and traceroute. Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) is an anonymous version of FTP.

During the evidentiary process, a forensics investigator must be able to prove that the data being presented as evidence is the same data that was collected on the scene.

A chain-of-custody policy should exist that defines the requirements, responsible parties, and procedures to follow after the collection of evidence. Preservation of evidence needs to happen, but it is not a policy in and of itself. An information retention policy details how long data is retained. A storage policy defines how information is stored.

By purchasing the anti-malware software for $5,000 per year, the call center can prevent workstations from being compromised with a 90% probability. If workstations are compromised, it will take three hours to restore services for the 30 staff members, resulting in a cost of $90 per hour per staff member. Therefore, the expected cost of not purchasing the software would be 0.1 (10% chance of compromise) multiplied by 30 (number of staff members) multiplied by 3 (hours to restore services) multiplied by $90 (hourly rate), which equals $2,700. Therefore, the expected net savings by purchasing the software would be $2,700 (cost without software) minus $5,000 (cost of software), which equals $2,290.

A computer virus is a type of malicious software that is designed to replicate itself and spread to other computers or systems. It achieves this by exploiting vulnerabilities in the target system and using various activation mechanisms to execute its code. Additionally, a computer virus typically has an objective, which can range from causing damage to stealing sensitive information.

Authentication is the process of verifying the validity of a set of credentials, such as a username and password, to ensure that the user is who they claim to be. Identification, on the other hand, is the process of verifying the identity of a user requesting credentials, which may involve providing personal information or biometric data. Therefore, the correct answer is that authentication verifies a set of credentials while identification verifies the identity of a user requesting credentials.

Performing hashing of the log files is a recommended security measure while implementing system logging procedures. Hashing involves converting the log files into a unique string of characters, which can be used to verify the integrity of the files. By comparing the hash values before and after transmission or storage, any changes or tampering with the log files can be detected. This helps in ensuring the authenticity and reliability of the log files, which are crucial for monitoring and investigating security incidents.

The threat being addressed in this scenario is spam. John, the network administrator, suggests implementing whitelisting, blacklisting, closing-open relays, and strong authentication techniques to combat this threat. These measures are commonly used to prevent unsolicited and unwanted emails, which are typically associated with spam.

After replacing the failed drive, you would restore the full backup from Sunday. Following that, you would restore the most recent differential backup, which was done at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data into a buffer than it can handle, causing the excess data to overwrite adjacent memory locations. In the case of a return address, a buffer overflow can overwrite the original return address with a new address pointing to malicious code. When the function finishes and tries to return to the overwritten address, it instead jumps to the malicious code, allowing it to be executed. Thus, a buffer overflow can be used to overwrite the return address within a program and execute malicious code.

A biometric fingerprint scanner is an example of single-factor authentication because it relies solely on the unique physical characteristic of an individual's fingerprint to verify their identity. It does not require any additional factors such as a password or a security token.

A Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) is designed to monitor network traffic and detect any suspicious or malicious activity. It can provide a technician with the most information regarding an external attack on the network as it analyzes the network packets and alerts the technician about any potential threats or attacks. It can detect various types of attacks such as port scanning, denial of service attacks, and unauthorized access attempts, providing valuable information to the technician for further investigation and mitigation.

RBAC, or Role-Based Access Control, is an access control model that uses roles to determine access permissions. In this model, users are assigned specific roles, and access permissions are granted based on those roles. This allows for a more structured and efficient way of managing access to resources, as permissions can be easily assigned or revoked by modifying the roles assigned to users. Unlike MAC (Mandatory Access Control) and DAC (Discretionary Access Control), which focus on the classification and ownership of resources, RBAC focuses on the roles and responsibilities of users within an organization.

The main objective of risk management in an organization is to identify and assess potential risks and determine the appropriate response. In some cases, it may be more cost-effective or practical for the organization to accept certain risks rather than trying to mitigate or eliminate them. Accepting a risk means acknowledging its existence and potential impact, but choosing not to take any specific action to reduce or avoid it. This approach allows the organization to allocate its resources more efficiently and focus on managing risks that are of higher priority or have a greater potential impact.

Fingerprinting is the correct answer because it refers to the process of analyzing how the operating system responds to specific network traffic in order to determine the operating system running in a networking environment. This technique involves examining the unique characteristics and behavior of an operating system's response to network requests, allowing for identification and classification of the OS.

A protocol analyzer is a tool used to capture and analyze network traffic. It can detect security related anomalies such as many malformed or fragmented packets. These packets may indicate attempts to exploit vulnerabilities or launch attacks on the network. By analyzing these packets, the protocol analyzer can identify potential security threats and help in implementing appropriate measures to mitigate them.

Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF) is a measure of the anticipated incidence of failure for a system or component. Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) is a measurement of how long it takes to repair a system or component after a failure has occurred. The other two choices do not represent metrics.

Java Applet is a programming language that requires the client browser to have the capability to run Java applets in a virtual machine on the client. This definition highlights the specific requirement for the client browser to support Java applets and run them in a virtual machine, distinguishing it from other programming languages.

In the DAC (Discretionary Access Control) access control model, the owner of the resource is responsible for establishing access permissions to network resources. This means that the owner has the authority to determine who can access the resource and what level of access they have. The system administrator may assist in implementing these permissions, but ultimately it is the owner's decision. The user requiring access to the resource does not have the responsibility of establishing access permissions in the DAC model.

Having a redundant ISP (Internet Service Provider) will allow a network to remain operational after a T1 failure. This means that if one ISP fails, there is another ISP available to maintain the network connection and ensure continuous operation. Redundancy in the ISP ensures that there is a backup connection in case of failure, minimizing downtime and ensuring uninterrupted network connectivity.

A phage virus modifies and alters other programs and databases. A companion virus attaches itself to a legitimate program and then creates a program with a different file extension. A macro virus exploits the macro ability in many application programs. An armored virus is designed to make itself difficult to detect or analyze.

In a classified environment, a clearance into a Top Secret compartment grants access to specific information within that compartment based on the principle of "need to know." This means that individuals are only given access to information that is necessary for them to perform their duties and responsibilities. This principle ensures that sensitive information is only shared with individuals who have a legitimate need for it, reducing the risk of unauthorized disclosure or misuse. Dual control refers to the practice of requiring two individuals to work together to perform certain tasks, separation of duties refers to dividing responsibilities to prevent fraud or error, and acceptable use refers to guidelines for appropriate use of resources.

The correct answer is "A program that performs comparative analysis." This is because a password cracker is a program that attempts to guess or crack passwords by comparing different combinations of characters or by using various algorithms to analyze patterns and vulnerabilities in the password. It does not necessarily locate and read a password file, provide software registration passwords or keys, or obtain privileged access to the system.

A security policy defines the configuration of systems and networks, including the installation of software, hardware, and network connections. An administrative policy lays out guidelines and expectations for upgrades, monitoring, backups, and audits. A usage policy covers how information and resources are used. A user management policy identifies the various actions that must occur in the normal course of employee activities.

The annual loss expectancy (ALE) is calculated by multiplying the annual rate of occurrence (ARO) by the single loss expectancy (SLE). In this case, the ARO is 90% (0.9) because there is a 90% chance each year that workstations will be compromised. The SLE is calculated by multiplying the cost of restoring services ($90 per hour * 3 hours * 30 staff) which equals $8,100. Therefore, the ALE is $7,290 ($8,100 * 0.9).

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack in IM can take the form of many windows popping open as soon as the user tries to close one. Jamming is intended to disrupt existing systems by injecting or flooding a channel with garbage data. A malformed MIME message can cause buffer overflow.

The correct order in which crucial equipment should draw power is UPS line conditioner, UPS battery, and backup generator. The UPS line conditioner helps to regulate and stabilize the power supply before it reaches the UPS battery. The UPS battery provides backup power in case of a power outage or fluctuation. Finally, the backup generator is used as a last resort to provide power when both the UPS line conditioner and UPS battery are unable to meet the power requirements.

Instant messaging would be disabled to prevent SPIM (Spam over Instant Messaging). SPIM refers to the unsolicited messages or spam that is sent through instant messaging platforms. By disabling instant messaging, it would prevent the delivery of spam messages and help in reducing the risk of SPIM.

A malformed MIME message can cause buffer overflow. Jamming is intended to disrupt existing systems by injecting or flooding a channel with garbage data. A DoS attack in IM can take the form of many windows popping open as soon as the user tries to close one.

All the choices listed are various types of access attacks. In a passive interception attack, someone routinely monitors network traffic. In a snooping attack, someone looks through your files in hopes of finding something interesting. In an eavesdropping attack, the attacker listens in on or overhears parts of a conversation. In an active interception attack, a computer is placed between the sender and receiver to capture information while it's sent.

The archive bit is turned off after a full or incremental backup. The archive bit is left on after a differential or daily backup.