Ch. 9 Review Questions
While designing the security for the organization, you realize the importance of not only balancing the objectives of the organization against security goals but also focusing on the shared responsibility of security. Which of the following is considered an element of shared responsibility? (Choose all that apply.) A. Everyone in an organization has some level of security responsibility. B. Always consider the threat to both tangible and intangible assets. C. Organizations are responsible to their stakeholders for making good security decisions in order to sustain the organization. D. When working with third parties, especially with cloud providers, each entity needs to understand their portion of the shared responsibility of performing work operations and maintaining security. E. Multiple layers of security are required to protect against adversary attempts to gain access to internal sensitive resources. F. As we become aware of new vulnerabilities and threats, we should consider it our responsibility (if not our duty) to responsibly disclose that information to the proper vendor or to an information sharing center.
A, C, D, F. The statements in options A, C, D, and F are all valid elements or considerations of shared responsibility. The other options are incorrect. Always consider the threat to both tangible and intangible assets as a tenet of risk management and BIA. Multiple layers of security are required to protect against adversary attempts to gain access to internal sensitive resources and is a general principle of security known as defense in depth.
A company is developing a new product to perform simple automated tasks related to indoor gardening. The device will be able to turn lights on and off and control a pump to transfer water. The technology to perform these automated tasks needs to be small and inexpensive. It only needs minimal computational capabilities, does not need networking, and should be able to execute C++ commands natively without the need of an OS. The organization thinks that using an embedded system or a microcontroller may be able to provide the functionality necessary for the product. Which of the following is the best choice to use for this new product? A. Arduino B. RTOS C. Raspberry Pi D. FPGA
A. Arduino is an open source hardware and software organization that creates single-board 8-bit microcontrollers for building digital devices. An Arduino device has limited RAM, a single USB port, and I/O pins for controlling additional electronics (such as servo motors or LED lights), and does not include an OS or support networking. Instead, Arduino can execute C++ programs specifically written to its limited instruction set. Raspberry Pi is a popular example of a 64-bit microcontroller or a single-board computer, which includes its own custom OS, although many third-party OS alternatives are available. A Raspberry Pi, another microcontroller option, has significantly more processing power than Arduino, is not limited to executing C++ programs, supports networking, and is more expensive than Arduino. Thus, a Raspberry Pi is not the best option for this scenario. A real-time operating system (RTOS) is designed to process or handle data as it arrives on the system with minimal latency or delay. RTOS is a software OS that is usually stored and executed from ROM and thus may be part of an embedded solution or hosted on a microcontroller. An RTOS is designed for mission-critical operations where delay must be eliminated or minimized for safety. Thus, RTOS is not the best option for this scenario since it is about managing a garden, which does not need real-time mission-critical operations. A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a flexible computing device intended to be programmed by the end user or customer. FPGAs are often used as embedded devices in a wide range of products, including industrial control systems (ICSs). FPGAs can be challenging to program and are often more expensive than other more limited solutions. Thus, FPGA is not the best fit for this scenario.
Your organization is considering deploying a publicly available screen saver to use spare system resources to process sensitive company data. What is a common security risk when using grid computing solutions that consume available resources from computers over the internet? A. Loss of data privacy B. Latency of communication C. Duplicate work D. Capacity fluctuation
A. In many grid computing implementations, grid members can access the contents of the distributed work segments or divisions. This grid computing over the internet is not usually the best platform for sensitive operations. Grid computing is able to handle and compensate for latency of communications, duplicate work, and capacity fluctuation.
A major online data service wants to provide better response and access times for its users and visitors. They plan on deploying thousands of mini-web servers to ISPs across the nation. These mini-servers will host the few dozen main pages of their website so that users will be routed to the logically and geographically closest server for optimal performance and minimal latency. Only if a user requests data not on these mini-servers will they be connecting to the centralized main web cluster hosted at the company's headquarters. What is this type of deployment commonly known as? A. Edge computing B. Fog computing C. Thin clients D. Infrastructure as code
A. This scenario is an example of edge computing. In edge computing, the intelligence and processing is contained within each device. Thus, rather than having to send data off to a master processing entity, each device can process its own data locally. The architecture of edge computing performs computations closer to the data source, which is at or near the edge of the network. Fog computing relies on sensors, IoT devices, or even edge computing devices to collect data and then transfer it back to a central location for processing. A thin client is a computer with low to modest capability or a virtual interface that is used to remotely access and control a mainframe, virtual machine, or virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). Infrastructure as code (IaC) is a change in how hardware management is perceived and handled. Instead of seeing hardware configuration as a manual, direct hands-on, one-on-one administration hassle, it is viewed as just another collection of elements to be managed in the same way that software and code are managed under DevOps.
Your company is evaluating several cloud providers to determine which is the best fit to host your custom services as a custom application solution. There are many aspects of security controls you need to evaluate, but the primary issues include being able to process significant amounts of data in short periods of time, controlling which applications can access which assets, and being able to prohibit VM sprawl or repetition of operations. Which of the following is not relevant to this selection process? A. Collections of entities, typically users, but can also be applications and devices, which can be granted or denied access to perform specific tasks or access certain resources or assets B. A VDI or VMI instance that serves as a virtual endpoint for accessing cloud assets and services C. The ability of a cloud process to use or consume more resources (such as compute, memory, storage, or networking) when needed D. A management or security mechanism able to monitor and differentiate between numerous instances of the same VM, service, app, or resource
B. Option B references a VDI or VMI instance that serves as a virtual endpoint for accessing cloud assets and services, but this concept is not specifically relevant to or a requirement of this scenario. The remaining items are relevant to the selection process in this scenario. These are all compute security-related concepts. Option A, security groups, are collections of entities, typically users, but can also be applications and devices, which can be granted or denied access to perform specific tasks or access certain resources or assets. This supports the requirement of controlling which applications can access which assets. Option C, dynamic resource allocation (aka elasticity), is the ability of a cloud process to use or consume more resources (such as compute, memory, storage, or networking) when needed. This supports the requirement of processing significant amounts of data in short periods of time. Option D is a management or security mechanism, which is able to monitor and differentiate between numerous instances of the same VM, service, app, or resource. This supports the requirement of prohibiting VM sprawl or repetition of operations.
____________ is a cloud computing concept where code is managed by the customer and the platform (i.e., supporting hardware and software) or server is managed by the cloud service provider (CSP). There is always a physical server running the code, but this execution model allows the software designer/architect/programmer/developer to focus on the logic of their code and not have to be concerned about the parameters or limitations of a specific server. A. Microservices B. Serverless architecture C. Infrastructure as code D. Distributed systems
B. Serverless architecture is a cloud computing concept where code is managed by the customer and the platform (i.e., supporting hardware and software) or server is managed by the cloud service provider (CSP). There is always a physical server running the code, but this execution model allows the software designer/architect/programmer/developer to focus on the logic of their code and not have to be concerned about the parameters or limitations of a specific server. This is also known as function as a service (FaaS). A microservice is simply one element, feature, capability, business logic, or function of a web application that can be called on or used by other web applications. Infrastructure as code (IaC) is a change in how hardware management is perceived and handled. Instead of seeing hardware configuration as a manual, direct hands-on, one-on-one administration hassle, it is viewed as just another collection of elements to be managed in the same way that software and code are managed under DevSecOps (development, security, and operations). A distributed system or a distributed computing environment (DCE) is a collection of individual systems that work together to support a resource or provide a service. Often a DCE is perceived by users as a single entity rather than numerous individual servers or components.
A review of your company's virtualization of operations determines that the hardware resources supporting the VMs are nearly fully consumed. The auditor asks for the plan and layout of VM systems but is told that no such plan exists. This reveals that the company is suffering from what issue? A. Use of EOSL systems B. VM sprawl C. Poor cryptography D. VM escaping
B. The issue in this situation is VM sprawl. Sprawl occurs when organizations fail to plan their IT/IS needs and just deploy new systems, software, and VMs whenever their production needs demand it. This often results in obtaining underpowered equipment that is then overtaxed by inefficient implementations of software and VMs. This situation is not specifically related to end-of-service life (EOSL) systems, but EOSL systems would exacerbate the sprawl issue. This situation is not related to poor cryptography, nor is there any evidence of VM escaping issues.
You are working on improving your organization's policy on mobile equipment. Because of several recent and embarrassing breaches, the company wants to increase security through technology as well as user behavior and activities. What is the most effective means of reducing the risk of losing the data on a mobile device, such as a laptop computer? A. Defining a strong logon password B. Minimizing sensitive data stored on the mobile device C. Using a cable lock D. Encrypting the hard drive
B. The risk of a lost or stolen laptop is the data loss, not the loss of the system itself, but the value of the data on the system, whether business related or personal. Thus, keeping minimal sensitive data on the system is the only way to reduce the risk. Hard drive encryption, cable locks, and strong passwords, although good ideas, are preventive tools, not means of reducing risk. They don't keep intentional and malicious data compromise from occurring; instead, they encourage honest people to stay honest. Hard drive encryption can be bypassed using the cold boot attack or by taking advantage of an encryption service flaw or configuration mistake. Cable locks can be cut or ripped out of the chassis. Strong passwords do not prevent the theft of a device, and password cracking and/or credential stuffing may be able to overcome the protection. If not, the drive could be extracted and connected to another system to access files directly, even with the native OS running.
A new local VDI has been deployed in the organization. There have been numerous breaches of security due to issues on typical desktop workstations and laptop computers used as endpoints. Many of these issues stemmed from users installing unapproved software or altering the configuration of essential security tools. In an effort to avoid security compromises originating from endpoints in the future, all endpoint devices are now used exclusively as dumb terminals. Thus, no local data storage or application execution is performed on endpoints. Within the VDI, each worker has been assigned a VM containing all of their business necessary software and datasets. These VMs are configured to block the installation and execution of new software code, data files cannot be exported to the actual endpoints, and each time a worker logs out, the used VM is discarded and a clean version copied from a static snapshot replaces it. What type of system has now been deployed for the workers to use? A. Cloud services B. Nonpersistent C. Thin clients D. Fog computing
B. This scenario describes the systems as being nonpersistent. A nonpersistent system or static system is a computer system that does not allow, support, or retain changes. Thus, between uses and/or reboots, the operating environment and installed software are exactly the same. Changes may be blocked or simply discarded after each system use. A nonpersistent system is able to maintain its configuration and security in spite of user attempts to implement change. This scenario is not describing a cloud solution, although a virtual desktop interface (VDI) could be implemented on premises or in the cloud. This scenario is not describing thin clients, since the existing "standard" PC endpoints are still in use but a VDI is being used instead of the local system capabilities. A VDI deployment simulates a thin client. This scenario is not describing fog computing. Fog computing relies on sensors, IoT devices, or even edge computing devices to collect data and then transfer it back to a central location for processing.
You have been tasked with designing and implementing a new security policy to address the new threats introduced by the recently installed embedded systems. What is a security risk of an embedded system that is not commonly found in a standard PC? A. Software flaws B. Access to the internet C. Control of a mechanism in the physical world D. Power loss
C. Because an embedded system is often in control of a mechanism in the physical world, a security breach could cause harm to people and property (aka cyber-physical). This typically is not true of a standard PC. Power loss, internet access, and software flaws are security risks of both embedded systems and standard PCs.
A company server is currently operating at near maximum resource capacity, hosting just seven virtual machines. Management has instructed you to deploy six new applications onto additional VMs without purchasing new hardware since the IT/IS budget is exhausted. How can this be accomplished? A. Data sovereignty B. Infrastructure as code C. Containerization D. Serverless architecture
C. Containerization is based on the concept of eliminating the duplication of OS elements in a virtual machine. Instead, each application is placed into a container that includes only the actual resources needed to support the enclosed application, and the common or shared OS elements are then part of the hypervisor. The system as a whole could be redeployed using a containerization solution, and each of the applications previously present in the original seven VMs could be placed into containers, as well as the six new applications. This should result in all 13 applications being able to operate reasonably well without the need for new hardware. Data sovereignty is the concept that, once information has been converted into a binary form and stored as digital files, it is subject to the laws of the country within which the storage device resides. Infrastructure as code (IaC) is a change in how hardware management is perceived and handled. Instead of seeing hardware configuration as a manual, direct hands-on, one-on-one administration hassle, it is viewed as just another collection of elements to be managed in the same way that software and code are managed under DevSecOps (security, development, and operations). Serverless architecture is a cloud computing concept where code is managed by the customer, and the platform (i.e., supporting hardware and software) or server is managed by the CSP. This is not a solution that will work in this scenario; if management does not want to purchase additional hardware, they probably won't approve a monthly CSP subscription, either.
Based on recent articles about the risk of mobile code and web apps, you want to adjust the security configurations of organizational endpoint devices to minimize the exposure. On a modern Windows system with the latest version of Microsoft's browser and all others disabled or blocked, which of the following is of the highest concern? A. Java B. Flash C. JavaScript D. ActiveX
C. JavaScript remains the one mobile code technology that may affect the security of modern browsers and their host OSs. Java is deprecated for general internet use and browsers do not have native support for Java. A Java add-on is still available to install, but it is not preinstalled, and general security guidance recommends avoiding it on any internet-facing browser. Flash is deprecated; no modern browser supports it natively. Adobe has abandoned it, and most browsers actively block the add-on. ActiveX is also deprecated, and though it was always only a Microsoft Windows technology, it was only supported by Internet Explorer, not Edge (either in its original form or the more recent Chromium-based version). Although Internet Explorer is still present on modern Windows 10, this scenario stated that all other browsers were disabled or blocked. Thus, this scenario is limited to the latest Edge browser.
Many PC OSs provide functionality that enables them to support the simultaneous execution of multiple applications on single-processor systems. What term is used to describe this capability? A. Multistate B. Multithreading C. Multitasking D. Multiprocessing
C. Multitasking is processing more than one task at the same time. In most cases, multitasking is simulated by the OS (using multiprogramming or pseudo-simultaneous execution) even when not supported by the processor. Multicore (not listed as an option) is also able to perform simultaneous execution but does so with multiple execution cores on one or more CPUs. Multistate is a type of system that can operate at various security levels (or classifications, risk levels, etc.). Multithreading permits multiple concurrent tasks (i.e., threads) to be performed within a single process. In a multiprocessing environment, a multiprocessor computing system (that is, one with more than one CPU) harnesses the power of more than one processor to complete the execution of a multithreaded application.
Your organization is concerned about information leaks due to workers taking home retired equipment. Which one of the following types of memory might retain information after being removed from a computer and therefore represents a security risk? A. Static RAM B. Dynamic RAM C. Secondary memory D. Real memory
C. Secondary memory is a term used to describe magnetic, optical, or flash media (i.e., typical storage devices like HDD, SSD, CD, DVD, and thumb drives). These devices will retain their contents after being removed from the computer and may later be read by another user. Static RAM and dynamic RAM are types of real memory and thus are all the same concept in relation to being volatile—meaning they lose any data they were holding when power is lost or cycled. Static RAM is faster and more costly, and dynamic RAM requires regular refreshing of the stored contents. Take notice in this question that three of the options were effectively synonyms (at least from the perspective of volatile versus nonvolatile storage). If you notice synonyms among answer options, realize that none of the synonyms can be a correct answer for single-answer multiple-choice questions.
Your boss wants to automate the control of the building's HVAC system and lighting in order to reduce costs. He instructs you to keep costs low and use off-the-shelf IoT equipment. When you are using IoT equipment in a private environment, what is the best way to reduce risk? A. Use public IP addresses B. Power off devices when not in use C. Keep devices current on updates D. Block access from the IoT devices to the internet
C. The best means to reduce IoT risk from these options is to keep devices current on updates. Using public IP addresses will expose the IoT devices to attack from the internet. Powering off devices is not a useful defense—the benefit of IoT is that they are always running and ready to be used or take action when triggered or scheduled. Blocking access to the internet will prevent the IoT devices from obtaining updates themselves, may prevent them from being controlled through a mobile device app, and will prevent communication with any associated cloud service.
Your organization is considering the deployment of a DCE to support a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) based on the characters of a popular movie franchise. What is the primary concern of a DCE that could allow for propagation of malware or making adversarial pivoting and lateral movement easy? A. Unauthorized user access B. Identity spoofing C. Interconnectedness of the components D. Poor authentication
C. The primary security concern of a distributed computing environment (DCE) is the interconnectedness of the components. This configuration could allow for error or malware propagation as well. If an adversary compromises one component, it may grant them the ability to compromise other components in the collective through pivoting and lateral movement. The other options are incorrect. Unauthorized user access, identity spoofing, and poor authentication are potential weaknesses of most systems; they are not unique to DCE solutions. However, these issues can be directly addressed through proper design, coding, and testing. However, the interconnectedness of components is a native characteristic of DCE that cannot be removed without discarding the DCE design concept itself.
A large city's central utility company has seen a dramatic increase in the number of distribution nodes failing or going offline. An APT group was attempting to take over control of the utility company and was responsible for the system failures. Which of the following systems has the attacker compromised? A. MFP B. RTOS C. SoC D. SCADA
D. A large utility company is very likely to be using supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) to manage and operate their equipment; therefore, that is the system that the APT group would have compromised. A multifunction printer (MFP) is not likely to be the attack point that granted the APT group access to the utility distribution nodes. A real-time OS (RTOS) may have been present on some of the utility company's systems, but that is not the obvious target for an attack to take over control of an entire utility service. There may be system on chip (SoC) equipment present at the utility, but that would still be controlled and accessed through the SCADA system at a utility company.
Service-oriented architecture (SOA) constructs new applications or functions out of existing but separate and distinct software services. The resulting application is often new; thus, its security issues are unknown, untested, and unprotected. Which of the following is a direct extension of SOA that creates single-use functions that can be employed via an API by other software? A. Cyber-physical systems B. Fog computing C. DCS D. Microservices
D. Microservices are an emerging feature of web-based solutions and are derivative of service-oriented architecture (SOA). A microservice is simply one element, feature, capability, business logic, or function of a web application that can be called upon or used by other web applications. It is the conversion or transformation of a capability of one web application into a microservice that can be called upon by numerous other web applications. The relationship to an application programming interface (API) is that each microservice must have a clearly defined (and secured!) API to allow for I/O between multi-microservices as well as to and from other applications. The other options are incorrect since they are not derivatives of SOA. Cyber-physical systems are devices that offer a computational means to control something in the physical world. Fog computing relies on sensors, IoT devices, or even edge computing devices to collect data and then transfer it back to a central location for processing. Distributed control systems (DCSs) are typically found in industrial process plants where the need to gather data and implement control over a large-scale environment from a single location is essential.
The CISO has asked you to propose an update to the company's mobile device security strategy. The main concerns are the intermingling of personal information with business data and complexities of assigning responsibility over device security, management, updates, and repairs. Which of the following would be the best option to address these issues? A. Bring your own device (BYOD) B. Corporate-owned personally enabled (COPE) C. Choose your own device (CYOD) Corporate-owned
D. The best option in this scenario is corporate-owned. A corporate-owned mobile strategy is when the company purchases mobile devices that can support compliance with the security policy. These devices are to be used exclusively for company purposes, and users should not perform any personal tasks on them. This option often requires workers to carry a second device for personal use. Corporate-owned clearly assigns responsibility for device oversight to the organization. The other three options still allow for comingling of data and have unclear or vague security responsibility assignments as a concept or policy basis. BYOD is a policy that allows employees to bring their own personal mobile devices to work and use those devices to connect to business resources and/or the internet through the company network. The concept of corporate-owned, personally enabled (COPE) means the organization purchases devices and provides them to employees. Each user is then able to customize the device and use it for both work activities and personal activities. The concept of choose your own device (CYOD) provides users with a list of approved devices from which to select the device to implement.
You are developing a new product that is intended to process data in order to trigger real-world adjustments with minimal latency or delay. The current plan is to embed the code into a ROM chip in order to optimize for mission-critical operations. What type of solution is most appropriate for this scenario? A. Containerized application B. An Arduino C. DCS D. RTOS
D. This scenario is describing a product that requires a real-time operating system (RTOS) solution, since it mentions the need to minimize latency and delay, storing code in ROM, and optimizing for mission-critical operations. A containerized application is not a good fit for this situation because it may not be able to operate in near real time due to the virtualization infrastructure, and containerized apps are typically stored as files on the contain host rather than a ROM chip. An Arduino is a type of microcontroller, but not typically robust enough to be considered a near-real-time mechanism; it stores code on a flash chip, has a limited C++ based instruction set, and is not suited for mission-critical operations. A distributed control system (DCS) can be used to manage small-scale industrial processes, but it is not designed as a near-real-time solution. DCSs are not stored in ROM, but they may be used to manage mission-critical operations.
