Network Operations

Management has requested that you document the minimum level of security for all network devices. Which of the following will this provide?

A baseline defines the minimum level of security and performance of a system in an organization. A baseline is also used as a benchmark for future changes. Any change made to the system should match the defined minimum security baseline. A security baseline is defined through the adoption of standards in an organization.

Which component of a computer use policy should state that the data stored on a company computer is not guaranteed to remain confidential?

A no expectation of privacy policy is the component of a computer use policy that should indicate that data stored on a company computer is not guaranteed to remain confidential.

To improve your ability to monitor and manage your network devices, your network requirements call for purchasing devices that support out-of-band (OOB) management. Which of the following types of interfaces or devices is most likely to satisfy this requirement, as you select switches, routers, firewalls, and servers for purchase?

A serial port easily and regularly plays host to a modem, which provides a dial-up link that network admins can use to access the device to which it is attached. The whole idea of OOB is to use a separate communications link outside the scope and reach of the regular network.

Which of the following restrictions or requirements for a privileged user agreement does NOT adhere to best practices by clearly delineating the role and responsibility of those who manage computers, systems, networks, or accounts and other information resources?

A user with privileged access may obtain account and password information from another user at will.

You have been given a drawing that shows the flow of network communication with symbols to indicate equipment function. Which type of configuration management documentation have you been given?

A wiring diagram emphasizes network connections and uses horizontal and vertical lines to represent network wires.

You need to configure IPSec to digitally sign and encapsulate each packet within another packet. Which of the following should you implement?

AH protocol in tunnel mode

What is the aim of security awareness training?

All employees must understand their security responsibilities.

Your company has decided to implement an acceptable use policy (AUP) that must be distributed to all users. You have been asked to write the preliminary policy to submit for management approval. What is defined in this policy?

An acceptable use policy (AUP) defines how users are allowed to employ company hardware. For example, an acceptable use policy, which is sometimes referred to as a use policy, might answer the following questions: Are employees allowed to store personal files on company computers? Are employees allowed to play network games on breaks? Are employees allowed to "surf the Web" after hours?

Management has decided to renovate a portion of the office. You have been asked to relocate several computers and other network devices in the renovation area to another part of the building. After relocating the computers and devices, you document the new location. What is the term used to describe the actions you took?

Asset management involves documenting information regarding the company assets, including location, user, IP address, and other information. Asset management is part of the network documentation that must be maintained.A service level agreement (SLA) is an agreement from a service provider that details the level of service that will be maintained. Network access control (NAC) is a method whereby an organization implements rules for security for devices that connect to the network.

Which of the following items is likely NOT to be covered in the on-boarding procedures for new hires as they report to work for the first time at some organization?

Because asset disposal policies and procedures deal with how an employee should dispose of an organizational asset and so few employees actually get involved with this activity, it is unlikely to be discussed during the initial phases of the on-boarding process.

Which two guidelines are the best to implement for passwords according to CompTIA guidelines? (Choose two.)

Configure passwords to change periodically. Create passwords that contain at least one symbol.

You need to support an online meeting application that primarily transports streaming video packets. Occasional dropped packets are less important than minimizing latency. Which of the following transport layer protocols should you deploy?

DTLS. Because dropping occasional packets is less important than reducing latency end-to-end, Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) is the best option. DTLS is essentially a reimplementation of TLS, which uses order-preserving TCP at the Transport layer. DTLS uses the UDP protocol at the Transport layer instead of TCP. Though UDP is stateless and more lightweight than TCP, DTLS

You are a network administrator for a Windows Server 2012 domain. Recently, you have noticed network performance issues when Microsoft operating systems and applications release new service packs or updates. All server and client computers are configured to automatically download and install any updates. You need to deploy a solution that will reduce the network performance issues when these updates are released. What should you do?

Deploy a centralized Windows Software Update Services server that will download and deploy the updates, and deploy a group policy that ensures that all servers and clients obtain their updates from the centralized server.

After a data breach occurs at a client's site, you determine that some of the switches, routers, and servers in the network were updated with the most current security patches, and some have never been updated. When you examine the network diagram, you notice that many of the same types of devices do not look the same in the diagram. What type of documentation should you provide to the client to ensure all devices are consistently identified by their type?

Diagram symbols should be standardized throughout the network documentation. For example, routers should all be depicted in the documentation with the same shape. The same would be true for other devices, such as switches, bridges, and patch panels: each type of equipment should use a symbol, icon, or shape that is unique to that type of equipment. The most commonly used symbols were developed by Cisco, but Amazon Web Services uses its own set of symbols, and different software packages may have their own symbols.

Which of the following computing technologies is most likely to fall under the U.S. government's export administration regulations designed to protect the sale or transfer of commodities, technology, information, or software considered of strategic importance to the U.S.?

Encryption tools are most likely to fall under the U.S. governments export administration regulations.

Which of the following metrics would help you determine the reliability of a network segment?

Error rate is a metric that can be used to tool to indicate the reliability of the network. A segment with a high error rate would be less reliable than a segment with a low error rate. The error rate is usually expressed as a percentage.

Which four of the following objectives best describe the kinds of protection that data loss prevention systems seek to provide or deliver? (Choose four.)

Establishing identity or role-based access controls Encrypting of data at rest Encrypting of data in motion Blocking unauthorized data transit

Which of the following types of backups would back up data that has NOT been changed since the last backup?

Full backups backup all of the files on a system, regardless of whether the data has been changed or not. While full backups provide the protection in case of a failure, they take the most time and require the most storage resources to accomplish.

Which option represents the amount of time that a system is expected to be operational over the course of a year?

High availability refers to the amount of time that the system is expected to be operational over the course of a year.

Which of the following options would be the fastest to activate in the event of a disaster at the primary site?

Hot sites would be the fastest to activate in the event of a disaster at the primary site.

You are designing a network for a new facility. The client wishes to provide main connections to several floors from where the ISP service enters the building. On each floor, switches will handle the distribution to end devices. What would be the most helpful for maintaining and documenting those main connections?

Intermediate Distribution Frame/Main Distribution Frame (IDF/MDF) documentation first describes and details the primary ISP feed into the building, which is handled by the MDF.

As part of monitoring network traffic, you need to determine the payload that is produced by using IPSec in tunnel mode with the AH protocol. Which of the following best describes this payload?

Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) in tunnel mode with the Authentication Header (AH) protocol produces an encapsulated packet that is digitally signed.

Your company has decided to implement IPSec for all remote connections. Which three statements are true of Internet Protocol Security (IPSec)? (Choose three.)

Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) protocol that can operate in tunnel mode or transport mode. In transport mode, only the payload, that is, the message part of a packet is encrypted by encapsulating security payload (ESP). In IPSec tunnel mode, the entire packet including the packet header and the routing information is encrypted. IPSec tunnel mode provides a higher level of security. Either of the two modes can be used to secure gateway-to-gateway (site-to-site), host-to-gateway (host-to-site), or host-to-host communication. If used in gateway-to-host communication, the gateway must act as the host.Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) is a security standard commonly implemented to create virtual private networks (VPNs). IPSec allows packets to be securely exchanged over the Internet Protocol (IP) at the OSI Network layer rather than at the Application layer.

You have decided to implement ISAKMP. What is provided by this technology?

Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP) is a protocol that works with IPSec to establish a secure session. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a Microsoft protocol that establishes sessions with other computers.

Which of the following would you perform periodically to ensure that the normal traffic patterns and volume have not changed?

It is important for a company to have a policy for reviewing baselines periodically, because network traffic may change over an extended period.

You are hired to manage the network at a large data center. On your first day, a user reports that they have lost network connectivity. At the user's workstation, you successfully ping 127.0.0.1 and then swap out the patch cable that runs from the computer to a blank wall plate. In the network closet, you notice that all four patch panels were mounted to the rack after the punchdowns were completed, but nothing indicates port assignments or which areas the patch panels serve. You end up resolving the issue, but it takes longer than necessary. You want to speed up the resolution of future connectivity issues. What should you prepare FIRST?

Labeling is an important component of the network build and its documentation.

You have recently discovered that your company is not maintaining system logs as per the adopted company procedures. You need to decide if the company procedures should be modified, or if the system logs should be maintained as per the procedures. Which statement is an accurate reason for following the company procedures?

Logging helps an administrator to detect security breaches and vulnerable points in a network.

Which of the following statements is UNLIKELY to appear in an organization's safety policies and procedures for its networking equipment?

Look for simpler, more approachable alternatives to technician's manuals online.

Which option is a critical metric in preventive maintenance that would allow you to schedule the replacement of a component at a convenient time, as opposed to waiting for the component to fail at an inopportune time?

Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) is the average, or mean, time between failures on a device or system.

Your client is experiencing what appears to be a decrease in network throughput. However, the symptoms the client is reporting to you are not detailed enough for you to diagnose the issue and make a recommendation. What will best assist you in pinpointing the bottleneck the next time it occurs?

Network configuration and performance baselines

You are installing a known good NIC in a computer, and a spark jumps from your hand to the NIC. You install the NIC and discover that the NIC no longer operates correctly. What has most likely caused the NIC to malfunction?

Of the choices listed, an electrostatic discharge (ESD) has most likely caused the network interface card (NIC) to malfunction.

Your company's network experienced some recent performance issues that you resolved with a lot of effort. After resolving the problem, you decide to start monitoring network performance. You have selected the network performance tool that you will use. What must you do first?

Once you have selected the network performance tool, you need to capture the network performance baselines. These baselines will act as a basis of comparison. Baselines should be captured at different times. Network utilization will be much higher during peak usage times. If you do not capture the appropriate baselines, you may not realize when actual performance issues arise.

You have recently been hired as a network administrator. Soon after starting at the new company, you realize that not all appropriate network documentations has been created. Specifically, you need to set for the network rules, including the who, what, and when of the rules. Which configuration management documentation should you create?

Policies set forth the network rules, including the who, what, and when of the rules. Policies tell what the rules are, who is covered by the rule, and when the rule applies.

You have been handed a document that details the steps to take to update the network drivers. Which type of change management document do you have?

Procedures set forth the steps that must be taken to enforce the network owner's policies, including updating the network drivers. Procedures tell how to achieve the desired results.Baselines are primarily used to identify performance issues. They are actually performance statistics gathered for comparative purposes.

Your company is building a new facility, and you are tasked with designing the new network at that site. You will need multiple servers, switches, patch panels, UPS equipment, and other equipment. You need to plan and document the placement of the equipment in the site's network data center. Which tool should you use?

Rack diagrams depict the placement of network equipment, such as routers, switches, hubs, patch panels, servers, and more, in a standard-wide cabinet called a rack.

Which of the following would be the best recovery solution in the event that a network segment is unavailable?

Redundant circuits would be the best recovery solution in the event that a network segment becomes unavailable. The redundant circuit can provide a backup route if a NIC, cable, router, or switch fails.

You are the network administrator for a healthcare organization. Recently several federal and state government laws have been enacted which will affect network operations. Which change management documentation should record this information?

Regulations are governmental guidelines that are written by federal or state agencies based on the laws passed by federal or state government. Regulations are established by entities outside the network owner.

You company want to allow remote users to access their Windows network remotely if their network is not connected to the Internet. Which of the following should you implement?

Remote Access Service (RAS) is a service provided by Windows that allows remote access to the network via a dial-up connection.

You need to create an encrypted remote terminal connection with a UNIX computer. Which protocol should you use?

SSH

You have been hired as a consultant for the medium-sized business. As part of your duties, you need to make recommendations on changes to the network. You decide that you want to install agents on the network devices to monitor network traffic and record the behavior of network components. You will then use the statistical data that is gathered to make your recommendations. Which standard should you deploy?

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a protocol that governs network management. The protocol reports on whether a device is functioning properly.

You need to collect management information on the routers and switches used on your company's network. You decide to use SNMP. What is the name of the software component that runs on a managed device when you deploy this technology?

The SNMP agent runs on a managed device, such as a router or switch. This agent collects management information.

Which term is used to describe the ability to respond to a single point of failure on a network?

The ability to respond to a single point of failure on a network is called fault tolerance. Fault tolerance on servers involves hardware RAID, UPS systems, power conditioning, backups, and clustering.

To improve security, you change your Web server named Web1 to the HTTPS protocol. Shortly after implementing the change, users report that they cannot access any Web sites hosted on Web1 by using their fully qualified domain names (FQDNs). However, they can access other Web sites that are hosted on other Web servers by using their FQDNs. What is causing this problem?

The new Web address starts with https instead of http.

Which four of the following elements are most likely to appear in a well-designed password policy that explains requirements for formulating secure passwords? (Choose four.)

The strongest passwords are long, and include a mix of upper and lower case alphabetic characters, along with one or more numbers and special characters (such as !@#$% and so forth).

Which four of the following statements explains why training employees about proper licensing and use of an organization's software and hardware is important? (Choose four.)

To prevent unauthorized or improper consumption of licenses To avoid liability from violating license rules or restrictions To comply with license restrictions or limitations To practice good organizational ethics and governance

Your company periodically exchanges confidential information with a third party via a single server at each company. Management has recently become concerned that communications between the two servers have been intercepted and read. You have been asked to ensure that messages between the two authenticated computers are encrypted to prevent attackers from reading the messages. Which protocol should you use?

Transport Layer Security (TLS) encrypts the messages transmitted between two authenticated computers, preventing third parties from reading the messages. TLS is the protocol being used when Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is implemented. TLS works at the Transport layer of the OSI model.

Your company's IT department needs to provide field engineers with remote GUI-based access to their in-office desktop PCs over the Internet. Engineers could use Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android on their remote devices with a mix of MacOS and Windows on the in-office desktops. Which of the following remote access tools offers the best no-cost option?

Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is correct for many reasons. First, several VNC products are widely and freely available for Windows, OS X (MacOS), Linux, Android, iOS, and Chrome. Second, many VNC products are easy to set up and use, interoperate among multiple versions, and work well through corporate and personal firewalls. Of the items listed it is the best no-cost option.

Which action would you perform to look for candidates for exploitation across an information system?

Vulnerability scanning

Which suppression methods are recommended for a fire in a facility that involves paper, laminates, and wooden furniture? (Choose two.)

Water or soda acid should be used to suppress a fire that has wood products, laminates, and paper as its elements. Water or soda acid are used to extinguish class A fires.

You are the network administrator for a manufacturing company. Technicians that work on computers used on the manufacturing floor may come into contact with dangerous chemicals. You need to understand which chemicals they will come into contact with and their associated safety issues. What should you consult?

You should consult the material safety data sheet (MSDS) to understand which chemicals technicians will come into contact with and any safety issues regarding those chemicals.

You have recently been hired as a network administrator. After starting your new job, you discover that the network devices are not being monitored on a regular basis. You need to deploy a technology or protocol that will provide this service. Which protocol or technology should you deploy?

You should deploy Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to monitor network devices. It uses port 161 to communicate.

You have two Web servers, named WebSrv1 and WebSrv2. You need to configure the Web servers so that they share the Web request load equally. What should you do?

You should implement an active/active cluster. This will ensure that the two Web servers share the Web request load equally. An active/active cluster is also known as a load-balancing cluster.

You have changed the IP address scheme for two of your company's networks. In addition, the names of two servers have changed. Which change management documentation should you revise?

You should only revise the physical network diagram. The physical network diagram includes cable lengths and types, server names, IP addresses, server roles, network equipment locations, and number of network users.

You upgrade the operating system on several servers on your network. Which change management documentation should you revise? (Choose all that apply.)

You should revise the physical network diagram and the network baseline when you upgrade the operating system on several servers on your network. The physical network diagram includes cable lengths and types, server names, IP addresses, server roles, network equipment locations, server operating system versions, and number of network users. A network baseline includes performance statistics for your network. Both of these documents are affected when the operating system on a server is changed. Network diagrams are also referred to as network maps.

You have reconfigured your network to change the cable type used on one of your subnets from Cat5 to Cat6. Which change configuration management documentation should you revise? (Choose all that apply.)

You should revise the physical network diagram and the network baseline. The physical network diagram includes cable lengths and types, server names, IP addresses, server roles, network equipment locations, and number of network users. A network baseline includes performance statistics for your network.

You administer a LAN. You want to encrypt TCP/IP communications on the LAN. The protocol that you use for encryption should be able to encrypt entire data packets, and the protocol should be able to operate in both tunnel mode and transport mode.Which protocol should you use to encrypt data on the network?

You should use Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) to encrypt the data packets on the network that you administer. IPSec can encrypt data packets transported on a TCP/IP network.

You work for a medium-sized company. You would like to provide secure, remote access between the company's three Internet-connected sites and their Windows client, servers, and domain controllers. Which option would provide adequate security and cost the least overall?

You should use Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) to secure Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) over the Internet with connection security rules and associations because it uses only Microsoft-supplied protocols and services.

Your company's IT department needs to provide field sales representatives with the ability to upload and download files from company servers while they are away from the office. They will be communicating over public Internet connections at coffee shops, hotels, truck stops, and other public facilities. All inbound connections to the company network already require use of a secure VPN based on the OpenVPN protocol. You want to allow secure file transfer with minimal firewall management overhead. Which protocol should you use?

You should use Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). First, because SFTP uses only a single port number for communications, it is easy to secure and monitor at the firewall. Second, unlike FTPS, SFTP is not a reworked version of FTP. Rather, it is a completely different protocol based on Secure Shell (SSH) that encrypts both authentication data and data files being transferred. Third, SFTP even works with SSH private/public key pairs for an optional added layer of authentication and enhanced security.

You have recently been hired by a small company to assess its network security. You need to determine which TCP/IP ports are open on the network. Which tool should you use?

a port scanner

You company currently has no defined policies or procedures regarding software patches. After researching, you find that software on some computers has been patched, but the patching is spotty at best. You need to prepare a software update patch policy to present to upper management. You need to determine when to install a software patch on a production server. Which of the following is correct?

after the patch has been tested locally

You are deploying a virtual private network (VPN) for remote users. You want to meet the following goals: The VPN gateway should require the use of Internet Protocol Security (IPSec). All remote users must use IPSec to connect to the VPN gateway. No internal hosts should use IPSec. Which IPSec mode should you use?

host-to-gateway

You are working with your support specialists on expanding your company's existing network. You need to determine the actual network interfaces used on all network devices. Which configuration management documentation should you consult?

physical network diagram