CS0-002 Questions and Answers

Static analysis is the process of reviewing malware files without running them, by using tools such as hex editors, strings, and signature scanners. Static analysis can help extract basic information from malware files, such as file type, size, checksum, metadata, imports, exports, etc. Static analysis can also help identify known malware samples based on their signatures or hashes.

Creating a data minimization plan would be the most cost-effective solution to the current data privacy and protection gap found in the last security assessment. Data minimization is a principle that states that organizations should collect, store, process, and retain only the minimum amount of personal data that is necessary for their legitimate purposes. Data minimization can help reduce the risk of data breaches, data leaks, or data misuse by limiting the exposure and access to sensitive data. Data minimization can also help comply with data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), that require organizations to justify their data collection and processing activities. Data minimization can be achieved by implementing various measures, such as deleting or anonymizing unnecessary data, applying retention policies, or using encryption or pseudonymization techniques.

mstsc.exe is the process name for Remote Desktop Connection, a program that allows users to connect to remote computers or servers over a network or the Internet12. mstsc.exe is an indicator of system compromise if the user did not initiate or authorize a remote connection, as it may mean that an attacker has gained access to the system and is using it to connect to other systems or exfiltrate data3.

Based on the output of the “netstat -an” command, it seems that the web server is listening on port 80 for HTTP traffic and port 443 for HTTPS traffic. The anomalous traffic from 9.9.9.9 is accessing the web server on port 443, which means it is using a secure connection.

The best method to accomplish the task of restricting improper traffic from 9.9.9.9 is D. Adjusting the firewall. A firewall is a device or software that controls the flow of network traffic based on predefined rules. By adjusting the firewall rules, you can block or allow specific IP addresses, ports, protocols, or domains from accessing your web server.

Acceptance testing is a type of testing that involves verifying that an application meets the needs and expectations of the business and the end users. Acceptance testing is usually performed by users or customers who evaluate the application’s functionality, usability, performance, reliability, and compatibility. Acceptance testing helps to ensure that the application delivers the required value and quality before it goes into production.

The planning stage of the SDLC process is when the project scope, objectives, requirements, risks, and deliverables are defined and agreed upon by all stakeholders. This stage also involves creating a project plan that outlines the tasks, resources, schedule, budget, and communication channels for the project.

The planning stage is crucial for ensuring that the project is aligned with the business goals and customer needs, and that the project team has a clear vision and direction for the development process. By overlooking this stage, the SOC staff did not receive contact details or escalation procedures to follow in case of a high-severity bug, which could have serious consequences for the security and functionality of the web application.

An eFuse, or electronic fuse, is a microscopic fuse put into a computer chip that can be blown by applying a high voltage or current. Once blown, an eFuse cannot be reset or repaired, and its state can be read by software or hardware2 An eFuse can be used by a hardware manufacturer to prevent firmware downgrades on a system-on-chip (SoC) that will be used by mobile devices. An eFuse can store information such as the firmware version, security level, or device configuration on the chip. When a newer firmware is installed, an eFuse can be blown to indicate the update and prevent reverting to an older firmware. This can help protect the device from security vulnerabilities, compatibility issues, or unauthorized modifications.

Automated security controls testing is a method that uses tools or scripts to verify that the security controls of a system or device are configured correctly and comply with the organization’s policies and standards. Performing automated security controls testing of expected configurations prior to production would help prevent a recurrence of the risk exposure caused by missing antivirus, unnecessary ports enabled, and insufficient password complexity. Performing password-cracking attempts, Nmap scans, or antivirus scans on all devices before they are released to production are other methods that can help detect some security issues, but they are not as comprehensive or efficient as automated security controls testing. Reference: https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2017/04/28/sp800-115.pdf

Data enrichment is the result that the security team hopes to accomplish by adding these sources to the SIEM. Data enrichment is a process that enhances, refines, or otherwise improves raw data by adding context, meaning, or value to it. Data enrichment can help security analysts gain more insights from the events processed by the SIEM, such as identifying the root cause, severity, or impact of an incident3. Data enrichment can also help security analysts correlate events from different sources and reduce false positives or negatives.

According to the risk mitigation policy, risks with a probability of 95% or greater will be addressed first, regardless of the impact. Therefore, risk D is the highest priority, as it has a probability of 95% and an impact of $100,000. The next priority is risk A, which has a probability of 90% and an impact of $200,000. The remaining risks will be prioritized based on their risk value, which is calculated by multiplying the probability and the impact. Risk C has a risk value of $40,000 (80% x $50,000), while risk B has a risk value of $30,000 (60% x $50,000). Therefore, risk C is higher priority than risk B.

The analyst should disclose details regarding the findings of the vendor’s latest penetration test summary as the first recommendation, as this can help assess the vendor’s security posture and identify any potential risks or issues that may affect the organization. The analyst should review the findings and ask for more information about the scope, methodology, and remediation actions of the penetration test, as well as any evidence or artifacts that support the findings.

DNS sinkholing is a mechanism that can prevent internal network ranges from communicating with a list of IP addresses of known command-and-control domains by returning a false or controlled IP address for those domains. This can reduce the load on the firewall by intercepting the DNS requests before they reach the firewall and diverting them to a sinkhole server. The other options are not relevant or effective for this purpose. References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 9; https://www.enisa.europa.eu/topics/incident-response/glossary/dns-sinkhole

The correct answer is D. Both policies have some overlap, but the differences can have regulatory consequences. Privacy and security policies are both important for companies to protect their data and comply with various laws and regulations. However, privacy and security policies are not the same, and they have different goals and requirements.

Privacy policies are nontechnical controls that define how a company collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information from its customers, employees, or partners. Privacy policies are based on the principles of data minimization, consent, transparency, and accountability. Privacy policies aim to respect the rights and preferences of data subjects and comply with different privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)1.

Security policies are technical or nontechnical controls that define how a company protects its data and systems from unauthorized access, modification, or destruction. Security policies are based on the principles of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Security policies aim to prevent or mitigate the impact of cyberattacks and comply with different security standards, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) or the ISO/IEC 27000 series2.

Privacy and security policies have some overlap, as they both involve data protection and compliance. However, they also have some differences, as they address different aspects and risks of data processing. For example, a company may have a strong security policy that encrypts its data, but it may still violate a privacy policy if it collects or shares more data than necessary or without consent. Conversely, a company may have a clear privacy policy that informs its customers about its data practices, but it may still suffer a security breach if it does not implement adequate security measures3.

"CASB solutions generally offer their own DLP policy engine, allowing you to configure DLP policies in a CASB and apply them to cloud services." https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/enterprise/cloud-security/how-a-casb-int egrates-with-an-on-premises-dlp-solution/

CASB stands for Cloud Access Security Broker, which is a solution that monitors and controls the access and usage of cloud services by an organization’s users. DLP stands for Data Loss Prevention, which is a solution that prevents unauthorized disclosure or leakage of sensitive data. Utilizing the CASB to enforce DLP data-in-motion protection for financial information moving to the cloud is the best recommendation for a security analyst to mitigate the threat of financial data leakage into the cloud, because it would prevent users from uploading or transferring financial information to cloud services that are not authorized or secure. Utilizing the CASB to enforce DLP data-at-rest protection for financial information that is stored on premises, not utilizing the CASB solution for this purpose but adding DLP on premises for data in motion or data at rest are other possible recommendations, but they are not as effective or relevant as utilizing the CASB to enforce DLP data-in-motion protection for financial information moving to the cloud. Reference: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3200344/what-is-a-casb-and-why-do-you-need-one.html

Data enrichment is a process that adds event and non-event contextual information to security event data in order to transform raw data into meaningful insights123. Geolocation is one example of contextual information that can be used to enrich security event data, such as IP addresses, and provide more information about the physical locations of threat actors. Data enrichment can help security analysts perform threat detection, threat hunting, and incident response more effectively and efficiently.

The Controller Area Network - CAN bus is a message-based protocol designed to allow the Electronic Control Units (ECUs) found in today’s automobiles, as well as other devices, to communicate with each other in a reliable, priority-driven fashion. Messages or “frames” are received by all devices in the network, which does not require a host computer.

CAN bus stands for Controller Area Network bus, which is a communication protocol that allows different devices and components in a vehicle to communicate and exchange data. The vulnerability within the new fleet of vehicles is most likely targeting the CAN bus, because it could allow an attacker to manipulate or disrupt the operation of the vehicle. SCADA, Modbus, and IoT are other terms related to communication protocols or systems, but they are not specific to vehicles. Reference: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3218104/what-is-a-can-bus-and-how-can-it-be-hacked.html

A jump box is a secure computer that can be used to access a remote server or network. It acts as an intermediary between the user and the target system, and can limit access to specific IP addresses. A jump box can also provide logging and auditing of the user’s actions on the remote system. A jump box is a common solution for accessing highly sensitive servers or networks1.

If were referring to other devices, yes - Implement BIOS passwords before they are compromised. But the ones that were already compromised, they need to be removed from the system to avoid further exploitation. Plus, if you put a password on there, the attacker may now have your password.

Remove the assets from the production network for analysis. If the analyst receives an alert about unauthorized changes to the firmware versions on several field devices, the best action to recommend to the asset owners is to remove the assets from the production network for analysis. This would prevent further exploitation of the devices by isolating them from potential attackers and allow the analyst to investigate the source and nature of the unauthorized changes. Changing the passwords on the devices, implementing BIOS passwords, or reporting the findings to the threat intel community are other possible actions, but they are not as effective or urgent as removing the assets from the production network for analysis. Reference: https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/incident/incident-handlers-handbook-33901

Communicate the security incident to the threat team for further review and analysis. This would allow the threat team to investigate the source and nature of the malicious traffic and create appropriate alerts or signatures to detect it in the future. Sharing details with human resources, noting the incident, or reporting it to a manager would not increase the chance of detection.

Pll stands for Personally Identifiable Information, and it is any data that can be used to identify, locate, or contact an individual. Examples of Pll include names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, social security numbers, bank account numbers, etc. The first step to secure the organization’s Pll is to identify what type of Pll is on the network, where it is stored, who has access to it, and how it is transmitted. This can help determine the scope and impact of the deficiency in the policies and procedures for Pll.

A PCI assessment should be conducted prior to the deployment of a new application that contains SPI (Sensitive Personal Information). A PCI assessment is an evaluation of how well an organization complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which is a set of requirements for protecting cardholder data. PCI DSS applies to any organization that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data, such as credit card numbers, expiration dates, or security codes4. A PCI assessment can help identify and remediate any gaps or weaknesses in the security controls of an application that handles cardholder data.

Data masking is a technique that replaces sensitive data with fictitious but realistic data, thus preventing unauthorized access to the original data. Reencrypting the data sets using AES-256 would provide a stronger level of encryption than Triple DES, which has been deprecated by NIST due to its vulnerability to attacks12

References: 1 What Is AES-256 Encryption? How Does It Work? - MUO 2 Archived NIST Technical Series Publication

Using whole disk encryption is the best option to protect the data on the remote users’ laptops. Whole disk encryption is a technique that encrypts all data on a hard disk drive, including the operating system, applications and files. Whole disk encryption can prevent unauthorized access to the data if the laptop is lost, stolen or compromised. Whole disk encryption can also protect the data from physical attacks, such as removing the hard disk and connecting it to another device .

The analyst should isolate the container from production using a predefined policy template first. Isolating the container is a containment measure that can help prevent the spread of the compromise to other containers or systems in the cloud infrastructure. Containment is an important step in the incident response process, as it can limit the impact and damage of an incident. Using a predefined policy template can help automate and standardize the isolation process, ensuring that it is done quickly and consistently1.

Telnet is a command-line tool that can be used to connect to a remote host on a specified port, and to send or receive data over that connection. Telnet can be used to obtain more information about the web-based services that are running on the target, by interacting with them or observing their responses. For example, telnet 10.79.95.173 443 would connect to the target on port 443, which is commonly used for HTTPS or SSL/TLS encrypted web traffic.

Third-party assessment. A third-party assessment is a process that explores the risk posed to your organization by third-party vendors along the supply chain. This process evaluates the likelihood that your business is exposed to different third-party risks such as compliance risk, operational risk, financial risk, security risk and cybersecurity risk1.

A third-party assessment can help the CSO gain a better understanding of the prospective company’s cybersecurity posture by:

• Providing an independent and objective evaluation of the vendor’s security policies, controls, and practices.
• Identifying any gaps or weaknesses in the vendor’s security posture that could compromise your organization’s data, systems, or reputation.
• Recommending actions or improvements to mitigate or reduce the identified risks and enhance the vendor’s security performance.

A third-party assessment can also help the CSO identify risks in the supply chain by:

• Mapping and tracing the data flow and dependencies among the vendor and its subcontractors or suppliers.
• Assessing how the vendor and its subcontractors or suppliers safeguard data and comply with relevant regulations and standards.
• Detecting any signs of malicious or negligent behavior by the vendor or its subcontractors or suppliers that could harm your organization or its customers.

APTs utilize methods and technologies differently than other threats. APTs stand for Advanced Persistent Threats, and they are sophisticated and stealthy attacks that target specific organizations or networks over a long period of time, often with political or financial motives. APTs utilize methods and technologies differently than other threats, such as using custom-made malware, exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities, leveraging social engineering techniques, or employing multiple vectors of attack. APTs can also evade detection by existing security tools or controls, by using encryption, obfuscation, proxy servers, or other techniques to hide their activities or communications.

The calc entry is a suspicious registry entry that should be investigated first by the analyst. The calc entry is located in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run registry key, which is a common location for malware to persist and execute on system startup. The calc entry has a data value of “C:\Windows\System32\calc.exe”, which is the path to the legitimate Windows Calculator program. However, this program does not need to run on system startup, and it could be a disguise for a malicious executable that has replaced or renamed the original calculator program. The calc entry could also be a sign of a fileless malware attack, where the attacker uses the legitimate calculator program to execute malicious commands or scripts in memory1.

The hosts file is a text file that maps hostnames to IP addresses, and it can be used to override DNS resolution. The hosts file entries that should be used for further investigation are the ones that point to external or suspicious IP addresses, such as 198.51.100.5, which is a reserved IP address for documentation purposes. The other entries are either loopback addresses (::1 and 127.0.0.1) or internal network addresses (192.168.3.249), which are less likely to be malicious.

Investing in a failover and redundant system, as necessary, is the best solution to improve the availability of the organization’s systems based on past incidents. A failover system is a backup system that automatically takes over the operation of a primary system in case of a failure or outage. A redundant system is a duplicate system that runs simultaneously with the primary system and provides backup functionality if needed. Investing in a failover and redundant system can help to ensure that the organization’s systems are always available and can handle the workload without interruption or degradation .

The single loss expectancy (SLE) is a measure of the monetary loss associated with a single occurrence of a risk. The SLE can be calculated by multiplying the asset value (AV) by the exposure factor (EF), which is the percentage of loss that the asset would suffer if the risk occurred. In this case, the asset value is the revenue generated by the service, which is $1,000. The exposure factor is the impact of the attack on the server’s capacity, which is 20%. Therefore, the SLE is $1,000 x 0.2 = $2001.

The best recommendation based on the Prowler report is to delete Cloud Dev access key 1. This is because the report shows that this access key has not been used for more than 90 days, which violates the AWS security best practice of rotating access keys every 90 days or less. Deleting unused or inactive access keys can reduce the risk of unauthorized access or compromise of AWS resources.

 The data laws of the country in which the company is located would determine the regulations placed on data under data sovereignty laws. Data sovereignty laws are laws that govern how data is collected, stored, processed, and transferred within a country’s jurisdiction. Data sovereignty laws can vary from country to country, depending on their legal system, political system, culture, and values. Data sovereignty laws can affect how companies handle their data, especially when they operate across borders or use cloud services. For example, some countries may have strict data protection or privacy laws that require companies to obtain consent from data subjects before collecting or processing their data. Some countries may also have data localization or data residency laws that require companies to store their data within the country’s borders or limit cross-border data transfers.

Blocking the download of the file via the web proxy is the best change to make to the security tools to remedy the issue. A web proxy is a server that acts as an intermediary between a client and a web server, filtering or modifying requests and responses according to predefined rules1. Blocking the download of the file via the web proxy can prevent developers from accessing and executing the offending file that is bundled with adware. This can reduce the risk of infection or compromise of the developer workstations and improve their performance and security. Blacklisting the hash in the next-generation antivirus system (A) is not the best change to make to the security tools to remedy the issue. Blacklisting is a technique that involves blocking or denying access to known malicious or unwanted entities based on their identifiers, such as hashes, IP addresses, domains, etc2. Blacklisting the hash in the next-generation antivirus system can prevent developers from executing the offending file that is bundled with adware, but it does not prevent them from downloading it. This can still consume network bandwidth and disk space and expose developers to potential threats. Manually deleting the file from each of the workstations (B) is not the best change to make to the security tools to remedy the issue. Manually deleting the file from each of the workstations can remove the offending file that is bundled with adware, but it does not prevent developers from downloading it again. This can be a time-consuming and inefficient process that requires human intervention and coordination. Removing administrative rights from all developer workstations © is not the best change to make to the security tools to remedy the issue. Removing administrative rights from all developer workstations can limit developers’ ability to install or execute unauthorized or malicious applications, such as adware, but it does not prevent them from downloading them. This can also affect developers’ productivity and functionality by restricting their access to legitimate applications or settings.

References: 1: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24771/technical-controls  2: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/25888/security-development-lifecycle-sdl

The International Standards Organization, or ISO, develops standards for businesses around the world so that they may operate using a uniform set of best practices. These standards are not enforceable laws, but companies who choose to follow them stand to gain international credibility from their compliance; standards are set as guidance for best practices but are not enforceable laws

These servers should be patched first because they have vulnerabilities with CVSS scores of 9.0 and 8.9 respectively, which fall under the policy of remediating within 48 hours and 96 hours for production environment servers. The other servers either have lower CVSS scores, are in lower environments, or do not contain highly sensitive information.

A buffer overflow is a type of attack that exploits a vulnerability in an application or program that does not properly check the size or boundaries of an input. A buffer overflow occurs when an attacker supplies more data than the buffer can hold, causing the excess data to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This can result in unpredictable behavior, such as crashes, errors, data corruption, or execution of malicious code2 The tool that the analyst ran against the executable supplied an input that was too long for the buffer allocated by the executable. This caused a buffer overflow in the executable’s memory, as indicated by the error message “Segmentation fault (core dumped)”.

Trusted firmware updates are a method by which security packages are delivered to the company’s customers. Trusted firmware updates are digitally signed packages that contain software updates or patches for devices, such as routers, switches, or firewalls. Trusted firmware updates can help to ensure the authenticity and integrity of the packages by verifying the digital signature of the sender and preventing unauthorized or malicious modifications to the packages .

The vulnerability scan report shows that the workstation has a high-risk vulnerability (CVE-2019-0708) that affects Remote Desktop Services on Windows systems. This vulnerability allows remote code execution without authentication or user interaction, and can be exploited by sending specially crafted requests to the target system1 As part of the detection and analysis procedures, the analyst should confirm the workstation’s signatures against the most current signatures. This can help verify if the workstation has been patched or updated to address the vulnerability, or if it is still vulnerable and needs remediation. The analyst can use tools such as Windows Update or Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer to check the workstation’s patch level and compare it with the latest available signatures.

In this scenario, the issue is related to manipulation of the public-facing web form, indicating that attackers might be altering the prices before submitting the form. One of the best ways to prevent such attacks is to implement input validation, which can help ensure that the data submitted to the web form is correct, complete, and in the expected format. Input validation can also help prevent SQL injection and other types of web-based attacks.

A secure supply chain program is a set of processes and practices that aim to protect the supply chain from various risks, such as cyberattacks, data breaches, fraud, theft, sabotage, or natural disasters1. A secure supply chain program can help to ensure the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of the products, services, data, and systems involved in the supply chain. A secure supply chain program with governance means that there are clear roles, responsibilities, policies, procedures, and controls for managing the security of the supply chain. This can help to monitor and enforce the compliance of the third-party service provider with the requirement to source talent from its own country. A secure supply chain program with governance can also help to identify and mitigate any potential threats or vulnerabilities in the supply chain. Implementing blacklisting for IP addresses from outside the country (B) may not be sufficient or effective, as IP addresses can be spoofed or bypassed by attackers. Implementing strong authentication controls for all contractors © may not be relevant or adequate, as authentication controls do not prevent the sourcing of talent from other countries. Implementing user behavior analytics for key staff members (D) may not be applicable or useful, as user behavior analytics do not verify the origin or location of the talent.

Server-side input validation is a solution that can prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities by checking and filtering any user input that is sent to the server before rendering it on a web page. Server-side input validation can help to ensure that the user input conforms to the expected format, length and type, and does not contain any malicious characters or syntax that may alter the logic or behavior of the web page. Server-side input validation can also reject or sanitize any input that does not meet the validation criteria .

Authentication is a method of verifying a user’s identity by requiring some piece of evidence, such as something the user knows (e.g., password), something the user has (e.g., token), or something the user is (e.g., fingerprint). Authentication is the best method to prevent unauthorized use of an API, because it ensures that only legitimate users can access or use the API functions or data. HTTPS, geofencing, or rate limiting are other methods that can enhance the security or performance of an API, but they do not prevent unauthorized use of an API. Reference: https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/api/what-is-api-security

The correct answer is B. Document exceptions with compensating controls to demonstrate the risk mitigation efforts. Compensating controls are alternative or additional controls that are implemented when the primary or required controls are not feasible or effective. Compensating controls can help to reduce the risk to an acceptable level and satisfy the regulatory requirements, as long as they are documented and justified1.

A. Manually review the baselines daily and document the results in a change history log is not correct. This option would not prevent the recurrence of the problem, as it does not address the root cause of why the remote units did not recover after scans were performed. Moreover, this option would create an unsustainable process, as it would require a lot of time and resources to manually review and document the baselines of all assets on a daily basis.

C. Implement a new scanning technology to satisfy the monitoring requirement and train the team is not correct. This option would not guarantee that the problem would not recur, as it is possible that the new scanning technology would also cause issues with the remote units or other assets. Furthermore, this option would incur additional costs and efforts to acquire, deploy, and maintain the new scanning technology and train the team on how to use it.

D. Purchase new remote units from other vendors with a proven ability to support scanning requirements is not correct. This option would not be feasible or cost-effective, as it would require replacing all the remote units with new ones from different vendors. This option would also introduce new risks and challenges, such as compatibility, interoperability, or vendor lock-in.

UEBA stands for User and Entity Behavior Analytics, which is a category of security products that use machine learning and statistical analysis to identify malicious actions by users or entities on a network. UEBA products can detect anomalous or suspicious behaviors that deviate from normal patterns or baselines, such as data exfiltration, privilege escalation, unauthorized access, insider threats, or compromised accounts. UEBA products can also provide alerts, reports, or recommendations for response actions based on the detected behaviors.

Disabling unused modules is a proactive control that can reduce the attack surface of a web server, by minimizing the number of potential entry points or vulnerabilities that an attacker can exploit. Disabling unused modules can also improve the performance and stability of the web server, by freeing up resources and reducing complexity.

A retinal scan is a biometric authentication method that uses the unique pattern of blood vessels in the retina to verify a person’s identity. It is considered a strong and reliable authentication method that would enhance the datacenter’s security. A physical key, a passphrase, or a fingerprint are other authentication methods, but they are not as secure or reliable as a retinal scan. Reference: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/2586/retinal-scan

A communications plan is a document that outlines how information will be communicated during an incident response process. It defines who will communicate what information, when, how, and to whom4 A communications plan can identify who is the liaison between multiple lines of business and the public, as well as other stakeholders such as senior management, legal counsel, law enforcement, or media. A liaison is a person who acts as a link or intermediary between different parties or groups to facilitate communication and coordination.

A jump box is a system that is connected to two networks and acts as a gateway or intermediary between them1. A jump box can help to isolate and secure a network by limiting the direct access to it from other networks. A jump box can also help to monitor and audit the traffic and activity on the network. A VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) is a technology that allows users to access virtual desktops that are hosted on a server2. A VDI can help to provide users with the necessary tools and applications for analysis without installing them on their own PCs. A VDI can also help to reduce the maintenance and management costs of the desktops. A VDI can operate in two modes: persistent and non-persistent. In persistent mode, each user has a dedicated virtual desktop that retains its settings and data across sessions. In non-persistent mode, each user has a temporary virtual desktop that is deleted or reset after each session3. In this scenario, deploying a jump box to allow access to the laboratory network and using VDI in non-persistent mode can meet the security objectives of the request. The jump box can prevent the partners’ PCs from connecting directly to the laboratory network and reduce the risk of unauthorized access or compromise. The VDI in non-persistent mode can provide the necessary tools for analysis without storing any data on the partners’ PCs or the virtual desktops. The VDI in non-persistent mode can also allow the partners to run long analyses without losing their progress or results. Deploying a firewall (B) may not be sufficient or effective, as a firewall only filters or blocks traffic based on rules and does not provide access or tools for analysis. Using VDI in persistent mode (A) © may not be secure or efficient, as persistent mode stores data on the virtual desktops that may be sensitive or confidential.

References: 1: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/jump-boxes-vs-firewalls/  2: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/26139/virtual-desktop-infrastructure-vdi  3: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/31686/resource-exhaustion

The line from this output that most likely indicates that attackers could quickly use brute force and determine the negotiated secret session key is TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA 128 DH (1024 bits). This line indicates that the cipher suite uses Diffie-Hellman ephemeral (DHE) key exchange with RSA authentication, AES 128-bit encryption with cipher block chaining (CBC) mode, and SHA-1 hashing. The DHE key exchange uses a 1024-bit Diffie-Hellman group, which is considered too weak for modern security standards and can be broken by attackers using sufficient computing power. The other lines indicate stronger cipher suites that use longer key lengths or more secure algorithms. References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 9; https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/secauthn/cipher-suites-in-schannel

Analyzing logs is a technique that involves collecting and examining data from various sources, such as network devices, servers, applications, or security tools. Analyzing logs can help identify malicious insiders by detecting anomalous or suspicious activities or behaviors, such as consuming large amounts of bandwidth at odd hours of the day, which could indicate data exfiltration or unauthorized access attempts. Placing a text file named Passwords.txt on the local file server and creating a SIEM alert when the file is accessed, segmenting the network so workstations are segregated from servers and implementing detailed logging on the jumpbox, or performing a review of all users with privileged access and monitoring web activity logs from the organization’s proxy are other possible techniques to identify malicious insiders, but they are not as effective or reliable as analyzing logs. Reference: https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/logging/detecting-attacks-systems-microsoft-windows-event-logs-2074

Operational security controls are security measures that are implemented and executed by people rather than by systems. Operational security controls are needed to supplement areas that other controls, such as technical or physical controls, cannot address. For example, operational security controls can include policies, procedures, training, awareness, audits, reviews, testing, etc. These controls can help ensure that employees follow best practices, comply with regulations, detect and report incidents, and respond to emergencies. The other options are not specific to operational security controls or are too narrow in scope. References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 14; https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2016/volume-3/operational-security-controls

The output shows an entry from a system log that indicates a user was trying to download a password file from a remote system using PsExec. PsExec is a command-line tool that allows users to execute processes on remote systems. The entry shows that the user “administrator” tried to run PsExec with the following parameters: \192.168.1.100 -u administrator -p P@ssw0rd -c cmd.exe /c type c:\windows\system32\config\SAM > \192.168.1.101\c$\temp\sam.txt This means that the user tried to connect to the remote system with IP address 192.168.1.100 using the username “administrator” and password “P@ssw0rd”, copy cmd.exe to the remote system, and execute it with the command “type c:\windows\system32\config\SAM > \192.168.1.101\c$\temp\sam.txt”. This command attempts to read the SAM file, which contains hashed passwords of local users, and write it to a file on another system with IP address 192.168.1.101. References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 8; https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/psexec

The disclosure section of an organization’s incident response plan should cover how the organization handles public or private disclosures of an incident. The disclosure section should contain the organization’s legal and regulatory requirements regarding disclosures, such as the type, content, format, timing, and recipients of the disclosures. The disclosure section should also specify the roles and responsibilities of the personnel involved in the disclosure process, such as who is authorized to make or approve disclosures, who is responsible for communicating with internal and external stakeholders, and who is accountable for ensuring compliance with the disclosure requirements. The disclosure section should not focus on how to reduce the likelihood customers will leave due to the incident (A), as this is a business objective rather than a disclosure requirement. The disclosure section should not include the names and contact information of key employees who are needed for incident resolution ©, as this is an operational detail rather than a disclosure requirement. The disclosure section should not contain language explaining how the organization will reduce the likelihood of the incident from happening in the future (D), as this is a remediation action rather than a disclosure requirement.

This control would best help to reduce the number of software vulnerabilities introduced by this situation because it ensures that code quality and security standards are met before deploying to production. Senior-level developers can provide feedback, guidance, and corrections to junior-level developers and catch any errors or flaws in their code.

 A security information and event management (SIEM) system is a tool that collects and analyzes log data from various sources and provides alerts and reports on security incidents and events. A security analyst can create a custom rule on a SIEM system to automate the incident response process for malware infections. For example, the analyst can create a rule that triggers an alert email when the SIEM system detects logs that match the criteria of malware infection, such as process name, file name, file hash, etc. The alert email can be sent within 30 minutes or any other desired time frame. The other options are not suitable or sufficient for this purpose. References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 15; https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/analyst/security-information-event-management-siem-implementation-33969

• F. A reverse shell was used: A reverse shell is a technique that allows a remote attacker to execute commands on a compromised system by opening a connection from the target to the attacker’s machine. The image shows that the attacker used the netcat tool to create a reverse shell on host 192.168.1.210, which is running a web server on port 80. The attacker then used the reverse shell to access the /images folder and download a file named secret.jpg.
• C. IP address 43.23.10.201 should be blocked at the firewall: IP address 43.23.10.201 is the source of the attack, as shown by the netstat command output in the image. The attacker used this IP address to connect to host 192.168.1.210 on port 80 and exploit a vulnerability in the web server software. Blocking this IP address at the firewall would prevent further attacks from this source.

Generating hashes for each file from the hard drive is the next action that the analyst should perform to ensure the data integrity of the evidence. Hashing is a technique that produces a unique and fixed-length value for a given input, such as a file or a message. Hashing can help to verify the data integrity of the evidence by comparing the hash values of the original and copied files. If the hash values match, then the evidence has not been altered or corrupted. If the hash values differ, then the evidence may have been tampered with or damaged .

System timeline reconstruction is a forensic analysis technique that involves creating a chronological record of events that occurred on a system based on various sources of evidence such as log files, registry entries, file timestamps, network traffic, etc. System timeline reconstruction can provide information about when and how the machine was compromised and where the malware is located by showing when suspicious activities or changes took place on the system, such as unauthorized access attempts, file creation or modification, process execution, network connections, etc.

The tcpdump command is a network packet analyzer tool that can capture and display network traffic. The -w option specifies a file name to write the captured packets to, in a binary format that can be read by tcpdump or other tools later. This option is useful for capturing large amounts of network data that will be analyzed at a later time, as the question requires. The packet capture does not need to be in a format that is readable by humans, since it will be put into a binary file called “packetCapture”. The capture must be as efficient as possible, and the -w option minimizes the processing and output overhead of tcpdump, reducing the likelihood that packets will be missed.

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a method of restricting access to resources based on the roles of users within an organization. RBAC assigns permissions and privileges to roles, rather than individual users, and grants access based on the principle of least privilege3 RBAC can help mitigate the risk of privilege escalation attacks on SCADA devices by ensuring that only authorized users have access to SCADA administration and management functions, and that they have the minimum level of access required to perform their tasks.

Insecure application programming interfaces (APIs) can lead to data compromise when using a PaaS solution. APIs are interfaces that allow applications to communicate with each other and with the underlying platform. APIs can expose sensitive data or functionality to unauthorized or malicious users if they are not properly designed, implemented, or secured. Insecure APIs can result in data breaches, denial of service, unauthorized access, or code injection .

The grep command is a tool that searches for a pattern of characters in a file or input and prints the matching lines1 The egrep command is a variant of grep that supports extended regular expressions, which allow more complex and flexible pattern matching2 The more command is a filter that displays the contents of a file or input one screen at a time3 The pipe symbol (|) is used to redirect the output of one command to the input of another command. The redirection symbol (>) is used to redirect the output of a command to a file.

The command given in option C performs the following steps:

• It uses the more command to display the contents of the webserver.log file.
• It pipes the output of the more command to the grep command, which searches for lines that contain ‘*.xls’, which is a pattern that matches any file name ending with .xls (a spreadsheet file extension).
• It pipes the output of the grep command to the egrep command, which searches for lines that contain ‘return=200’, which is a pattern that matches any HTTP status code of 200 (which indicates a successful request).
• It redirects the output of the egrep command to a file named accessreport.txt, which contains the date, time, and IP address associated with any spreadsheet downloads.

Reporting processes are important to include when updating an incident response plan after a breach for several reasons. Two of the most likely reasons are:

• To meet regulatory requirements for timely reporting. Many regulations and standards require organizations to report security incidents or breaches within a certain time frame or face penalties or sanctions. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires organizations to report personal data breaches within 72 hours of becoming aware of them. Reporting processes can help organizations to comply with these requirements by defining who, what, when, where, how, and why to report incidents or breaches.
• To limit reputation damage caused by the breach. Security incidents or breaches can have negative impacts on an organization’s reputation, trust, and customer loyalty. Reporting processes can help organizations to limit these impacts by communicating effectively and transparently with internal and external stakeholders, such as employees, customers, partners, regulators, media, and public. Reporting processes can help organizations to provide accurate and consistent information about the breach, its causes, impacts, and remediation actions.

Other possible reasons to include reporting processes when updating an incident response plan after a breach are:

• To establish a clear chain of command (A). Reporting processes can help organizations to establish a clear chain of command for incident response by defining roles and responsibilities, escalation procedures, and decision-making authority.
• To remediate vulnerabilities that led to the breach (D). Reporting processes can help organizations to remediate vulnerabilities that led to the breach by documenting and analyzing the root causes, lessons learned, and best practices for improvement.
• To isolate potential insider threats (E). Reporting processes can help organizations to isolate potential insider threats by monitoring and auditing user activities, behaviors, and access rights before, during, and after the breach.

References: : https://gdpr.eu/data-breach-notification/ : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/13493/penetration-testing : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/25888/security-development-lifecycle-sdl

"Technical controls enforce confidentiality, integrity, and availability in the digital space. Examples of technical security controls include firewall rules, access control lists, intrusion prevention systems, and encryption."

A technical control is a type of control that uses technology or software to protect data and systems from unauthorized access or misuse3. A technical control can include encryption, authentication, firewalls, antivirus software, and other mechanisms that rely on hardware or software. Placing an ACL (access control list) on a file folder is an example of a technical control. An ACL is a list of permissions that specifies who can access or modify a file or folder4. An ACL can help to enforce confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data by restricting access to authorized users only.

Data classification is the process of categorizing data based on its level of sensitivity, value, and risk. Data classification can help determine the appropriate level of protection and access control for each type of data.

Data classification processes should be reviewed regularly to ensure that they are aligned with the organization’s goals, policies, and standards. Data classification processes should also reflect the changing nature and value of data, as well as the evolving threats and regulations in the data environment.

Reviewing data classification processes can help improve awareness of overall privacy and protection by:

• Educating data owners and users about their roles and responsibilities in handling data.
• Establishing clear and consistent criteria for labeling and handling data.
• Identifying and prioritizing the most critical and sensitive data assets.
• Applying the appropriate security measures and controls for each data category.
• Reducing the risk of data loss, theft, or misuse.

What is the difference between VPN and VPC?

Just as a virtual private network (VPN) provides secure data transfer over the public Internet, a VPC provides secure data transfer between a private enterprise and a public cloud provider.

VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a technology that provides secure connectivity from the corporate network to a cloud environment. VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between the two networks, allowing developers to access servers in all three tiers of the cloud environment without exposing their traffic to interception or tampering. VPN can also provide authentication and authorization mechanisms to verify the identity and permissions of the developers.

"User acceptance testing (UAT) is the last phase of the software testing process. During UAT, actual software users test the software to make sure it can handle required tasks in real-world scenarios, according to specifications." https://www.plutora.com/blog/uat-user-acceptance-testing

User acceptance testing is the software development process by which function, usability, and scenarios are tested against a known set of base requirements. User acceptance testing (UAT) is the final stage of software development before production. It is used to get feedback from users who test the software and its user interface (UI). UAT is usually done manually, with users creating real-world situations and testing how the software reacts and performs. UAT is used to determine if end-users accept software before it’s made public. Client or business requirements determine whether it fulfills the expectations originally set in its development2.

An asset inventory is a list of all the hardware, software, data, and other resources that an organization owns or uses. An asset inventory helps to identify what systems are present in an organization, where they are located, what they do, and how they are configured2 Developing an asset inventory is the next step that should be completed to obtain information about the software company’s security posture, as it provides a baseline for further analysis and assessment of the systems’ vulnerabilities and risks.

Implementing privileged access management (PAM) would be the best countermeasure to prevent the loss of customers’ sensitive data due to a rise in cyberattackers seeking PHI (Protected Health Information). PAM is a solution that helps to control and monitor the access and use of privileged accounts, such as administrator or root accounts, that have elevated permissions or access to sensitive data. PAM can help prevent unauthorized or accidental use of privileged accounts by enforcing strict access policies, such as requiring approval, authentication, or auditing for each access request. PAM can also help rotate or expire the passwords of privileged accounts to reduce the risk of compromise2. PAM can help protect PHI from cyberattackers who may try to exploit privileged accounts to access or exfiltrate sensitive data.

Modbus is a communication protocol that is widely used in industrial control systems (ICS) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. However, Modbus was not designed to provide security and it is vulnerable to various cyberattacks. One of the main vulnerabilities of Modbus is the lack of authentication, which means that any device on the network can send or receive commands without verifying its identity or authority. This can lead to unauthorized access, data manipulation, or denial of service attacks on the ICS or SCADA system.

Some examples of attacks that exploit the lack of authentication in Modbus are:

• Detection attack: An attacker can scan the network and discover the devices and their addresses, functions, and registers by sending Modbus requests and observing the responses. This can reveal sensitive information about the system configuration and operation1.
• Command injection attack: An attacker can send malicious commands to the devices and modify their settings, values, or outputs. For example, an attacker can change the speed of a motor, open or close a valve, or turn off a switch23.
• Response injection attack: An attacker can intercept and alter the responses from the devices and deceive the master or other devices about the true state of the system. For example, an attacker can fake a normal response when there is an error or an alarm23.
• Denial of service attack: An attacker can flood the network with Modbus requests or commands and overload the devices or the communication channel. This can prevent legitimate requests or commands from being processed and disrupt the normal operation of the system14.

To mitigate these attacks, some security measures that can be applied to Modbus are:

• Encryption: Encrypting the Modbus messages can prevent eavesdropping and tampering by unauthorized parties. However, encryption can also introduce additional overhead and latency to the communication56.
• Authentication: Adding authentication mechanisms to Modbus can ensure that only authorized devices can send or receive commands. Authentication can be based on passwords, certificates, tokens, or other methods56.
• Firewall: Installing a firewall between the Modbus network and other networks can filter out unwanted traffic and block unauthorized access. A firewall can also enforce rules and policies for Modbus communication24.
• Intrusion detection system: Deploying an intrusion detection system (IDS) on the Modbus network can monitor the traffic and detect anomalous or malicious activities. An IDS can also alert the operators or trigger countermeasures when an attack is detected24.

VDI means virtual desktop interface. Using VDI, you can maintain a standard image and remove the threat of an infected machine plugging into your network.

A firewalled environment for client devices and a secure VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) for BYOD users would be the most likely recommendation for securing the proposed solution. A firewalled environment can help isolate and protect the client devices from unauthorized network access or attacks. A secure VDI can provide a virtualized desktop environment for BYOD users that can be centrally managed and controlled by the organization. A VDI can also prevent data leakage or malware infection from BYOD devices, as the data and applications are stored on the server side rather than on the device itself5.

User acceptance testing is a process of verifying that a software application meets the requirements and expectations of the end users before it is released to production. User acceptance testing can help to validate the functionality, usability, performance and compatibility of the software application with real-world scenarios and feedback . User acceptance testing can involve various teams, such as developers, testers, customers and stakeholders.

A business impact analysis (BIA) should be completed first before risk calculation and prioritization. A BIA is a process that identifies and evaluates the potential effects of disruptions to critical business functions or processes. A BIA helps to determine the recovery priorities, objectives, and strategies for the organization’s assets and resources1. A BIA is a prerequisite for risk calculation and prioritization because it provides the basis for estimating the impact and likelihood of various threats and vulnerabilities on the organization’s operations, reputation, and finances2.

SCAP is a protocol designed to assess the security compliance of computers and other devices. It works by scanning systems against security policies, and can help verify that the scanned device meets security requirements. Here is a link to the CompTIA CySA+ Guide's Chapter 5 - Access Controls for more information: https://certification.comptia.org/docs/default-source/exam-objectives/cs0-002.pdf

The security analyst should set up a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) between Company A and Company B and exchange shared certificates between the two entities. This will allow them to establish a more automated approach to secure data transfers between their ERP systems. A PKI is a system that provides encryption and authentication services using public key cryptography. A PKI consists of certificates, certificate authorities (CAs), and other components that enable users to securely exchange data over untrusted networks. By exchanging shared certificates between Company A and Company B, they can verify each other’s identity and encrypt their data using public and private keys.

Detailed Explanation: Security regression testing is a type of testing that verifies that the security features and functionality of an application are not compromised or broken by any changes or updates in the code2. Security regression testing can help to ensure that the application follows industry best practices for secure coding and does not introduce any new vulnerabilities or weaknesses. Security regression testing can be performed manually or automatically using tools or scripts that check for common security flaws and compliance with security standards. Security regression testing can also help to validate the error-handling capabilities of an application by testing how it responds to different types of inputs and scenarios. Input validation (A) is a technique that checks whether the inputs to an application are valid and expected before processing them3. Input validation can help to prevent some types of security attacks, such as injection attacks or buffer overflows, but it is not a way to verify that an application follows industry best practices for secure coding. Input validation is part of secure coding, not a way to test it. Application fuzzing © is a technique that tests an application by sending random or malformed inputs to it and observing its behavior4. Application fuzzing can help to discover some types of security vulnerabilities, such as memory leaks or crashes, but it is not a comprehensive way to verify that an application follows industry best practices for secure coding. Application fuzzing may not cover all possible inputs and scenarios and may not check for compliance with security standards. User acceptance testing (D) is a technique that tests an application by involving end users or customers in evaluating its functionality and usability. User acceptance testing can help to ensure that an application meets the user requirements and expectations, but it is not a reliable way to verify that an application follows industry best practices for secure coding. User acceptance testing may not focus on security aspects and may not detect subtle or hidden security flaws. Stress testing (E) is a technique that tests an application by subjecting it to high levels of load or demand. Stress testing can help to evaluate the performance and reliability of an application under extreme conditions, but it is not a relevant way to verify that an application follows industry best practices for secure coding. Stress testing does not check for security issues and may not reflect normal usage patterns.

References: 2: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/31686/resource-exhaustion  3: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/13493/penetration-testing  4: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/25888/security-development-lifecycle-sdl : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24771/technical-controls : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/32088/vm-escape

Sinkholing is a technique for manipulating data flow in a network; you redirect traffic from its intended destination to a server of your choosing. It can be used maliciously, to steer legitimate traffic away from its intended recipient, but security professionals more commonly use sinkholing as a tool for research and reacting to attacks1.

For example, sinkholing can be used to redirect traffic from a botnet or a malware-infected host to a server under the control of the defender, where the traffic can be analyzed, blocked, or neutralized. This can help identify and isolate compromised devices, prevent command-and-control communication, and disrupt malicious activities2.

The other options are not the best solutions for the following reasons:

• Blocklisting is a technique for preventing access to or communication with certain IP addresses, domains, or applications that are known or suspected to be malicious. Blocklisting can be implemented using firewalls, routers, proxies, or software tools. Blocklisting can protect a network from unwanted or harmful traffic, but it does not redirect the traffic to a different destination.
• Geoblocking is a technique for restricting access to or communication with certain IP addresses, domains, or applications based on their geographic location. Geoblocking can be implemented using firewalls, routers, proxies, or software tools. Geoblocking can protect a network from unauthorized or undesirable traffic from specific regions or countries, but it does not redirect the traffic to a different destination.
• Sandboxing is a technique for isolating and executing potentially malicious code or applications in a separate and secure environment. Sandboxing can be implemented using virtual machines, containers, or software tools. Sandboxing can protect a network from malware infection or damage, but it does not redirect the network traffic to a different destination.

The server violates the policy of no network access to the internet because it has an established connection to an external IP address (216.58.194.174) on port 443, which is used for HTTPS traffic. This indicates that the server is communicating with a web server on the internet, which is not allowed by the policy. The other policies are not violated because SSH is only used for management of the server (not for accessing other devices), users are utilizing their own accounts (not logging in as an administrator), and unnecessary services are not enabled (only SSH and HTTPS are running). References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 9; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_server

Building the chain-of-custody document is the procedure that must be completed first for this type of evidence acquisition. The chain-of-custody document is a record that tracks the handling and custody of digital evidence from the time it is collected until it is presented in court. The chain-of-custody document should include information such as the media model, serial number, size, vendor, date, and time of acquisition, as well as the names and signatures of the persons who handled, transferred, or examined the evidence. The chain-of-custody document helps to preserve the integrity and admissibility of the evidence by preventing tampering, alteration, or loss1.

The Internet usage trend report shows that User 4 has an unusually high amount of data downloaded compared to other users. User 4 downloaded 2.5 GB of data in one day, while the average data downloaded by other users was around 0.2 GB. This could indicate that User 4 is engaged in some suspicious or malicious activity, such as downloading unauthorized or illegal content, exfiltrating sensitive data, or installing malware. Therefore, the security analyst should investigate User 4 further to determine the nature and source of the data downloaded.

The analyst should request a configuration change on the company’s public DNS as the next step, as this can help resolve the issue of marketing campaigns being filtered by the customer’s email servers. The issue is caused by SPF validation failures, which indicate that the marketing partner’s email address is not authorized to send emails on behalf of the company’s domain. SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework, and it is a mechanism that allows domain owners to specify which IP addresses or hosts are allowed to send emails using their domain name. SPF validation is done by checking the SPF record of the sender’s domain in the public DNS, and comparing it with the IP address or host name of the sender’s email server. To fix this issue, the analyst should request a configuration change on the company’s public DNS to add or update the SPF record to include the marketing partner’s email address or IP address as a valid sender.

EDR stands for endpoint detection and response, which is a type of security solution that monitors and protects all devices that are connected to a network, such as laptops and mobile phones. EDR can help to ensure that all devices are patched and running some sort of protection against malicious software by providing continuous visibility, threat detection, incident response, and remediation capabilities. EDR can also help to enforce security policies and compliance requirements across all devices .

Implementing a secure supply chain program with governance would be the best way to ensure the third-party service provider meets the requirement of only sourcing talent from its own country. A secure supply chain program is a set of policies, procedures, and controls that aim to protect the integrity and security of the products and services delivered by third-party vendors. A secure supply chain program can help mitigate the risks of geopolitical and national security interests by verifying the origin, identity, and trustworthiness of the vendors and their employees1. Governance is a key component of a secure supply chain program, as it provides oversight, accountability, and enforcement of the policies and procedures.

Threat hunting is a proactive process of searching for signs of malicious activity or compromise within a system or network, by using hypotheses, indicators of compromise, and analytical tools. Threat hunting can help improve detection capabilities by identifying unknown threats, uncovering gaps in security controls, and providing insights for remediation and prevention. Vulnerability scanning (A) is a reactive process of scanning systems or networks for known vulnerabilities or weaknesses that can be exploited by attackers. It can help identify and prioritize vulnerabilities, but not proactively hunt for threats. Red teaming © is a simulated attack on a system or network by a group of ethical hackers who act as adversaries and try to breach security controls. It can help test the effectiveness of security defenses and response capabilities, but not proactively hunt for threats. Penetration testing (D) is similar to red teaming, but with a more defined scope and objective. It can help evaluate the security of a system or network by simulating real-world attacks and exploiting vulnerabilities, but not proactively hunt for threats.

References: : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/33297/threat-hunting : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4160/web-application-security-scanner-was : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/32694/red-teaming : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/13493/penetration-testing

SIEM software is a tool that provides a single centralized platform for the collection, monitoring, and management of security-related events and log data from across the enterprise1. SIEM software can help security analysts detect, investigate, and respond to threats, as well as comply with regulations and standards.

IPS stands for Intrusion Prevention System. It is a device or software that monitors network traffic and blocks or modifies malicious packets before they reach their destination2. IPS can help security analysts prevent attacks, protect sensitive data, and reduce network downtime.

A security analyst working for a biotechnology lab that is planning to release details about a new cancer treatment would most likely be monitoring for A. Intellectual property loss. Intellectual property (IP) refers to the creations of the mind, such as inventions, designs, artistic works, or trade secrets3. IP loss occurs when someone steals, leaks, or misuses the IP of an organization without authorization.

The biotechnology lab’s new cancer treatment is an example of IP that has high value and potential impact on the market and society. Therefore, the security analyst would want to protect it from competitors, hackers, or other malicious actors who might try to access it illegally or sabotage it. The security analyst would use SIEM software and IPS to monitor for any signs of unauthorized access, data exfiltration, or tampering with the lab’s network or systems.

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/data-masking

Masking is a technique that involves replacing or hiding some parts of sensitive information with symbols or characters, such as asterisks (*) or Xs. Masking can help safeguard the confidentiality of sensitive information while allowing limited access to authorized individuals, because it obscures the original data without altering its format or structure. For example, masking can be used to hide some digits of a credit card number or a social security number. Deidentification, hashing, or salting are other techniques that involve transforming or modifying sensitive information, but they do not allow limited access to authorized individuals. Reference: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/ims/14.1?topic=masking-data

SSH stands for Secure Shell, which is a protocol that allows remote access and administration of a server. If the organization has a policy that services must run on standard ports and unneeded services must be disabled, then SSH should be disabled on both servers, because it runs on port 22, which is not a standard port for a web server or a database server, and it is not needed for those servers to function properly. Disabling HTTPS on 192.168.10.1, disabling IIS on 192.168.10.1, disabling DNS on 192.168.10.1, or disabling MSSQL on 192.168.10.2 are not appropriate actions, because they would affect the functionality of the web server or the database server and violate the organization’s policy of running services on standard ports. Reference: https://www.ssh.com/ssh/port

The /var/log/secure log file is a file that records security-related events on a Linux system, such as authentication attempts or sudo commands. The log file shows that the comptia user executed the sudo su command, which allows the user to switch to the root account and gain superuser privileges. The log file does not show that the comptia user knows the sudo password, knows the root password, or added himself or herself to the /etc/sudoers file. Reference: https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-log-files-location-and-how-do-i-view-logs-files/

Credentialed scanning is a method of vulnerability scanning that uses valid user credentials to access the target systems and perform a more thorough and accurate assessment of their security posture. Credentialed scanning can help to reduce the number of false positives by allowing the scanner to access more information and resources on the systems, such as configuration files, registry keys, installed software, patches, and permissions .

Deidentifying a data subject means removing or obscuring any data that can be used to identify, locate, or contact an individual, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, social security numbers, etc. Deidentifying a data subject throughout the organization’s applications can help comply with the new regulation that requires only retaining the minimum amount of data on a person to perform the organization’s necessary activities.

This is a technique that is commonly used by malware to evade detection and blocking by security tools. The malware generates random domain names that are used to communicate with the command and control server, which can change its IP address frequently. The domain names are usually long and nonsensical, such as www.uewiryfajfchfaerwfj.co in the log.  The malware uses a predefined algorithm or a seed value to generate the same domain names as the server, so that they can find each other on the internet12.

A breach notification is a communication to affected individuals or entities that informs them of a security incident involving their personal or sensitive information. A breach notification may include details such as what information was compromised, when and how the incident occurred, what actions are being taken to mitigate the impact, and what steps the recipients should take to protect themselves3 A breach notification may be required by law or regulation, depending on the type and location of the information involved and the jurisdiction of the affected parties. Different countries or regions may have different breach notification requirements, such as who must be notified, when, how, and what information must be disclosed4 Therefore, the best role to determine the breach notification requirements for a company that experienced a breach of sensitive information affecting customers across multiple geographical regions is legal counsel. Legal counsel can advise the company on its legal obligations and liabilities, as well as help draft and deliver appropriate breach notifications.

https://owasp.org/www-community/attacks/Password_Spraying_Attack

A credential stuffing attack would be using the full credentials and most likely being used across many common platforms. A credential stuffing attack depends on the reuse of passwords. With so many people reusing their passwords for multiple accounts, just one set of credentials is enough to expose most or all of their accounts.

Data execution prevention (DEP) is a security feature that prevents code from being executed in memory regions that are marked as data-only. This helps mitigate buffer overflow attacks, which are a type of attack where a program overwrites data to a buffer beyond its allocated size, potentially allowing malicious code to be executed. DEP can be implemented at the hardware or software level and can prevent unauthorized code execution in memory buffers. References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 10; https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/memory/data-execution-prevention

 The security analyst should implement a control that uses built-in functions from libraries to check and handle long numbers properly. This will help prevent integer overflow vulnerabilities, which occur when a value is moved into a variable type too small to hold it. For example, if an integer variable can only store values up to 255, and a value of 256 is assigned to it, the variable will overflow and wrap around to 0. This can cause unexpected program behavior or lead to buffer overflow vulnerabilities if the overflowed value is used as an index or size for memory allocation1. Built-in functions from libraries can help avoid integer overflow by performing checks on the input values and the resulting values, and throwing exceptions or errors if they exceed the limits of the variable type2.

According to the CompTIA CySA+ Certification Exam (CS0-002) study guide, a tabletop exercise can be executed by internal managers to simulate and validate changes to the risk management plan, incident response plan, and system security plan. In a tabletop exercise, participants discuss and work through a simulated scenario, usually in a classroom or conference room setting, to evaluate their readiness and understanding of the proposed changes. This type of exercise can help to identify any potential issues or gaps in the proposed changes and can provide valuable insights for refining and improving the plans.

The communication plan is an important part of incident response, as it outlines how and when information about the incident should be shared with external entities.

A communication plan is a set of procedures and protocols that define how an organization should communicate with external entities during times of emergency or security incident. The plan typically outlines how and when information about the incident should be shared, and ensures that any relevant stakeholders are informed of the incident in a timely manner. It also serves as a guide for determining what information to share with outside parties. Here is a link to an article from CompTIA's website about the importance of a communication plan for incident response for your reference: https://www.comptia.org/content/incident-response-communication-plan

Deploying whitelisting to the identified workstations would be the best method to protect these workstations from threats. Whitelisting is a technique that allows only authorized applications, processes, or users to run or access a system or resource. Whitelisting can help limit the attack surface and prevent malware or unauthorized software from running on a system3. Deploying whitelisting to the workstations that are at the end of life can help mitigate the risk of exploitation due to lack of patches or support from the vendor.

The solution will address the findings that the development team used a new software language that was not supported by the security team's automated assessment tools and the security assessment team was unfamiliar with the new language and struggled to evaluate the software during advanced testing. The training of the security assessment team and working with the automated assessment-tool vendor to add support for the new language will ensure that future deployments of the new technology are secure and the vulnerabilities are detected and prevented.

The strings command is a Linux utility that can extract human-readable content from any file or partition3. It can be used to analyze a Linux swap partition by finding text strings that may indicate malicious activity or compromise4. The head command (B) can only display the first few lines of a file or partition, which may not contain any useful information. The fsstat command © can only display file system statistics such as size, type, and layout, which may not reveal any human-readable content. The dd command (D) can only copy or convert a file or partition, which may not extract any human-readable content.

References: 3: https://linux.die.net/man/1/strings  4: https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/using-strings-command

Industrial control systems (ICS) are systems that monitor and control physical processes, such as power generation, water treatment, manufacturing, and transportation. ICS are often critical for public safety and national security, and therefore a prime target for cyberattacks. One of the greatest security concerns regarding ICS is that issues on the systems cannot be reversed without rebuilding the systems. This means that any damage or disruption caused by an attack can have long-lasting and catastrophic consequences for the physical infrastructure and human lives. The other options are not true or not specific to ICS. References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 13; https://www.us-cert.gov/ics/What-are-Industrial-Control-Systems

The correct answer is D. Use a VPN to access the company’s data in the home office and keep the current solution for the business applications. A virtual private network (VPN) is a technology that creates a secure and encrypted connection over a public network, such as the internet. A VPN can allow users to access resources on a remote network, such as a server, as if they were on the same local network. A VPN can provide shared access from the remote office to the company’s data in the home office, while maintaining security and privacy1.

A hash is a mathematical function that produces a unique value for a given input. A hash can be used to verify that a bit-level image copy of a hard drive is an exact clone of the original hard drive by comparing the hash values of both drives. If the hash values match, then the drives are identical. If the hash values differ, then there is some discrepancy between the drives. Inserting the hard drive on a test computer and booting the computer, recording the serial numbers of both hard drives, or comparing the file-directory listing of both hard drives are not reliable methods to verify that a bit-level image copy of a hard drive is an exact clone of the original hard drive. Reference: https://www.forensicswiki.org/wiki/Hashing

The security analyst should recommend replacing the strcpy function with a safer alternative. The strcpy function is a C library function that copies a string from one buffer to another. However, this function does not check the size of the destination buffer, which can lead to buffer overflow vulnerabilities if the source string is longer than the destination buffer. Buffer overflow vulnerabilities can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or crash the program. A safer alternative to strcpy is strncpy, which limits the number of characters copied to the size of the destination buffer.