CS0-002 CompTIA CySA+ Certification Exam (CS0-002) Questions and Answers

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.

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

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.

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 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

The Nmap command given in the question performs a TCP SYN scan (-sS), a service version detection scan (-sV), an OS detection scan (-O), and a port scan for ports 1-1024 (-p 1-1024) on the host 192.168.1.1. This command will reveal information about the host’s operating system, open ports, and running services, which can be used by an attacker to launch a brute-force attack against the host. A brute-force attack is a method of guessing passwords or encryption keys by trying many possible combinations until finding the correct one. An attacker can use the information from the Nmap scan to target specific services or protocols that may have weak or default credentials, such as FTP, SSH, Telnet, or HTTP.

The tasklist command is used to display a list of all running processes on a system. In this output, the security analyst should recognize the high memory usage (1302103K) of vscode.exe * 32, which is an indication that this process is consuming a large amount of system resources. This could be a sign that the system has been compromised, as malware often uses system resources to perform malicious activities.

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 SIEM system can help the IT team to determine which devices are USB enabled by querying the log data for events related to USB device insertion, removal, or usage. The other options are not relevant or effective 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Requests identified by a threat intelligence service with a bad reputation are likely to be malicious or suspicious, as they originate from sources that are known to be involved in cyberattacks or other malicious activities. These requests may indicate that an attacker is trying to exploit a vulnerability or perform reconnaissance on the web server.

Requests sent from the same IP address using different user agents are also likely to be malicious or suspicious, as they indicate that an attacker is trying to evade detection or bypass security controls by changing their browser or device identification. These requests may indicate that an attacker is using automated tools or scripts to scan or attack the web server.

According to the CompTIA CySA+ Certification Exam Study guide, the best action for the security analyst to take after analyzing the trends is to investigate why the number of open SSH ports varied during the six months. This could indicate that malicious actors are attempting to gain access to the system, and it would be important to find out the root cause of this activity in order to prevent further intrusions. Additionally, raising a concern to a supervisor regarding possible malicious use of port 8443 would also be a prudent step, as this port is often used by attackers. As stated in the study guide, "Monitoring network ports and traffic can provide insight into suspicious activity and may be necessary to identify malicious activities". Additionally, "Ports can be used to gain unauthorized access to a system, so it is important to monitor the ports and to take steps to ensure that only necessary ports are open".

A Diamond Model analysis of an incident is a framework that identifies the four essential features of an attack: adversary, capability, infrastructure, and victim1 By analyzing these features and their relationships, a security analyst can gain insights into the attack’s objectives, methods, sources, and targets. A potential benefit of this activity is that it can identify detection and prevention capabilities to improve, such as gaps in security controls, indicators of compromise, or mitigation strategies2

References: 1 What is the Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis? 2 How to use the MITRE ATT&CK® framework and diamond model of intrusion analysis together

Stack counting is the best threat-hunting method for the analyst to use to observe and assess the number of times a specific activity occurs and aggregate the results. Stack counting is a technique that involves collecting data from multiple sources, such as logs, events, or alerts, and grouping them by a common attribute, such as an IP address, a user name, or a process name. Stack counting can help identify patterns, trends, outliers, or anomalies in the data that may indicate malicious activity or compromise.

A compensating control, also called an alternative control, is a mechanism that is put in place to satisfy the requirement for a security measure that is deemed too difficult or impractical to implement at the present time.

"Compensating controls are additional security measures that you take to address a vulnerability without remediating the underlying issue."

A compensating control is a control that reduces the risk of an existing or potential control weakness2 In this case, the lack of segregation of duties in the accounting department is a control weakness that increases the risk of fraud or error. The quarterly reviews by a different officer are a compensating control that reduces this risk by providing an independent verification of the transactions recorded by the controller.

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.

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.

TPM (Trusted Platform Module) is a hardware chip that provides security features using unique keys2. TPM can store cryptographic keys that are used for encryption, authentication, digital signatures, and other security functions. TPM can also generate random keys that are unique to each device and never leave the chip. TPM can protect these keys from unauthorized access or tampering by using hardware isolation and encryption3. TPM can also measure and verify the integrity of the operating system and firmware on a device by using a process called attestation. TPM does not ensure platform confidentiality by storing security measurements (B), as security measurements are used for attestation, not confidentiality. TPM does not improve management of OS installation ©, as OS installation is not directly related to TPM functionality. TPM does not implement encryption algorithms for hard drives (D), as encryption algorithms are implemented by software such as BitLocker, which can use TPM keys for encryption.

References: 2: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/what-is-tpm-705f241d-025d-4470-80c5-4feeb24fa1ee  3: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24771/technical-controls : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/25888/security-development-lifecycle-sdl

A risk assessment is a process of identifying, analyzing, and evaluating the potential threats and vulnerabilities that may affect an organization’s assets, operations, or objectives. A risk assessment matrix is a tool that can help prioritize the risks based on their likelihood and impact1.

The CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) is a standard framework for rating the severity of vulnerabilities in software systems. The CVSS provides a numerical score from 0 to 10, as well as a qualitative rating from Low to Critical, based on the characteristics and consequences of the vulnerability2.

However, the CVSS score alone may not be sufficient to determine the priority of mitigation and remediation actions for each vulnerability. Other factors that may influence the decision include:

• Patch availability: This metric indicates whether there is a fix or update available for the vulnerability from the vendor or developer. Patch availability can affect the urgency and feasibility of remediation, as well as the risk exposure and potential damage of exploitation. For example, a vulnerability with a high CVSS score but with a readily available patch may be less critical than a vulnerability with a lower CVSS score but with no patch available3.
• Mission criticality: This metric reflects the importance and value of the asset or system affected by the vulnerability to the organization’s mission, goals, or functions. Mission criticality can affect the impact and priority of remediation, as well as the risk tolerance and acceptance level of the organization. For example, a vulnerability with a high CVSS score but affecting a non-essential system may be less critical than a vulnerability with a lower CVSS score but affecting a core system4.
• OS type: This metric indicates the operating system (OS) of the asset or system affected by the vulnerability. OS type can affect the likelihood and complexity of exploitation, as well as the availability and compatibility of patches or mitigations. For example, a vulnerability with a high CVSS score but affecting an uncommon or unsupported OS may be less critical than a vulnerability with a lower CVSS score but affecting a widely used or supported OS3.
• OS or application versions: This metric indicates the specific version of the OS or application affected by the vulnerability. OS or application versions can affect the applicability and relevance of the vulnerability, as well as the availability and compatibility of patches or mitigations. For example, a vulnerability with a high CVSS score but affecting an outdated or obsolete version may be less critical than a vulnerability with a lower CVSS score but affecting a current or popular version3.
• System architecture: This metric indicates the design and configuration of the asset or system affected by the vulnerability. System architecture can affect the exposure and accessibility of the vulnerability, as well as the effectiveness and efficiency of patches or mitigations. For example, a vulnerability with a high CVSS score but affecting an isolated or segmented system may be less critical than a vulnerability with a lower CVSS score but affecting an interconnected or integrated system3.

Therefore, to best enable the organization to prioritize its efforts based on impact, patch availability is one of the most important metrics to consider in addition to the CVSS score for each CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures). Patch availability can directly influence the risk level and remediation strategy for each vulnerability.

The correct answer is C. Microsoft RDP is accepting connections on TCP. Microsoft RDP stands for Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol, and it is a protocol that allows users to remotely access and control a Windows computer or server. RDP uses TCP port 3389 by default, and this port is open on the host according to the results. This indicates that the host is allowing RDP connections from anyone on the internet, which poses a security concern. An attacker could exploit vulnerabilities in RDP or use brute force attacks to gain unauthorized access to the host and compromise its data or resources1.

A. A remote communications port is exposed is not correct. A remote communications port is a generic term for any port that allows remote access or communication with a host. There are many types of remote communications ports, such as SSH, Telnet, FTP, or RDP, and each one has its own security implications. The results do not specify which remote communications port is exposed, so this answer is too vague and inaccurate.

B. The FTP port should be using TCP only is not correct. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, and it is a protocol that allows users to transfer files between hosts. FTP uses TCP ports 20 and 21 by default, and these ports are closed on the host according to the results. However, FTP can also use UDP ports 20 and 21 for data transfer in some cases, such as when using passive mode or extended passive mode2. Therefore, it is not true that FTP should be using TCP only, and this answer does not represent a security concern.

D. The company’s DNS server is exposed to everyone is not correct. DNS stands for Domain Name System, and it is a system that translates domain names into IP addresses. DNS uses UDP port 53 by default, and this port is open on the host according to the results. This indicates that the host is providing DNS services to anyone on the internet, which may or may not be a security concern depending on the configuration and purpose of the host. For example, if the host is a public DNS server that is intended to serve DNS queries from anyone, then this answer does not represent a security concern. However, if the host is a private DNS server that is meant to serve DNS queries only from authorized users or devices, then this answer could represent a security concern.

1: What Is Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)? 2: FTP - File Transfer Protocol : [What Is Domain Name System (DNS)?]

Lime-based cookies are a type of cookies that use lime encoding to store data in a web browser. Lime encoding is a simple substitution cipher that replaces each character in a string with another character based on a fixed key. Lime-based cookies are easy to decode because the key is publicly available and the encoding algorithm is simple. Anyone who intercepts or accesses the lime-based cookies can easily decode them and read the data stored in them. This is a security concern because lime-based cookies are often used for session management, which means they store information about the user’s identity and preferences on a web application. If an attacker can decode the lime-based cookies, they can impersonate the user or access their sensitive information.

 A sinkhole is a technique that redirects malicious network traffic to a controlled destination, such as a fake server or a black hole. A sinkhole can be used to stop malicious communications with a command-and-control server by preventing the malware from reaching its intended destination. A high entropy level means that the sinkhole can generate random domain names that match the changing domain name used by the malware for callback. Blocking TCP/443 at the edge router, disabling TCP/53 at the perimeter firewall, or configuring the DNS forwarders to use recursion are other possible actions that could stop malicious communications, but they could also disrupt legitimate services that use those protocols or settings. Reference: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/security-center/dns-sinkholing.html

A vulnerability scan is a process of identifying and assessing known vulnerabilities in a system or network using automated tools or software1 A vulnerability scan can help improve the security posture of a vulnerability management program by detecting and prioritizing potential weaknesses that could be exploited by attackers. To increase the security posture of a vulnerability scan, the following actions can be taken:

• Expand the ports being scanned to include all ports: This means scanning all possible ports on a system or network, not just the well-known or commonly used ones. This can help discover more vulnerabilities that may be hidden or overlooked on less frequently used ports.
• Increase the scan interval to a number the business will accept without causing service interruption: This means scanning more frequently or regularly, but not so often that it causes performance issues or downtime for the system or network. This can help keep up with new vulnerabilities that may emerge over time and reduce the window of opportunity for attackers.
• Enable authentication and perform credentialed scans: This means using login credentials or SSH keys on an asset to get deeper access to its data, processes, configurations, and vulnerabilities2 This can help discover more vulnerabilities that cannot be seen from the network, such as insecure versions of software or poor security permissions.

A data minimization plan is a strategy that aims to reduce the amount and type of data that an organization collects, stores, and processes. It can help improve data privacy and protection by limiting the exposure and impact of a data breach or loss. Creating a data minimization plan is the best recommendation for a security officer who needs to find the most cost-effective solution to the current data privacy and protection gap. Requiring users to sign NDAs, adding access control requirements, or implementing a data loss prevention solution are other possible solutions, but they are not as cost-effective as creating a data minimization plan. Reference: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3603898/data-minimization-what-is-it-and-how-to-implement-it.html

HSM (Hardware Security Module) is a computing device that manages digital keys, performs encryption/decryption functions, and maintains other cryptographic functions2. HSM is a dedicated crypto processor that is specifically designed for the protection of the crypto key lifecycle. HSM can store cryptographic keys that are used for encryption, authentication, digital signatures, and other security functions. HSM can also generate random keys that are unique to each device and never leave the chip. HSM can protect these keys from unauthorized access or tampering by using hardware isolation and encryption3. HSM can also measure and verify the integrity of the operating system and firmware on a device by using a process called attestation. HSM does not manage cryptography (A), as cryptography is the science or art of creating and using secret codes. HSM does not manage physical keys ©, as physical keys are tangible objects that are used to lock or unlock something. HSM does not manage algorithms (D), as algorithms are sets of rules or instructions that are used to solve problems or perform tasks.

References: 2: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24771/technical-controls  3: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/25888/security-development-lifecycle-sdl

The analyst should obtain permission to perform the search before accessing the web-browsing history of an employee, as this may involve privacy or legal issues. The analyst should follow the organization’s policies and procedures, and obtain authorization from the appropriate authority, such as the manager, the human resources department, or the legal department.

A directory traversal attack is a type of web application attack that exploits insufficient input validation or filtering to access files or directories that are outside of the web root folder. A directory traversal attack can allow an attacker to read, modify, or execute files on the target server that are not intended to be accessible via web requests. The URL in the alert contains an example of a directory traversal attack, as indicated by the use of “…/” sequences in the query string. These sequences are used to navigate up one level in the directory hierarchy, potentially reaching sensitive files or folders on the server. In this case, the attacker is trying to access /etc/passwd file, which contains user account information on Linux systems.

Incident management is a process that aims to handle a control failure that leads to a breach by restoring normal operations as quickly as possible and minimizing the impact and damage of the incident. Incident management involves activities such as identifying, analyzing, containing, eradicating, recovering, and learning from security incidents. Risk assessment, root cause analysis, and vulnerability management are other processes related to security management, but they are not designed to handle a control failure that leads to a breach. Reference: https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/incident/incident-handlers-handbook-33901

A directory traversal attack is a type of web application attack that exploits insufficient input validation or improper configuration to access files or directories that are outside the intended scope of the web server. The log entries given in the question show several requests that contain “…/” sequences in the URL, which indicate an attempt to move up one level in the directory structure. For example, the request “/images/…/…/etc/passwd” tries to access the /etc/passwd file, which contains user account information on Linux systems. If successful, this attack could allow an attacker to read, modify, or execute files on the web server that are not meant to be accessible.

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.

A service level agreement (SLA) and a contract are documents that define the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved in a public cloud relationship. Logging and monitoring are important security activities that should be clearly specified in the SLA and contract, such as who will perform them, what data will be collected, how long will it be stored, and how will it be accessed or shared. Logging and monitoring are still needed in a public cloud environment, but they are not done solely by the data owners or the service provider. Reference: https://www.csoonline.com/article/2121595/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-security-sla.html

A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legally binding contract that establishes a confidential relationship between two or more parties and prevents them from sharing or using certain information that is deemed sensitive, proprietary, or valuable1. An NDA can be used to protect intellectual property (IP) such as trade secrets, inventions, designs, or business plans from being disclosed to competitors or the public2.

A company that wants to ensure a third party does not take its IP and build a competing product can use an NDA to restrict the access, use, and disclosure of its IP by the third party. For example, if the company hires a contractor to develop a software application, the company can require the contractor to sign an NDA that prohibits the contractor from copying, modifying, selling, or revealing the source code or any other details of the application to anyone else3. The NDA can also specify the duration, scope, and consequences of the confidentiality obligation.

Modbus is a communication protocol that is widely used in industrial control systems (ICS). Modbus does not have any built-in security features, such as authentication or encryption, which makes it vulnerable to various attacks. One of the most common and effective attack techniques against Modbus assets is to send unauthenticated commands to manipulate or disrupt the operation of the devices. Remote code execution, buffer overflow, and certificate spoofing are other attack techniques, but they have less likelihood of quick success against Modbus assets. Reference: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405959517300045

The correct answer is D. Honeypot. A honeypot is a security mechanism designed to detect and deflect attempts at unauthorized use of information systems. In this case, the analyst has set up a system to listen on a network port that is commonly used for email traffic. The purpose of this honeypot is to attract attackers and allow the security analyst to observe their behavior and tactics. By monitoring the traffic that is captured in the caplog.txt file, the analyst can identify attacks that were not blocked by the organization’s firewalls1.

A. Log correlation is not correct. Log correlation is a process of analyzing and correlating data from multiple sources, such as firewalls, servers, applications, or devices, to identify patterns, trends, or anomalies. Log correlation can help to improve security visibility, detection, and response, but it does not describe the solution that the analyst implemented.

B. Crontab mail script is not correct. Crontab is a tool that allows users to schedule commands or scripts to run at specified times or intervals on a Linux system. A mail script is a script that can send or receive email messages using a mail server. A crontab mail script could be used to automate email tasks, such as sending reports or alerts, but it does not describe the solution that the analyst implemented.

C. Sinkhole is not correct. A sinkhole is a technique that redirects malicious or unwanted traffic to a controlled destination, such as a fake or isolated server. A sinkhole can help to prevent or mitigate the impact of attacks, such as botnets, malware, or phishing, by blocking or capturing the traffic. However, a sinkhole does not describe the solution that the analyst implemented.

1: CompTIA CySA+ Exam: Implementing a Firewall Analysis Solution

Threat modeling is a process that helps identify and analyze the potential threats and vulnerabilities of a system or process. It can help evaluate the security risks and mitigation strategies of a new business process that would use existing infrastructure to process and store sensitive data. A black-box penetration testing engagement, a tabletop exercise, or a business impact analysis are other methods that can be used to assess the security or resilience of a system or process, but they are not as appropriate as threat modeling for coordinating the right training and testing methodology to respond to new business initiatives or significant changes to existing ones. Reference: https://owasp.org/www-community/Application_Threat_Modeling

The output shows the result of using OWASP ZAP’s Spider tab after a vulnerability scan was completed. The Spider tab allows users to crawl web applications and discover pages and resources that can be assessed for vulnerabilities. The output shows that the scanner discovered various pages under different directories, such as /admin/, /blog/, /contact/, etc., as well as some parameters and forms that can be used for testing inputs and outputs. References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 9; https://www.zaproxy.org/docs/desktop/start/features/spider/

A cipher suite is a set of algorithms that defines how the encryption, authentication, and integrity of data are performed during a secure communication session. Some cipher suites are considered vulnerable or weak because they use outdated or insecure algorithms that can be easily broken or compromised by attackers. The vulnerability scan results show that the web server accepts several vulnerable cipher suites, such as RC4, MD5, or DES. The best action for the analyst to recommend to developers is to change the web server so it no longer accepts the vulnerable cipher suites and only accepts the secure ones. Changing the web server so it only accepts TLSv1.2, only accepts cipher suites using AES and SHA, or offloading SSL/TLS to a WAF and load balancer are other possible actions, but they are not as specific or effective as changing the web server so it no longer accepts the vulnerable cipher suites. Reference: https://www.acunetix.com/blog/articles/tls-ssl-cipher-hardening/

Static analysis is a method of analyzing the source code or binary code of an application without executing it. Static analysis can detect vulnerable third-party libraries before code deployment by scanning the code for references to known vulnerable libraries or versions and reporting any issues or risks12.

Impact analysis is a process of assessing the potential effects of a change on a system or service, such as performance, availability, security and compatibility. Impact analysis does not detect vulnerable third-party libraries before code deployment, but rather helps to evaluate and communicate the consequences of a change.

Dynamic analysis is a method of analyzing the behavior or performance of an application by executing it under various conditions or inputs. Dynamic analysis does not detect vulnerable third-party libraries before code deployment, but rather helps to identify any errors or defects that occur at runtime.

Protocol analysis is a method of examining the data exchanged between devices or applications over a network by capturing and interpreting the packets or messages. Protocol analysis does not detect vulnerable third-party libraries before code deployment, but rather helps to monitor and troubleshoot network communication.

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.

MFA can be used to reduce the likelihood that the attacker gains access to the VM, however, the scenario specifically states that the attacker was able to escalate rights and the question asks what can be done to remediate the vulnerability. the vulnerability in this case would be the ability to escalate rights.

The best way to remediate the vulnerability is to update to the secure hypervisor version. A hypervisor is a software that creates and manages virtual machines on a physical server. A hypervisor can be vulnerable to various attacks, such as privilege escalation, code injection, or denial-of-service. Updating to the secure hypervisor version can help fix any known bugs or flaws in the hypervisor software and prevent attackers from exploiting them. Updating to the secure hypervisor version can also provide additional security features or enhancements that can improve the protection of the virtual machines and their data.

This would limit the FTP server’s access to a specific directory tree and prevent directory traversal attacks that could access files outside of that tree. Implementing file-level encryption, supporting FTPS, or upgrading the FTP server would not prevent directory traversal attacks.

The software development life cycle (SDLC) is a process that consists of several phases that guide the development of software applications or systems. Security should be involved in every phase of the SDLC, but especially in the planning phase, which is the first phase where the scope, objectives, requirements, and resources of the project are defined. By involving security in the planning phase, potential risks and threats can be identified and mitigated early in the process, which can save time, money, and effort later on. Design, maintenance, implementation, analysis, and testing are other phases of the SDLC, but they are not the first phase where security should be involved. Reference: https://www.bmc.com/blogs/software-development-life-cycle-phases/

The correct answer is B. Extract the server’s system timeline, verifying hashes and network connections during a certain time frame. A system timeline is a chronological record of the events and activities that occurred on a system, such as file creation, modification, or deletion, process execution, registry changes, or network connections. A system timeline can help an analyst to understand how an attacker compromised a server by showing the sequence of actions and artifacts left by the attacker. An analyst can also verify the hashes of the files and processes involved in the compromise and compare them with known malware signatures or databases. Additionally, an analyst can check the network connections made by the server during the compromise and identify the source and destination IP addresses, ports, and protocols used by the attacker1.

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

These steps are the best to confirm and respond to the incident because they preserve the state of the compromised server for further analysis and evidence collection. Pausing the virtual machine prevents any further changes or damage by the attacker, while taking a snapshot creates a copy of the virtual machine’s memory and disk contents.

"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

A custom script is a piece of code that can be written to perform a specific task or automate a process. A custom script can be used to gather patch information on a specific server by querying the server’s operating system, registry, or patch management software and retrieving the relevant data. A custom script can be more flexible and efficient than other methods, such as Event Viewer, SCAP software, or CI/CD, which may not provide the exact information needed or may require additional steps or tools.

Continuous monitoring uses automation to identify threats and alerts in real time. This is an advantage of continuous monitoring as a way to help protect an enterprise because it enables faster detection and response to security incidents, reduces the risk of human error, and improves the overall security posture and compliance of the organization.

"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.

A virtualized system is a system that runs on a software layer called a hypervisor that emulates the hardware resources of a physical machine. A virtualized system can have its own operating system, applications, and data that are isolated from other virtualized systems or the host machine3 A virtualized system can be a solution for a small organization that has proprietary software that is used internally but cannot be updated with the rest of the environment. By virtualizing the system and decommissioning the physical machine, the organization can achieve several benefits, such as:

• Reducing hardware costs and maintenance
• Improving performance and scalability
• Enhancing security and compliance
• Simplifying backup and recovery
• Enabling portability and compatibility

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 .

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

To prevent adversaries from intercepting response and recovery details. Using a secure method of communication during incident response is important to prevent adversaries from intercepting response and recovery details that could reveal the incident response team’s actions, strategies, or findings. If the adversaries can intercept the communication, they could use it to evade detection, escalate their privileges, or launch further attacks. To ensure intellectual property remains on company servers, to have a backup plan in case email access is disabled, or to ensure the management team has access to all the details that are being exchanged are other possible reasons to use a secure method of communication, but they are not as important as preventing adversaries from intercepting response and recovery details. Reference: https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/incident/incident-handlers-handbook-33901

Automating the use of a hashing algorithm after verified users make changes to their data is an appropriate course of action to verify that a user’s data is not altered without the user’s consent. 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 by comparing the hash values of the original and modified data. If the hash values match, then the data has not been altered without the user’s consent. If the hash values differ, then the data may have been tampered with or corrupted .

According to the CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide Exam CS0-002, 2nd Edition1, reporting is an essential part of the incident response process. It helps communicate the details and impact of the incident to various stakeholders, such as management, customers, regulators, law enforcement, and the public. Reporting also provides valuable feedback and lessons learned that can improve the security posture and readiness of the organization.

Based on this information, the most likely reasons to include reporting processes when updating an incident response plan after a breach are:

• B. To meet regulatory requirements for timely reporting: Many industries and jurisdictions have laws and regulations that mandate reporting of security breaches within a certain time frame. Failing to comply with these requirements can result in fines, penalties, lawsuits, and loss of trust. Therefore, it is important to have a clear and consistent reporting process that ensures timely and accurate disclosure of the breach to the relevant authorities.
• C. To limit reputation damage caused by the breach: A security breach can have a negative impact on the reputation and credibility of the organization. Customers, partners, investors, and the public may lose confidence in the organization’s ability to protect their data and interests. Therefore, it is important to have a transparent and honest reporting process that informs the affected parties about the nature, scope, and consequences of the breach, as well as the actions taken to mitigate and prevent future incidents. This can help restore trust and goodwill among the stakeholders.

A tabletop exercise is a simulation of a security incident or scenario that involves the participation of key stakeholders and decision-makers. It can be used to test and validate the effectiveness of the organization’s plans, policies, and procedures, such as the risk management plan, incident response plan, and system security plan. A tabletop exercise can also help identify gaps or weaknesses in the plans and improve the communication and coordination among the participants. An internal management review, a control assessment, a peer review, or a scripting are other possible methods to evaluate and validate a new product’s security capabilities, but they are not as comprehensive or interactive as a tabletop exercise. Reference: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3444488/what-is-a-tabletop-exercise-how-to-run-a-security-scenario-in-6-steps.html

Checking the server logs to evaluate which emails were sent to is the first action the analyst should do to evaluate the potential impact of this security incident. Server logs are records of events or activities that occur on a server, such as email transactions, web requests, or authentication attempts. Checking the server logs can help to determine how many emails were sent to , when they were sent, who sent them, and what they contained. This can help to assess the scope and severity of the incident and plan further actions .

A hypothesis is a statement that can be tested by threat hunters to establish a framework for threat assessment. A hypothesis is based on situational awareness and threat intelligence information, and describes a possible attack scenario that may affect the organization. A hypothesis can help to guide threat hunters in their investigation by providing a clear and specific question to answer, such as “Is there any evidence of lateral movement within our network?” or “Are there any signs of data exfiltration from our servers?”.

DLP, or Data Loss Prevention, is a cybersecurity solution that detects and prevents data breaches. It blocks the extraction of sensitive data and prevents the unauthorized or inappropriate sharing, transfer, or use of data. It also helps organizations comply with data protection regulations and policies1 DLP can help defend against sensitive data exfiltration by monitoring and controlling data movement across networks, devices, applications, and cloud services. DLP can also alert or block users from sending or uploading sensitive data to untrusted destinations or recipients.

 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.

The difference between intentional and unintentional insider threats is their behavior. Intentional insider threats are malicious actors who deliberately misuse their access to harm the organization or its assets. Unintentional insider threats are careless or negligent users who accidentally compromise the security of the organization or its assets. Their access levels, risk factors, and rates of occurrence may vary depending on various factors, but their behavior is the main distinction. References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 12; https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Insider_Threat_Mitigation_Guide_508.pdf

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.

Data loss prevention (DLP) is a set of policies and tools that aim to prevent unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data. DLP transport rules are rules that apply to email messages that are sent or received by an organization’s mail server. These rules can provide deep content analysis, which means they can scan the content of email messages and attachments for sensitive data patterns, such as client lists or contact information. If a rule detects a violation of the DLP policy, it can take actions such as blocking, quarantining, or notifying the sender or recipient. This would improve security and help prevent sales team members from sending sensitive client lists to their personal accounts. References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 14; https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/security-and-compliance/mail-flow-rules/data-loss-prevention

This is the technique that the analyst should use to analyze the increase in failed login attempts on the network. Event correlation is a process that analyzes multiple events or logs from different sources and identifies patterns, relationships, or causal links between them. Event correlation can help reveal the root cause, scope, impact, and sequence of a security incident.

RBAC helps organizations manage access to critical infrastructure networks by assigning access based on roles. This allows organizations to control who can access specific resources and helps eliminate weak credentials that attackers could exploit. Manual reviews and endpoint detection and response can also help to mitigate risk, but role based access control is the best solution for this scenario.

Static analysis of the code is a technique that scans the source code or the compiled code of an application without executing it, to identify potential vulnerabilities, errors, or bugs. Static analysis can help uncover all the software vulnerabilities, safeguard the interest of the software’s end users, reduce the likelihood that a defective program will enter production, and preserve the interests of the software producer by improving the quality and security of the code before it is deployed or run1

The analyst decided to include a custom lookup for these files on the endpoint’s log-in script as a mechanism to improve existing detection capabilities, by checking if any of these files are present on the endpoints during log-in. This can help identify any compromised endpoints that may have been infected by the zero-day vulnerability, and alert the analyst for further investigation or response.

Adding TXT @ “v=spfl mx include:_spf.comptia. org -all” to the DNS record can help to prevent outside entities from spoofing the company’s email domain, which is comptia.org. This is an example of a Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record, which is a type of DNS record that specifies which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of a domain. SPF records can help to prevent spoofing by allowing the recipient mail servers to check the validity of the sender’s domain against the SPF record. The “-all” at the end of the SPF record indicates that any mail server that is not listed in the SPF record is not authorized to send email for comptia.org .

SSO stands for Single Sign-On, and it is a technology that allows users to authenticate once and access multiple applications or systems without entering their credentials again. SSO can help streamline each employee’s authentication, by reducing the number of passwords they have to remember or enter, and improving their user experience and productivity.

A firewall is a device or software that controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined rules. Creating a firewall rule to block the IP address that is scanning the organization’s environment is an effective way to stop this activity and prevent potential attacks. Creating an IPS rule to block the subnet, sinkholing the IP address, or closing all unnecessary open ports are other possible actions, but they are not as specific or efficient as creating a firewall rule to block the IP address. Reference: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/small-business/resource-center/security/firewall.html

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.

DMARC stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance. It is an email authentication protocol that helps prevent spoofing and phishing attacks by verifying that the sender’s domain matches the domain in the email header. DMARC also provides a way for domain owners to specify how receivers should handle unauthenticated messages from their domain1

An incident response plan should cover the most important and likely scenarios that could compromise the security and operations of an organization. According to various sources of best practices123, an incident response plan should start by conducting a risk assessment to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities, and prioritize the critical systems that need to be protected and restored in case of an incident. Focusing on incidents that affect critical systems ensures that the incident response plan covers the most severe and impactful situations that could harm the organization’s mission, reputation, or legal obligations.

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.

If an analyst observes evidence of an attack but cannot find an exploit that adequately explains the observations, it may indicate the presence of a zero-day vulnerability, which is an unknown vulnerability that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access to systems. In such cases, traditional security tools may not be able to detect or prevent the attack. Therefore, the analyst should investigate further to identify and mitigate the vulnerability to prevent further exploitation.

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 .

A Windows domain controller is a server that manages authentication and authorization for users and computers in a Windows domain. A Windows domain controller uses Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) to store information about users, groups, computers, policies, and other objects in a domain. A Windows domain controller can generate event logs that record various activities and events related to security, system, application, etc. The event log shown in the question indicates that it was generated by a Windows domain controller with an IP address of 10.0.0.1 and a hostname of DC01.

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

Developing a query to search for the indicators of compromise is the first action the analyst should take in this situation. Indicators of compromise (IOCs) are pieces of information that suggest a system or network has been compromised by an attacker. IOCs can include IP addresses, domain names, file hashes, URLs, or other artifacts that are associated with malicious activity. Developing a query to search for IOCs can help to identify any potential incidents or threats in the environment and initiate further investigation or response .

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 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.

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

The correct answer is C. Machine learning. Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence that uses advanced mathematical techniques, such as statistics, algorithms, and linear algebra, to analyze large amounts of data and find patterns and correlations in events and activities. Machine learning can help to automate tasks, improve decision making, and enhance security by detecting anomalies, threats, or trends1.

A. Data visualization is not correct. Data visualization is the process of presenting data in a graphical or pictorial format, such as charts, graphs, maps, or dashboards. Data visualization can help to communicate information, insights, or trends more effectively and intuitively than using text or numbers alone2.

B. SOAR is not correct. SOAR stands for Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response, and it is a solution that combines various tools and processes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of security operations. SOAR can help to automate tasks, integrate systems, coordinate actions, and respond to incidents faster and more consistently3.

D. SCAP is not correct. SCAP stands for Security Content Automation Protocol, and it is a set of standards and specifications that enable the automated assessment, measurement, and reporting of the security posture of systems and networks. SCAP can help to ensure compliance, identify vulnerabilities, and remediate issues.

1: What Is Machine Learning? 2: What Is Data Visualization? 3: What Is Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)? : [What Is Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP)?]

Nessus is a vulnerability scanning and assessment tool that can be used to scan systems for potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses. It provides detailed reports on any critical and high-severity findings as referenced in the CVE database, making it the ideal tool for fulfilling the Chief Information Security Officer's request. Nikto, fuzzer, wireshark, and prowler are all security tools, but they are not applicable for the scenario described in the question. Here is a link to an article from CompTIA's website about Nessus for your reference: https://www.comptia.org/content/nessus-vulnerability-scanning-and-assessment-tool.

Port 22 is the default port for Secure Shell (SSH), which is a protocol that allows remote access and administration of a server. If the server is dedicated to one function (web server) and unneeded services are disabled, then port 22 should be closed, because SSH is not necessary for a web server and could pose a security risk if exploited. Port 80, port 443, and port 1433 are ports that are needed for a web server, because they are used for HTTP, HTTPS, and SQL Server respectively. Reference: https://www.ssh.com/ssh/port

A CASB, or Cloud Access Security Broker, is a software tool or service that acts as an intermediary between an organization’s cloud services and its users. A CASB can provide various security functions, such as visibility, compliance, threat protection, and data security2 A CASB can help protect the company’s data stored in the cloud by preventing certain types of data from being downloaded to a workstation, such as sensitive or confidential information. This can reduce the risk of data leakage, theft, or loss if a workstation is compromised or stolen.

Lessons learned is a critical stage of incident response that involves evaluating the effectiveness of the response, identifying gaps and areas for improvement, and updating the incident response plan accordingly1. Company leadership should be involved in this process to ensure they are aware of the incident, its impact, and the actions taken to prevent or mitigate future incidents. Additionally, company leadership can provide support and guidance for implementing the recommendations from the lessons learned session2.

The piece of code in the XML file is an example of a command injection attack, which is a type of attack that exploits insufficient input validation or output encoding to execute arbitrary commands on a server or system2 The attacker can inject malicious commands into an XML element that is processed by an XML handler on the server, and cause the server to execute those commands. The best solution to mitigate this type of attack is to implement a better level of user input filters and content sanitization, which means checking and validating any user input before processing it, and removing or encoding any potentially harmful characters or commands.

 The order of priority for risk mitigation from highest to lowest is C, B, A, D. This order is based on applying the risk mitigation policies of the organization. According to the first policy, risks without compensating controls will be mitigated first if the risk value is greater than $50,000. Risk C has no compensating controls and a risk value of $75,000, so it is the highest priority. Risk B also has no compensating controls, but a risk value of $40,000, so it is the second priority. According to the second policy, other risk mitigation will be prioritized based on risk value. Risk A has a risk value of $60,000 and a compensating control of encryption, so it is the third priority. Risk D has a risk value of $50,000 and a compensating control of backup power supply, so it is the lowest priority.

The best way to isolate and triage the host is to remove rules 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. These rules allow inbound and outbound traffic on ports 22 (SSH), 80 (HTTP), and 443 (HTTPS) from any source or destination. By removing these rules, the security analyst can block any network communication to or from the host, preventing any further data exfiltration or malware infection. This will also allow the security analyst to perform a forensic analysis on the host without any interference from external sources.

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 .

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.

Option D would provide the analyst with additional useful information relevant to the above script. Option D is a command that compares two files and shows the differences between them. In this case, the command compares the current snapshot of the system configuration (sysconfig.txt) with the previous snapshot (sysconfig.txt.old). This can help the analyst to identify any changes or anomalies in the system configuration that may indicate unauthorized or malicious activity. Option A is a command that copies a file from one location to another. In this case, the command copies the current snapshot of the system configuration (sysconfig.txt) to a backup location (/backup/sysconfig.txt). This can help the analyst to preserve evidence or restore the system configuration if needed, but it does not provide any additional information relevant to the above script. Option B is a command that prints a file to standard output. In this case, the command prints the current snapshot of the system configuration (sysconfig.txt) to the screen. This can help the analyst to review or analyze the system configuration, but it does not provide any additional information relevant to the above script. Option C is a command that moves a file from one location to another. In this case, the command moves the current snapshot of the system configuration (sysconfig.txt) to another location (/old/sysconfig.txt). This can help the analyst to organize or archive the system configuration files, but it does not provide any additional information relevant to the above script.

The attack is a SQL injection attack. SQL injection is a type of attack that exploits a security vulnerability in an application’s software that allows user input to be executed as SQL commands by the underlying database3. SQL injection can enable an attacker to perform various malicious actions on the database, such as reading, modifying, deleting or creating data; executing commands; or bypassing authentication. The request shows that the attacker has entered a malicious SQL statement in the username parameter that attempts to drop (delete) all tables in the database.

Reverse engineering is the process of analyzing a binary file without executing it, by using tools such as disassemblers, debuggers, and decompilers. Reverse engineering can help identify the functionality, behavior, and purpose of a binary file, as well as any malicious code or vulnerabilities it may contain.

A security analyst is reviewing the network security monitoring logs listed below and is most likely observing that 10.1.1.129 sent potential malicious requests to the web server and that 10.1.1.130 can potentially obtain information about the PHP version. The logs show that 10.1.1.129 sent two requests to the web server with suspicious parameters, such as “union select” and “or 1=1”, which are commonly used for SQL injection attacks. The logs also show that 10.1.1.130 sent a request to the web server with a parameter “phpinfo”, which is a function that displays information about the PHP configuration and environment, which can be useful for attackers to find vulnerabilities or exploit them. References: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification Exam Objectives (CS0-002), page 8; https://owasp.org/www-community/attacks/SQL_Injection; https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.phpinfo.php

Implementing an air gap for the legacy systems is the best solution to improve their security posture. An air gap is a physical separation of a system or network from any other system or network that may pose a threat. An air gap can prevent any unauthorized access or data transfer between the isolated system or network and the external environment. Implementing an air gap for the legacy systems can help to protect them from being exploited by attackers who may take advantage of their unpatched vulnerabilities .

The security incident response process is a set of procedures and guidelines that define how to identify, contain, analyze, and recover from security incidents that compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an organization’s assets or operations. Initiating the security incident response process for unauthorized access is the first and most appropriate action that the analyst should take, as it would allow the analyst to follow a structured and consistent approach to handle the situation and mitigate the impact of the incident1.

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 Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is a standard for measuring the severity of vulnerabilities in software systems. One of the factors that affects the CVSS score is the attack vector, which describes how the vulnerability can be exploited. The possible values for the attack vector are network, adjacent network, local, or physical. In this case, the analyst should choose local as the value for the attack vector, because the Tomcat configuration file must be modified for the attack to be successful, which implies that the attacker needs local access to the system. Network, adjacent network, or physical are not appropriate values for the attack vector in this scenario. Reference: https://www.first.org/cvss/v3.1/specification-document#Vector-String

RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) is a solution that would work best to assist the help desk with the onboarding and offboarding process while protecting the company’s assets. RBAC is a method of granting access to resources based on the roles of users within an organization. RBAC simplifies the management of user permissions by assigning predefined roles to users based on their job functions, rather than granting individual permissions to each user. RBAC can help automate the onboarding and offboarding process by enabling the help desk to quickly create or delete user accounts and assign or revoke access rights based on the roles of the users1. RBAC can also help protect the company’s assets by enforcing the principle of least privilege, which means that users only have access to the resources they need to perform their duties and nothing more2.

This command would most likely indicate if the email attachment is malicious, as it would display any JavaScript code embedded in the PDF file. JavaScript code can be used by attackers to execute malicious commands or scripts on the victim’s system when the PDF file is opened1. The strings command extracts the printable characters from a binary file, such as a PDF file, and the grep -i “

According to the CompTIA CySA+ (CS0-002) best practices, the most useful information data points to provide to the security manager for communicating the risk factors to senior management are the impact and adversary capability. The impact refers to the potential consequences of a successful attack or exploitation of a vulnerability, such as data loss or system compromise. The adversary capability refers to the ability of an attacker to exploit a vulnerability, including their technical expertise and resources. Together, these data points help to provide a complete picture of the risk associated with a vulnerability, and allow senior management to make informed decisions regarding risk mitigation and remediation. The other data points, such as probability, attack vector, classification, and indicators of compromise, can also be valuable, but the impact and adversary capability are considered the most critical for prioritizing risk mitigation efforts.

Static analysis is a method of analyzing software code without executing it, by using tools or techniques that check for syntax errors, logic errors, vulnerabilities, coding standards, and other quality issues. Static analysis can help software developers to correct the error-handling capabilities of an application before pushing it to production, as it can detect potential errors and bugs at an early stage of development. A web-application vulnerability scan (A) is a method of testing web applications for security flaws by simulating attacks and analyzing responses. It can be useful for finding vulnerabilities in web applications, but not for validating the error-handling capabilities of an application. A packet inspection © is a method of monitoring network traffic by examining the data packets that are sent and received over a network. It can be useful for detecting malicious or unauthorized activity on a network, but not for validating the error-handling capabilities of an application. A penetration test (D) is a method of evaluating the security of a system or network by simulating real-world attacks and exploiting vulnerabilities. It can be useful for assessing the overall security posture of a system or network, but not for validating the error-handling capabilities of an application.

References: : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/14436/static-analysis : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4160/web-application-security-scanner-was : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4010/packet-inspection : https://www.techopedia.com/definition/13493/penetration-testing

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.

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.