CISSP Practice Test Chapter 5 Identity and Access Management (Sybex) Flashcards
Which of the following is best described as an access control model that focuses on subjects and identifies the objects that each subject can access?
A. An access control list
B. An implicit denial list
C. A capability table
D. A rights management matrix
C. A capability table
Explanation:
C. Capability tables list the privileges assigned to subjects and identify the objects that subjects can access. Access control lists are object-focused rather than subject-focused. Implicit deny is a principle that states that anything that is not explicitly allowed is denied, and a rights management matrix is not an access control model.
Jim’s organization-wide implementation of IDaaS offers broad support for cloud-based applications. Jim’s company does not have internal identity management staff and does not use centralized identity services. Instead, they rely upon Active Directory for AAA services. Which of the following options should Jim recommend to best handle the company’s on-site identity needs?
A. Integrate on-site systems using OAuth.
B. Use an on-premises third-party identity service.
C. Integrate on-site systems using SAML.
D. Design an internal solution to handle the organization’s unique needs.
B. Use an on-premises third-party identity service.
Explanation:
Since Jim’s organization is using a cloud-based identity as a service solution, a third-party, on-premises identity service can provide the ability to integrate with the IDaaS solution, and the company’s use of Active Directory is widely supported by third-party vendors. OAuth is used to log in to third-party websites using existing credentials and would not meet the needs described. SAML is a markup language and would not meet the full set of AAA needs. Since the organization is using Active Directory, a custom in-house solution is unlikely to be as effective as a preexisting third-party solution and may take far more time and expense to implement.
Which of the following is not a weakness in Kerberos?
A. The KDC is a single point of failure.
B. Compromise of the KDC would allow attackers to impersonate any user.
C. Authentication information is not encrypted.
D. It is susceptible to password guessing.
C. Authentication information is not encrypted.
Explanation:
Kerberos encrypts messages using secret keys, providing protection for authentication traffic. The KDC both is a single point of failure and can cause problems if compromised because keys are stored on the KDC that would allow attackers to impersonate any user. Like many authentication methods, Kerberos can be susceptible to password guessing.
Voice pattern recognition is what type of authentication factor?
A. Something you know
B. Something you have
C. Something you are
D. Somewhere you are
C. Something you are
Explanation:
Voice pattern recognition is “something you are,” a biometric authentication factor, because it measures a physical characteristic of the individual authenticating.
If Susan’s organization requires her to log in with her username, a PIN, a password, and a retina scan, how many distinct authentication factor types has she used?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
B. Two
Explanation:
Susan has used two distinct types of factors: the PIN and password are both Type 1 factors, and the retina scan is a Type 3 factor. Her username is not a factor.
Charles wants to deploy a credential management system (CMS). He wants to keep the keys as secure as possible. Which of the following is the best design option for his CMS implementation?
A. Use AES-256 instead of 3DES.
B. Use long keys.
C. Use an HSM.
D. Change passphrases regularly.
C. Use an HSM.
Explanation:
C. Hardware Security Modules, or HSMs, are the most secure way to store keys associated with a CMS. They provide enhanced key management capabilities and are often required to be FIPS certified. In addition to these advantages, an HSM can improve cryptographic performance for the organization due to dedicated hardware designed for just that purpose. Long keys and using AES-256 are good practices, but an HSM provides greater security and will require appropriate cryptographic controls already. Changing passphrases can be challenging across an organization; instead, securing the passphrases and keys is more important and reasonable for most organizations.
Brian is a researcher at a major university. As part of his research, he logs into a computing cluster hosted at another institution using his own university’s credentials. Once logged in, he is able to access the cluster and use resources based on his role in a research project, as well as using resources and services in his home organization. What has Brian’s home university implemented to make this happen?
A. Domain stacking
B. Federated identity management
C. Domain nesting
D. Hybrid login
B. Federated identity management
Explanation:
B. Brian’s organization is using a federated identity management approach where multiple organizations allow identities to be used across the organizations. Each organization needs to proof their own staff members’ identities and provide them with rights and role information that will allow them to use resources within the federated identity environment.
Place the following steps in the order in which they occur during the Kerberos authentication process.
- Client/server ticket generated
- TGT generated
- Client/TGS key generated
- User accesses service User provides authentication credentials
A. 5, 3, 2, 1,
B. 4 5, 4, 2, 1, 3
C. 3, 5, 2, 1, 4
D. 5, 3, 1, 2, 4
A. 5, 3, 2, 1,
Explanation:
During the Kerberos authentication process, the steps take place in the following order: user provides authentication credentials; client/TGS key generated; TGT generated; client/server ticket generated; and user accesses service.
What major issue often results from decentralized access control?
A. Access outages may occur.
B. Control is not consistent.
C. Control is too granular.
D. Training costs are high.
B. Control is not consistent.
Explanation:
Decentralized access control can result in less consistency because the individuals tasked with control may interpret policies and requirements differently and may perform their roles in different ways. Access outages, overly granular control, and training costs may occur, depending on specific implementations, but they are not commonly identified issues with decentralized access control.
Callback to a landline phone number is an example of what type of factor?
A. Something you know
B. Somewhere you are
C. Something you have
D. Something you are
B. Somewhere you are
Explanation:
B. A callback to a landline phone number is an example of a “somewhere you are” factor because of the fixed physical location of a wired phone. A callback to a mobile phone would be a “something you have” factor.
Kathleen needs to set up an Active Directory trust to allow authentication with an existing Kerberos K5 domain. What type of trust does she need to create?
A. A shortcut trust
B. A forest trust
C. An external trust
D. A realm trust
D. A realm trust
Explanation:
D. Kerberos uses realms, and the proper type of trust to set up for an Active Directory environment that needs to connect to a K5 domain is a realm trust. A shortcut trust is a transitive trust between parts of a domain tree or forest that shortens the trust path, a forest trust is a transitive trust between two forest root domains, and an external trust is a nontransitive trust between AD domains in separate forests.
Which of the following AAA protocols is the most commonly used?
A. TACACS
B. TACACS+
C. XTACACS
D. Super TACACS
B. TACACS+
Explanation:
TACACS+ is the only modern protocol on the list. It provides advantages of both TACACS and XTACACS as well as some benefits over RADIUS, including encryption of all authentication information. Super TACACS is not an actual protocol.
Which of the following is not a single sign-on implementation?
A. Kerberos
B. ADFS
C. CAS
D.RADIUS
D.RADIUS
Explanation:
Kerberos, Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS), and Central Authentication Services (CAS) are all SSO implementations. RADIUS is not a single sign-on implementation, although some vendors use it behind the scenes to provide authentication for proprietary SSO.
As shown in the following image, a user on a Windows system is not able to use the Send Message functionality. What access control model best describes this type of limitation?
A. Least privilege
B. Need to know
C. Constrained interface
D. Separation of duties
C. Constrained interface
Explanation:
C. Interface restrictions based on user privileges is an example of a constrained interface. Least privilege describes the idea of providing users with only the rights they need to accomplish their job, while need to know limits access based on whether a subject needs to know the information to accomplish an assigned task. Separation of duties focuses on preventing fraud or mistakes by splitting tasks between multiple subjects.
What type of access controls allow the owner of a file to grant other users access to it using an access control list?
A. Role-based
B. Nondiscretionary
C. Rule-based
D. Discretionary
D. Discretionary
Explanation:
D. When the owner of a file makes the decisions about who has rights or access privileges to it, they are using discretionary access control. Role-based access controls would grant access based on a subject’s role, while rule-based controls would base the decision on a set of rules or requirements. Nondiscretionary access controls apply a fixed set of rules to an environment to manage access. Nondiscretionary access controls include rule-, role-, and lattice-based access controls.
What type of access controls allow the owner of a file to grant other users access to it using an access control list?
A. Role-based
B. Nondiscretionary
C. Rule based
D. Discretionary
D. Discretionary
Explanation:
Need to know is applied when subjects like Alex have access to only the data they need to accomplish their job. Separation of duties is used to limit fraud and abuse by having multiple employees perform parts of a task. Constrained interfaces restrict what a user can see or do and would be a reasonable answer if need to know did not describe his access more completely in this scenario. Context-dependent control relies on the activity being performed to apply controls, and this question does not specify a workflow or process.
For questions 17–19, please use your knowledge of the Kerberos logon process and refer to the following diagram: At point A in the diagram, the client sends the username and password to the KDC. How is the username and password protected?
A. 3DES encryption
B. TLS encryption
C. SSL encryption
D. AES encryption
D. AES encryption
Explanation:
The client in Kerberos logins uses AES to encrypt the username and password prior to sending it to the KDC.
At point B in the diagram, what two important elements does the KDC send to the client after verifying that the username is valid?
A. An encrypted TGT and a public key
B. An access ticket and a public key
C. An encrypted, time-stamped TGT and a symmetric key encrypted with a hash of the user’s password
D. An encrypted, time-stamped TGT and an access token
C. An encrypted, time-stamped TGT and a symmetric key encrypted with a hash of the user’s password
Explanation:
The KDC uses the user’s password to generate a hash and then uses that hash to encrypt a symmetric key. It transmits both the encrypted symmetric key and an encrypted time-stamped TGT to the client.
What tasks must the client perform before it can use the TGT?
A. It must generate a hash of the TGT and decrypt the symmetric key.
B. It must accept the TGT and decrypt the symmetric key.
C. It must decrypt the TGT and the symmetric key.
D. It must send a valid response using the symmetric key to the KDC and must install the TGT.
B. It must accept the TGT and decrypt the symmetric key.
Explanation:
The client needs to accept the TGT for use until it expires and must also decrypt the symmetric key using a hash of the user’s password.
Jacob is planning his organization’s biometric authentication system and is considering retina scans. What concern may be raised about retina scans by others in his organization?
A. Retina scans can reveal information about medical conditions.
B. Retina scans are painful because they require a puff of air in the user’s eye.
C. Retina scanners are the most expensive type of biometric device.
D. Retina scanners have a high false positive rate and will cause support issues.
A. Retina scans can reveal information about medical conditions.
Explanation:
Retina scans can reveal additional information, including high blood pressure and pregnancy, causing privacy concerns. Newer retina scans don’t require a puff of air, and retina scanners are not the most expensive biometric factor. Their false positive rate can typically be adjusted in software, allowing administrators to adjust their acceptance rate as needed to balance usability and security.
Mandatory access control is based on what type of model?
A. Discretionary
B. Group-based
C. Lattice-based
D. Rule-based
C. Lattice-based
Explanation:
C. Mandatory access control systems are based on a lattice-based model. Lattice-based models use a matrix of classification labels to compartmentalize data. Discretionary access models allow object owners to determine access to the objects they control, role-based access controls are often group-based, and rule-based access controls like firewall ACLs apply rules to all subjects they apply to.
Greg wants to control access to iPads used throughout his organization as point-of-sale terminals. Which of the following methods should he use to allow logical access control for the devices in a shared environment?
A. Use a shared PIN for all point-of-sale terminals to make them easier to use.
B. Use OAuth to allow cloud logins for each user.
C. Issue a unique PIN to each user for the iPad they are issued.
D. Use Active Directory and user accounts for logins to the iPads using the AD userID and password.
D. Use Active Directory and user accounts for logins to the iPads using the AD userID and password.
Explanation:
Using an enterprise authentication system like Active Directory that requires individuals to log in with their credentials provides the ability to determine who was logged in if a problem occurs and also allows Greg to quickly and easily remove users who are terminated or switch roles. Using a shared PIN provides no accountability, while unique PINs per user on specifically issued iPads mean that others will not be able to log in. OAuth alone does not provide the services and features Greg needs—it is an authorization service, not an authentication service.
What is the best way to provide accountability for the use of identities?
A. Logging
B. Authorization
C. Digital signatures
D. Type 1 authentication
A. Logging
Explanation:
Logging systems can provide accountability for identity systems by tracking the actions, changes, and other activities a user or account performs.
Jim has worked in human relations, payroll, and customer service roles in his company over the past few years. What type of process should his company perform to ensure that he has appropriate rights?
A. Re-provisioning
B. Account review
C. Privilege creep
D. Account revocation
B. Account review
Explanation:
As an employee’s role changes, they often experience privilege creep, which is the accumulation of old rights and roles. Account review is the process of reviewing accounts and ensuring that their rights match their owners’ role and job requirements. Account revocation removes accounts, while re-provisioning might occur if an employee was terminated and returned or took a leave of absence and returned.