Operations and Incident Response

Question 1

You’re conducting a network security assessment and need to identify the actions typically taken during the “Containment” phase of incident response. What are common measures in this phase?

A) restoring affected systems to their original state, eliminating vulnerabilities
B) preventing the incident from spreading and causing further damage
C) documenting incident details and findings for future reference
D) identifying vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the system

Answer 1

Preventing the incident from spreading and causing further damage

During the “Containment” phase, the primary objective is to prevent the incident from spreading and causing more harm. This involves isolating affected systems or networks to limit the impact and prevent the situation from worsening.

Question 2

A security analyst responding to a security incident involving unauthorized access to sensitive data. What is a common step during the “Eradication and Recovery” phase of incident response?

A) isolating affected systems and preventing the incident from spreading
B) documenting findings and actions taken for future reference
C) restoring affected systems to a secure state and implementing security updates
D) investigating the root cause of the incident and identifying gaps in security protocols

Answer 2

Restoring affected systems to a secure state and implementing security updates

The “Eradication and Recovery” phase involves restoring affected systems to a secure state by removing malware, applying security updates, and ensuring systems are secure and functional.

Question 3

An organization experiences a data breach, and you’re part of the incident response team. What should be a priority during the “Lessons Learned” phase?

A) implementing additional security measures to prevent future incidents
B) identifying the intruder and reporting the breach to law enforcement
C) documenting the incident details and the actions taken for future reference
D) restoring affected systems and data to their original state

Answer 3

Documenting the incident details and the actions taken for future reference

During the “Lessons Learned” phase, it’s crucial to document incident details, actions taken, and their outcomes. This documentation helps improve future incident response strategies and training.

Question 4

An organization encountered a significant Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. What is a key task during the “Preparation” phase of incident response planning?

A) detecting and analyzing the specifics of the ongoing attack
B) educating employees about common security threats and incident reporting procedures
C) isolating affected systems to contain the spread of the attack
D) restoring affected systems and implementing security updates

Answer 4

Educating employees about common security threats and incident reporting procedures

During the “Preparation” phase, educating employees about common security threats and incident reporting procedures is crucial for building a proactive security culture within the organization.

Question 5

A company experiences a ransomware attack on its network. What is a significant action during the “Containment” phase of incident response for this scenario?

A) notifying regulatory bodies and affected shareholders
B) disconnecting affected systems from the network to prevent future encryption
C) documenting the attack details for post-incident analysis
D) conducting a comprehensive system-wide audit to identify the affected areas

Answer 5

disconnecting affected systems from the network to prevent future encryption

During the “Containment” phase in a ransomware attack, disconnecting affected systems from the network is crucial to halt the spread of encryption to other systems, limiting the damage.

Question 6

A data breach incident occurred within an organization. What is an essential step during the “Lessons Learned” phase of incident response for this scenario?

A) identifying weaknesses in the incident response plan for immediate rectification
B) reporting the incident to law enforcement for further investigation
C) collecting evidence for potential legal actions against the perpetrators
D) documenting the shortcomings, actions, and improvements for future incident response

Answer 6

Documenting the shortcomings, actions, and improvements for future incident response

During the “Lessons Learned” phase, documenting the weaknesses, actions taken, and improvements for future incident responses is crucial for developing better strategies.

Question 7

During a network security incident, what is an immediate task during the “Identification” phase of incident response?

A) disconnecting the affected systems from the network
B) implementing additional security measures to prevent further incidents
C) analyzing logs and traffic patterns to understand the incident’s nature
D) notifying company management and affected shareholders about the incident

Answer 7

Analyzing logs and traffic patterns to understand the incident’s nature

During the “Identification” phase, analyzing logs and traffic patterns is crucial to understand the nature and scope of the incident.

Question 8

An organization suspects an insider threat. What is a vital step during the “Identification” phase of incident response for this situation?

A) notifying law enforcement for immediate investigation
B) conducting a comprehensive audit of user access logs and privileges
C) disabling network connectivity to prevent further potential damage
D) implementing new security protocols to prevent similar incidents

Answer 8

Conducting a comprehensive audit of user access logs and privileges

During the “Identification” phase for an insider threat, conducting a comprehensive audit of user access logs and privileges is crucial to identify unusual or suspicious activities within the network.

Question 9

A company is addressing a significant breach in their database systems. What is an essential action during the “Containment” phase of incident response in this situation?

A) isolating affected systems and preventing the incident from spreading
B) informing the media and public about the breach for transparency
C) conducting a detailed investigation to identify the root cause
D) enhancing the system’s security through new firewalls and protocols

Answer 9

Isolating affected systems and preventing the incident from spreading

During the “Containment” phase, isolating affected systems is crucial to prevent the spread of the incident to other parts of the network and limit the damage.

Question 10

An organization experiences a malware outbreak across its network. What should be a priority during the “Eradication and Recovery” phase of incident response in this scenario?

A) disconnecting affected systems from network
B) investigating the source of the malware and tracing its propagation
C) restoring affected systems to a clean and secure state
D) enhancing employee awareness of cybersecurity best practices

Answer 10

Restoring affected systems to a clean and secure state

During the “Eradication and Recovery” phase, restoring affected systems to a clean and secure state is a priority to eliminate the malware and return systems to normal functionality.

Question 11

A system outage occurred due to a cyber attack. What is a crucial action during the “Lessons Learned” phase of incident response in this case?

A) filing lawsuits against identified attackers for damages
B) documenting the incident details, responses, and areas for improvement
C) implementing immediate measures to counter future cyber attacks
D) publicly announcing the incident to rebuild customer trust and confidence

Answer 11

Documenting the incident details, responses, and areas for improvement

During the “Lessons Learned” phase, documenting incident details and responses, and identifying areas for improvement is crucial for future incident response improvement.

Question 12

A network administrator wants to map the network topology and identify active hosts and their connections. Which tool would be most suitable for this purpose?

A) tracert/traceroute
B) nslookup/dig
C) Nmap
D) ipconfig/ifconfig

Answer 12

Nmap

nmap (Network Mapper) is a powerful tool used for network discovery and security auditing. It scans networks, identifies active hosts, their services, and can provide information about open ports, OS detection, etc. It’s commonly used for mapping network topology.

Question 13

A system administrator needs to analyze the route a packet takes to reach a specific server and identify any network delays. What tool should be utilized for this task?

A) ping/pathping
B) hping
C)netstat
D)netcat

Answer 13

Ping/pathping

The ping command, and its extended version pathping in Windows, is used to test connectivity and measure round-trip times between the source and a destination. It helps identify delays and packet loss on the network route.

Question 14

A security analyst needs to perform a detailed examination of network packets, including crafting and sending custom packets to analyze network security. What tool best facilitates this analysis?

A) Wireshark
B) Metasploit
C) Cain and Abel
D) snort

Answer 14

Metasploit

Metasploit is an exploitation framework widely used for penetration testing and ethical hacking. It allows security researchers to create, test, and execute various exploits, payloads, and post-exploitation modules.

Question 15

An IT administrator wants to test the strength of various passwords stored within the company’s database. What type of tool would be best for this task?

A) Wireshark
B) John the ripper
C) Nmap
D) snort

Answer 15

John the Ripper

John the Ripper is a well-known password-cracking tool used for testing and evaluating the strength of passwords stored within databases by employing various techniques like dictionary attacks, brute force, etc.

Question 16

A data security officer needs to completely sanitize sensitive information from a retired hard drive, ensuring that no data is recoverable. What process would be ideal for this task?

A) encryption
B) disk wiping
C) file shredding
D) network segmentation

Answer 16

Disk wiping

Disk wiping involves overwriting data on a hard drive, making it nearly impossible to recover the data. It ensures sensitive information cannot be retrieved from the retired hardware.

Question 17

A company wants to ensure that data sanitized from retired hardware cannot be recovered. What tool or method best achieves this goal?

A) data masking
B) disk encryption
C) degaussing
D) firewall implementation

Answer 17

Degaussing

Degaussing is a method that uses a powerful magnet to destroy data stored on magnetic media, such as hard drives, rendering the data irretrievable.

Question 18

In the event of a major cybersecurity incident, what plan outlines the measures a company should take to continue its critical operations?

A) shareholder management plan
B) communication plan
C) disaster recovery plan
D) business continuity plan

Answer 18

Business continuity plan

The Business Continuity Plan (BCP) outlines the strategies and procedures a company should follow to continue critical operations during and after a disaster or incident. It focuses on maintaining essential business functions during and after the incident.

Question 19

During an ongoing security incident, what plan describes the process of communicating with stakeholders and managing their concerns effectively?

A) shareholder management plan
B) communication plan
C) disaster recovery plan
D) business continuity plan

Answer 19

Communication plan

The Communication plan details the strategies for effective communication with stakeholders, customers, employees, and the public during an ongoing security incident, ensuring timely, accurate, and effective communication.

Question 20

A company wants to have a detailed blueprint for recovering and restoring its IT systems and infrastructure after a disaster. What plan should be developed for this purpose?

A) stakeholder management plan
B) communication plan
C) disaster recovery plan
D) business continuity plan

Answer 20

Disaster recovery plan

The Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) outlines the procedures for restoring and recovering IT systems and infrastructure after a disaster, ensuring the resumption of essential IT services.

Question 21

A security analyst needs to review and analyze a variety of security events, including alerts and potential threats, in a single interface. What tool or resource is best suited for this purpose?

A) protocol analyzer output
B) reconfigure endpoint security solutions
C) SIEM dashboards
D) log files

Answer 21

SIEM dashboards

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) dashboards provide a centralized interface for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing security-related events and alerts from various sources, enabling a comprehensive view of potential threats.

Question 22

In an investigation of a security incident, which methodology is primarily used to identify, preserve, examine, and present digital evidence?

A) vulnerability scanning
B) risk management
C) digital forensics
D) data loss prevention

Answer 22

Digital forensics

Digital forensics is the process of identifying, preserving, examining, and presenting digital evidence. It involves a systematic investigation of digital devices or data to uncover potential evidence relevant to a security incident or investigation.

Question 23

What is the primary purpose of using hashing in digital forensics?

A) to encrypt sensitive data
B) to identify unique files
C) to compress data for storage
D) to perform data recovery

Answer 23

To identify unique files

Hashing in digital forensics is used to create unique identifiers (hash values) for files or data. These unique hashes can verify data integrity and identify files, helping in identifying duplicates or alterations in digital evidence.

Question 24

A file is identified as having been modified. What technique is typically used to verify the integrity of the file?

A) data hashing
B) data encryption
C) data recovery
D) data obfuscation

Answer 24

Data hashing

Data hashing is used to create a unique digital fingerprint (hash value) for a file or data. It is commonly used to verify file integrity by generating a hash and comparing it with the original hash to confirm if the file has been modified.

Question 25

What is the term for the process of intentionally concealing data to make it less understandable or visible? A) data recovery B) data encryption C) data obfuscation D) data hashing

Answer 25

Data obfuscation Data obfuscation is the intentional process of making data less understandable or visible, often to protect sensitive information or hinder unauthorized access.

Question 26

How does the MITRE ATT&CK framework primarily assist in incident response? A) mapping adversary tactics and techniques B) creating network access control C) conducting vulnerability assessment D) analyzing system logs

Answer 26

Mapping adversary tactics and techniques The MITRE ATT&CK framework is used to map out adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that attackers use during various stages of an attack. It helps in understanding the behaviors and tactics of adversaries to improve incident response strategies.

Question 27

What is the primary purpose of a post-incident review in incident response? A) identifying weaknesses in incident response procedures B) implementing immediate network shutdown C) auditing employee access logs D) configuring intrusion detection systems

Answer 27

Identifying weaknesses in incident response procedures A post-incident review primarily aims to analyze the response to an incident, identifying areas that could be improved in incident handling procedures for better future responses.

Question 28

How do security information and event management (SIEM) systems contribute to incident response with log files? A) storing log files in cloud servers B) correlating and analyzing log data for security incidents C) deleting obsolete log entries D) modifying access control lists

Answer 28

Correlating and analyzing log data for security incidents SIEM systems are used to collect, aggregate, and analyze log data from various sources to identify and respond to security incidents by correlating and analyzing the log data for potential threats or abnormalities.

Question 29

What role does non-repudiation play in log file management during incident response? A) ensuring the integrity and authenticity of log data B) clearing logs after a specified time C) encrypting log entries for secure storage D) providing GUI elements for log navigation

Answer 29

Ensuring the integrity and authenticity of log data Non-repudiation ensures that log entries cannot be denied or repudiated, maintaining their integrity and authenticity, which is crucial for incident response and forensic investigations.

Question 30

A security analyst at a tech company needs to monitor network traffic for potential threats and perform intrusion detection analysis in real-time without interrupting network operations. Which tool would be the most suitable for capturing and analyzing packets to identify and log potential security issues? A) tcpdump B) Wireshark C) John the ripper D) hydra

Answer 30

Tcpdump Tcpdump is a command-line packet analyzer used for network traffic analysis, allowing the user to capture and display packet data on a network without interrupting network operations.

Question 31

A cybersecurity analyst notices an increased amount of broadcast traffic on the network. What might this indicate? A) potential distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack B) normal network operation C) potential network reconnaissance or scanning D) potential ransomware infection

Answer 31

Potential network reconnaissance or scanning An unusual surge in broadcast traffic might signal network reconnaissance or scanning activities, as attackers often use these methods to discover devices and vulnerabilities.

Question 32

During a routine security audit, the IT team identifies numerous entries in the firewall logs showing failed login attempts from various IP addresses. What might these entries indicate? A) misconfigured firewall settings B) normal network behavior C) potential brute-force attack D) routine system updates

Answer 32

Potential brute-force attack Multiple failed login attempts from various IP addresses might suggest a brute-force attack, where an attacker attempts to gain unauthorized access by trying multiple login combinations.

Question 33

A network administrator observes an unusual spike in DNS traffic originating from a specific internal IP address. What might this indicate? A) a misconfigured DNS server B) routine DNS cache refresh C) possible DNS tunneling or exfiltration D) a successful phishing attack

Answer 33

Possible DNS tunneling or exfiltration An abnormal spike in DNS traffic from a specific internal IP address might suggest DNS tunneling, where attackers exploit DNS protocol to transfer data covertly.

Question 34

A company's network administrator observes a sudden increase in ARP traffic, especially in ARP requests. What might this indicate? A) routine network maintenance B) potential ARP poisoning or spoofing C) normal network behavior D) planned network expansion

Answer 34

Potential ARP poisoning or spoofing An abrupt surge in Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) requests can suggest potential ARP poisoning or spoofing, a technique used by attackers to intercept network traffic.

Question 35

A system administrator detects multiple instances of ICMP Echo Request packets originating from various external IP addresses directed towards internal network devices. What could this activity signify? A) regular network health checks B) ping sweeps or network scanning C) routine data backup processes D) scheduled software updates

Answer 35

Ping sweeps or network scanning Multiple ICMP Echo Requests from external IPs directed at internal network devices may indicate a ping sweep or scanning attempts to discover live hosts.

Question 36

Which of the following is a crucial consideration when selecting the method for acquiring digital evidence in a forensic investigation? A) speed of the acquisition process B) modifying the original data to acquire faster C) using different methodologies for various devices D) minimizing the impact on the original evidence

Answer 36

Minimizing the impact on the original evidence Selecting an acquisition method that minimizes the impact on original evidence is crucial to maintain its integrity and reliability.

Question 37

During the digital forensics acquisition phase, why is documenting the chain of custody of evidence crucial? A) to create a chronological log of acquired data B) to authenticate the evidence for the court C) to manipulate the acquired data without suspicion D) to speed up the investigation process

Answer 37

To authenticate the evidence for the court Documenting the chain of custody ensures the evidence's authenticity, supporting its admissibility in court.

Question 38

During which stage of the Cyber Kill Chain does an attacker maintain control over compromised systems and continues to perform malicious activities? A) installation B) actions on objectives C) command and control D) reconnaissance

Answer 38

Command and control The Command and Control stage is where attackers maintain control over compromised systems, continuing their malicious activities.

Question 39

Which command is used to change the permissions of a file to make it executable in Unix-based shell environments? A) chmod B) ls C) grep D) cat

Answer 39

Chmod The 'chmod' command in Unix-based shell environments is used to change the permissions of a file, including making it executable.

Question 40

What is the primary purpose of the 'tracert'/'traceroute' command in networking? A) to identify network switches and routers B) to reveal the IP address of the user's device C) to establish secure connections with remote hosts D) to detect and display the network path to a destination

Answer 40

To detect and display the network path to a destination The primary purpose of 'tracert' or 'traceroute' is to identify and display the network path that packets take to reach a destination.