What is Cybersecurity

Question 1

What is the job title of the pinnacle of a cybersecurity technical career?

Answer 1

Cybersecurity Architect (CSA)

Question 2

What is the role of a CSA?

Answer 2

To help shape, design, and plan the technical aspects of an organization’s approach to security at all levels.

Question 3

What is Access Control?

Answer 3

involves the procedure of permitting solely authorized individuals, programs, or other computer systems to observe, alter, or gain control over a computer system’s resources. IT acts as a mechanism to restrict the utilization of certain resources to only those users who have been granted authorization.

Question 4

What is Secure Software Development?

Answer 4

encompasses a series of procedures and tasks associated with the strategic planning, coding, and administration of software and systems. Furthermore, it encompasses the implementation of protective measures within those systems to guarantee the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of both the software and the data in processes.

Question 5

What is BCP/DR?

Answer 5

ITs Business Continuity Planning / Disaster Recover. which encompasses the essential measures, procedures ,and strategies required to uphold uninterrupted business operations in the face of significant disruptions. This entails recognizing, choosing, executing, testing, and maintaining processes and specific actions aimed at safeguarding vital business infrastructure and operations from system and network interruptions. The ultimate goal is to promptly restore essential services and business activities to their normal functioning state.

Question 6

What is cryptography?

Answer 6

The science of using deception and mathematics to hide data from unwanted access. It addresses the principles, means, and methods to convert plaintext into ciphertext and back again to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity or non-repudiation of data.

Question 7

What is information security governance / risk management?

Answer 7

The multifaceted strategies organizations employ to safeguard critical information assets and systems. This discipline seeks to establish holistic criteria for the protection by integrating frameworks, policies, organized culture, and standards.

Question 8

What is Computer crime legislation?

Answer 8

Laws prohibiting unauthorized access, hacking, malware distribution, and other cyber offenses

Question 9

What are Associated regulations?

Answer 9

Mandates around data privacy, breach disclosure, sector-specific requirements, and cybersecurity standards

Question 10

What are investigative measures?

Answer 10

Techniques for detecting security incidents through monitoring, log analysis, and forensics

Question 11

What are Evidence gathering/management methodologies?

Answer 11

Procedures for securely collecting, analyzing, documenting, and preserving evidence for investigations.

Question 12

What are Reporting protocols?

Answer 12

Guidelines for reporting incidents to authorities and impacted parties.

Question 13

What is foundational for security?

Answer 13

Adhering to legal and regulatory obligations

Question 14

What is asset protection?

Answer 14

Ensuring hardware, applications, services, and data remain confidential and integral through access controls, encryption, and resilience measures

Question 15

What is monitoring and detection?

Answer 15

Employing tools such as SIEMs and IDSs to continuously monitor systems, networks, and user activity to rapidly detect potential incidents

Question 16

What is a Incident REsponse?

Answer 16

Investigating suspected or confirmed events, containing impacts, eradicating threats, recovering systems, and improving future response capabilities

Question 17

What is ongoing maintenance?

Answer 17

Keeping security tools and services such as firewalls, antivirus, and log management operating reliably through patches, upgrades, and redundancy

Question 18

What is process integration?

Answer 18

Incorporating security processes into IT operations and business workflows to embed good security hygiene.

Question 19

What is physical and environmental security?

Answer 19

Physical and environmental security involves safeguarding facilities housing critical information systems against unauthorized access and environmental hazards.

Question 20

What is a security survey?

Answer 20

Regularly evaluating facilities’ physical access controls, surveillance systems, and vulnerability to threats such as fires or floods

Question 21

What is Risk vulnerability assessment?

Answer 21

Identifying physical infrastructure and procedural weaknesses that may enable data breaches or system damage

Question 22

What is site planning and design?

Answer 22

Incorporating security into facility layouts through measures such as access control zones, cameras, alarms, and secure equipment rooms.

Question 23

What are Access Control Systems?

Answer 23

Managing physical access to facilities and critical system components via methods such as ID badges, biometric validation, and multifactor authentication

Question 24

What are Environmental controls?

Answer 24

Maintaining ideal temperature, humidity, electrical supply, fire suppression, and other environmental conditions to protect systems

Question 25

What is procedural security?

Answer 25

Establishing policies for escorting visitors, reporting incidents, performing equipment maintenance, and responding to environmental events.

Question 26

What is Security Architecture?

Answer 26

Security architecture involves translating organizational requirements into comprehensive cybersecurity designs encompassing people, processes, and technology controls.

Question 27

What are Security principles and framework?

Answer 27

Applying models such as Zero Trust and CIS controls to guide architecture.

Question 28

What are Control Translation?

Answer 28

Mapping security requirements to technical safeguards and policies that balance usability and protection.

Question 29

What is a environmental design?

Answer 29

Architecting layered defenses tailored to infrastructure, cloud environments, applications, data flows, and diverse access scenarios.

Question 30

What is monitoring integration?

Answer 30

Incorporating controls and systems to provide robust logging, visibility, analysis, and response capabilities.

Question 31

What is compliance alignment?

Answer 31

Structuring architecture to adhere to industry regulations, legal obligations, and cybersecurity standards.

Question 32

What is continuous adaptation?

Answer 32

Evolving architecture to address new threats, business demands, and technology advancements.

Question 33

What is Telecommunications/network security?

Answer 33

Their purpose is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data transmitted over both private and public networks and various media. .

Question 34

What is CIA?

Answer 34

Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. Confidentiality refers to protecting information from unauthorized access. Integrity refers to the reliability and completeness of data, ensuring that it has not been unintentionally modified or altered by an unauthorized user. Ultimately, integrity ensures that data remains trustworthy, complete, and free from unauthorized changes. Availability pertains to the continuous accessibility and optimal functioning of data, systems, and resources as required by authorized users.

Question 35

What is confidentiality?

Answer 35

Confidentiality involves safeguarding sensitive information from unauthorized access or disclosure, ensuring that only authorized individuals have the ability to access and view such data. It focuses on the protection of sensitive information, preventing it from falling into the wrong hands and maintaining strict control over who can obtain and observe it. Here are key aspects related to confidentiality.

Question 36

What is Data Encryption?

Answer 36

Encryption is the process of converting plaintext data into a coded form (ciphertext) that is unreadable without the appropriate decryption key. It prevents unauthorized individuals from understanding the content of the data even if they gain access to it.

Question 37

What are Access Controls?

Answer 37

Access controls involve implementing mechanisms to restrict access to sensitive information based on user roles, permissions, and authentication factors. This prevents unauthorized individuals from accessing confidential data.

Question 38

What are Data Classifications?

Answer 38

Data classification involves categorizing data based on its sensitivity level. It allows organizations to prioritize the protection of highly sensitive information and apply appropriate security controls based on the classification.

Question 39

What is integrity?

Answer 39

Integrity ensures that data remains accurate, unaltered, and reliable throughout its life cycle. Maintaining data integrity is crucial to prevent unauthorized modification, corruption, or tampering. Here are key aspects related to integrity.

Question 40

What is Data Validation?

Answer 40

Data validation involves verifying the accuracy and consistency of data. It ensures that data meets specific predefined criteria and is free from errors, omissions, or malicious modifications.

Question 41

What are hash functions?

Answer 41

Hash functions are mathematical algorithms that generate a unique string of characters (hash value) for a given set of data. By comparing the hash value before and after data transmission or storage, integrity violations can be detected if the hash values do not match.

Question 42

What are Digital Signatures?

Answer 42

Digital signatures use encryption techniques to provide a mechanism for verifying the authenticity and integrity of electronic documents or messages. They ensure that the sender cannot deny having sent the message and that the content remains unaltered.

Question 43

What is availability?

Answer 43

Availability refers to ensuring that systems, networks, and data are accessible and usable when needed. It involves preventing disruptions, maintaining service continuity, and mitigating the impact of potential incidents. Here are key aspects related to availability.

Question 44

What is redundancy and fault tolerance?

Answer 44

Implementing redundancy and fault-tolerant mechanisms ensures that critical systems and data have backup components or alternate paths, minimizing the impact of hardware failures, natural disasters, or other disruptions.

Question 45

What is disaster recovery planning?

Answer 45

Disaster recovery planning involves creating strategies and processes to recover critical systems and data after a disruptive event. It includes regular backups, off-site storage, and documented procedures for system restoration.

Question 46

What is DDoS?

Answer 46

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks aim to overwhelm systems or networks, causing service unavailability. Implementing DDoS mitigation solutions, such as traffic filtering or content distribution networks (CDNs), helps protect against such attacks and ensures uninterrupted access to services.

Question 47

What is non-repudiation?

Answer 47

Non-repudiation ensures that the actions or transactions of individuals cannot be denied or disputed. It provides evidence that a specific action took place and was performed by a specific entity. Here are key aspects related to non-repudiation.

Question 48

What are digital certificates?

Answer 48

Digital certificates are electronic documents that validate the identity of individuals or entities in electronic transactions. They are issued by trusted third parties (certificate authorities) and provide assurance of authenticity and non-repudiation.

Question 49

What are audit trails?

Answer 49

Audit trails are records that capture and document the activities and events within a system or network. They serve as evidence of actions performed and can be used to prove the occurrence of specific events or transactions.

Question 50

What are LANS and WANs?

Answer 50

Local Area Networks (LANs) and Wide Area Networks (WANs) are two common types of networks. LANs connect devices within a limited geographical area, such as a home or office, while WANs connect geographically dispersed networks. Both types of networks require proper security measures to protect against unauthorized access and data breaches.

Question 51

What are Network Devices?

Answer 51

Networking devices, such as routers, switches, and firewalls, are responsible for routing, switching, and securing network traffic. Routers direct data packets between different networks, switches connect devices within a network, and firewalls enforce network security policies.

Question 52

What are Network protocols?

Answer 52

Network protocols are sets of rules and standards that govern how data is transmitted and received over a network. Common protocols include Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), which forms the foundation of internet communication, and Domain Name System (DNS), which translates domain names into IP addresses.

Question 53

What are operating systems in cybersecurity?

Answer 53

An operating system serves as the software platform that manages computer hardware and software resources. It provides a secure foundation for running applications and plays a crucial role in cybersecurity. Here are the key aspects related to operating systems.

Question 54

What are Types of Operating Systems?

Answer 54

Popular operating systems include Windows, macOS, and Linux. Each operating system has its strengths and vulnerabilities, making it important to understand the specific security considerations for each platform.

Question 55

What are User Authentication and Access Controls?

Answer 55

Operating systems employ user authentication mechanisms, such as usernames and passwords, to ensure that only authorized individuals can access the system. Access controls further define permissions and privileges for users, limiting their actions and preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Question 56

What is Patch Management and Updates?

Answer 56

Operating systems regularly release updates and patches to address security vulnerabilities. Timely installation of these updates is critical for protecting against known exploits and ensuring a secure computing environment.

Question 57

What is Antivirus and anti-malware software?

Answer 57

Operating systems can be fortified with antivirus and anti-malware software to detect and remove malicious programs that may compromise the system’s security. These software solutions help protect against viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other forms of malware.

Question 58

What is Network Segmentation?

Answer 58

Network segmentation involves dividing a network into smaller, isolated segments to limit the impact of a potential breach. It restricts unauthorized access and contains potential compromises, enhancing overall network security.

Question 59

What is a Trust Zone?

Answer 59

A zone refers to a logical grouping of interfaces or systems that simplifies the management and control of access rules within a network or system. It helps establish and maintain different levels of trust for enhanced security. Each of these zones plays a crucial role in defining and enforcing security policies and controls within a network. By categorizing interfaces and systems into different zones, organizations can streamline their security management processes and ensure appropriate levels of trust and access across their infrastructure. In order to better understand the trust zone model, it is necessary to understand the basic concepts of zones. A core principle in modern cybersecurity architecture is network segmentation using zones to isolate systems with differing security levels. This recognizes that devices have varying risk profiles and business criticality.

Question 60

What is tailored security related to network zoning?

Answer 60

Controls and monitoring can be customized per zone, enabling tighter protection for sensitive assets

Question 61

What is reduced blast radius with respect by network zoning?

Answer 61

Threats are confined to one zone rather than propagating across the network.

Question 62

What is Granular Access as related to network zoning?

Answer 62

Network rules actively limit which zones/systems can communicate.

Question 63

What is improved visibility as related to network zoning?

Answer 63

Traffic flows and anomalies are easier to baseline and monitor within zones.

Question 64

What is Simplified Compliance with respect to a benefit of network zoning?

Answer 64

Zones help logically group assets aligned to regulations

Question 65

What is required for Effective Zoning?

Answer 65

requires classifying assets by risk, function, and data criticality.

Question 66

What are the Four Zones?

Answer 66

Untrusted Zone (UTZ): The UTZ represents the lowest level of trust within the network. It is typically located on the internet-facing side of a security appliance or network edge. By default, traffic from the UTZ is not allowed to enter other zone types unless explicit rules are defined. However, traffic from the Trusted Zone (TZ) is usually permitted to communicate with the UTZ through the Semi-Trusted Zone (STZ), unless specific access control lists (ACLs) restrict the communication. The UTZ is often associated with the color red, symbolizing caution and potential threats. Semi-Trusted Zone (STZ): The STZ offers a higher level of trust compared to the UTZ but is still lower than the TZ. It serves as a secure area between the LAN and the internet. The STZ typically hosts web-tier applications, such as presentation services, reverse-proxy mechanisms, or VPN termination points. It is sometimes referred to as a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The STZ is generally represented by the color yellow, indicating a level of caution and limited access. Trusted Zone (TZ): The TZ provides the highest level of trust within the network. It is characterized by the least scrutiny and restrictions on traffic. TZs are typically part of the LAN but can extend across an enterprise and WAN connection. This zone encompasses end-user systems such as desktops and laptops. Traffic within the TZ is assumed to be secure and trustworthy. The TZ is commonly associated with the color green, signifying safety and reliability. Restricted Zone (RZ): The RZ offers the highest level of security among the four zones. This zone typically contains the most sensitive data/databases and thus only explicit access is allowed to this zone such that direct access to the data within another zone is not allowed except through distinct sources, such as IP addresses and ports. This zone is typically characterized by the color black.

Question 67

What is zero trust framework?

Answer 67

The zone model, discussed previously, originally designed to establish trust levels within network environments, can be effectively integrated with the concept of zero trust when adapting to cloud services and a distributed work-from-home model. In a zero trust framework, the focus shifts from implicitly trusting certain zones to continuously verifying and authorizing access requests regardless of the user’s location or the network they are connected to.