CompTIA CS0-003 CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Exam Practice Test

Answer : C

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step

Performing a vulnerability scan during the recovery phase ensures that corrective actions, such as patches or configuration changes, have effectively addressed the vulnerabilities exploited during the incident. This step validates the system's security before fully restoring operations.

CompTIA CySA+ Objectives (Domain 3.0 - Incident Response)

CompTIA CySA+ Practice Tests (Chapter 3: Containment, Eradication, and Recovery)

Answer : A

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step

Automation in cybersecurity is best utilized to improve the speed and accuracy of incident detection, analysis, and response. Tools like SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) streamline workflows, allowing analysts to focus on more complex tasks while reducing response times. This ensures quicker containment and mitigation of threats.

CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide (Chapter 1: Cybersecurity Automation, Page 28)

CompTIA CySA+ Practice Tests (Domain 1.3 Tools for Malicious Activity, Page 13)

Answer : A

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step

Non-persistent virtual desktop infrastructures (VDIs) are the most suitable choice to ensure consistent security across different locations. Non-persistent VDIs revert to their original state after a session, reducing the risk of data leakage or malware persistence. These systems are centrally managed, ensuring uniform security policies regardless of the user's location.

CompTIA CySA+ All-in-One Guide (Chapter 1: System and Network Architecture)

CompTIA CySA+ Objectives (Domain 1.1 - Infrastructure Concepts)

Answer : D

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step

Directory traversal, also known as path traversal, is an attack that allows attackers to access restricted directories and execute commands outside the web server's root directory. The %2E encoding corresponds to a dot (.) in ASCII, and %2E%2E resolves to ../. The log entries indicate attempts to navigate directories upward to access sensitive files like /etc/passwd. Since no malicious activity was flagged, it is inferred this was either an unsuccessful or reconnaissance attempt.

CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide (Chapter 3: Malicious Activity, Page 79)

CompTIA CySA+ Objectives (Domain 1.2 - Indicators of Potentially Malicious Activity)

Answer : D

Comprehensive Detailed

To match the mitigation criteria, we analyze each machine's CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) attributes:

Attack Vector (AV): N for network (matches the requirement of network-based attack).

Attack Complexity (AC): L for low (meets the requirement for low complexity).

Privileges Required (PR): N for none (indicating no privileges are needed).

User Interaction (UI): N for none (matches the requirement that no user action is needed).

Confidentiality (C), Integrity (I), and Availability (A): Requires high confidentiality and availability with low integrity.

From these criteria:

Computer1 requires user interaction (UI:R), which disqualifies it.

Computer2 has a local attack vector (AV:L), which disqualifies it for a network-based attack.

Computer3 has a high attack complexity (AC:H), which does not meet the low complexity requirement.

Computer4 meets all criteria: network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, no user interaction, and appropriate confidentiality, integrity, and availability levels.

Thus, Computer4 is the correct answer.

NIST NVD (National Vulnerability Database): CVSS vector standards.

CVSS 3.1 User Guide: Explanation of each CVSS metric and its application in vulnerability prioritization.

Answer : D, F

Comprehensive Detailed

To effectively prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks, implementing appropriate security controls within the application code and at the network layer is critical. Here's a breakdown of each option:

A . Implement an IPS in front of the web server

Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) are primarily designed to detect and prevent network-based attacks, not application-layer vulnerabilities such as XSS. They do not specifically mitigate XSS threats effectively.

B . Enable MFA on the website

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) strengthens user authentication but does not address XSS, which typically involves injecting malicious scripts rather than compromising user credentials.

C . Take the website offline until it is patched

While this might temporarily mitigate the risk, it is not a practical solution for ongoing operations, especially when effective preventative controls (e.g., WAF rules or code updates) can be implemented without disabling the service.

D . Implement a compensating control in the source code

Implementing security controls at the code level is an effective way to mitigate XSS risks. This can involve proper input validation, output encoding, and utilizing libraries that sanitize user inputs. By addressing the root cause in the source code, developers prevent scripts from being injected or executed in the browser.

E . Configure TLS v1.3 on the website

While TLS v1.3 secures the communication channel, it does not address XSS directly. XSS attacks manipulate client-side scripts, which TLS cannot prevent, as TLS only encrypts data in transit.

F . Fix the vulnerability using a virtual patch at the WAF

Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) can mitigate XSS vulnerabilities by identifying and blocking malicious payloads. Virtual patching at the WAF level provides a temporary fix by preventing exploit attempts from reaching the application, giving developers time to implement a permanent fix in the source code.

OWASP XSS Prevention Cheat Sheet: Detailed guidance on encoding, sanitizing, and safe coding practices to prevent XSS.

NIST SP 800-44: Guidelines on Web Security, discussing WAFs and application-layer protections.

CWE-79: Common Weakness Enumeration on Cross-Site Scripting, which outlines ways to address and prevent XSS attacks.

Answer : A

Comprehensive Detailed

The most effective and economical way to ensure the security of an automated information system is to design it with security in mind from the outset. This is often referred to as 'security by design.' Here's a breakdown of each option and why option A is correct:

A . Originally designed to provide necessary security

Systems designed with security from the beginning integrate secure practices and considerations during the development process. This approach mitigates the need for costly and complex retroactive security implementations, which are common in systems where security was an afterthought.

Cost Efficiency: Security implementations at the design stage can be embedded into the system architecture, reducing the costs associated with later modifications.

Effectiveness: Security-by-design approaches often result in robust systems that are more resilient to vulnerabilities because they address security concerns at each development phase.

B . Subjected to intense security testing

While rigorous security testing (such as penetration testing and vulnerability assessments) is essential, it is reactive. Security testing is more effective when applied to systems already designed with foundational security principles, ensuring that tests identify potential flaws in an inherently secure system.

C . Customized to meet specific security threats

Customizing security to meet specific threats addresses unique risks, but such a targeted approach may miss new or emerging threats not initially considered. It also risks neglecting fundamental security practices that apply universally, leading to potential vulnerabilities.

D . Optimized prior to the addition of security

Optimizing a system before adding security features may enhance performance but does not guarantee security. Security cannot be effectively added onto a system as an afterthought without incurring additional costs or creating potential weaknesses.

NIST SP 800-160: Systems Security Engineering, which emphasizes designing systems with security integrated from the beginning.

OWASP Security by Design Principles: Explores how security considerations are most effective when included early in development.