An MNC hired Brandon, a network defender, to establish secured VPN communication between the company's remote offices. For this purpose, Brandon employed a VPN topology where all the remote offices communicate with the corporate office but communication between the remote offices is denied.
Identify the VPN topology employed by Brandon in the above scenario.
Answer : C
A hub-and-spoke VPN topology is a type of VPN topology where all the remote offices communicate with the corporate office, but communication between the remote offices is denied. The corporate office acts as the hub, and the remote offices act as the spokes. This topology reduces the number of VPN tunnels required and simplifies the management of VPN policies. A point-to-point VPN topology is a type of VPN topology where two endpoints establish a direct VPN connection. A star topology is a type of VPN topology where one endpoint acts as the central node and connects to multiple other endpoints. A full-mesh VPN topology is a type of VPN topology where every endpoint connects to every other endpoint.
Tristan, a professional penetration tester, was recruited by an organization to test its network infrastructure. The organization wanted to understand its current security posture and its strength in defending against external threats. For this purpose, the organization did not provide any information about their IT infrastructure to Tristan. Thus, Tristan initiated zero-knowledge attacks, with no information or assistance from the organization.
Which of the following types of penetration testing has Tristan initiated in the above scenario?
Answer : A
Black-box testing is a type of penetration testing where the tester has no prior knowledge of the target system or network and initiates zero-knowledge attacks, with no information or assistance from the organization. Black-box testing simulates the perspective of an external attacker who tries to find and exploit vulnerabilities without any insider information. Black-box testing can help identify unknown or hidden vulnerabilities that may not be detected by other types of testing. However, black-box testing can also be time-consuming, costly, and incomplete, as it depends on the tester's skills and tools.
Karter, a security professional, deployed a honeypot on the organization's network for luring attackers who attempt to breach the network. For this purpose, he configured a type of honeypot that simulates a real OS as well as the applications and services of a target network. Furthermore, the honeypot deployed by Karter only responds to pre-configured commands.
Identify the type of Honeypot deployed by Karter in the above scenario.
Answer : A
A low-interaction honeypot is a type of honeypot that simulates a real OS as well as the applications and services of a target network, but only responds to pre-configured commands. It is designed to capture basic information about the attacker, such as their IP address, tools, and techniques. A low-interaction honeypot is easier to deploy and maintain than a high-interaction honeypot, which fully emulates a real system and allows the attacker to interact with it. A pure honeypot is a real system that is intentionally vulnerable and exposed to attackers. A medium-interaction honeypot is a type of honeypot that offers more functionality and interactivity than a low-interaction honeypot, but less than a high-interaction honeypot.
NexaCorp. an enterprise with a robust Linux infrastructure, has been facing consistent downtimes without any apparent reasons. The company's initial investigation suggests possible unauthorized system-level changes. NexaCorp's IT team realizes that It needs to monitor and analyze system logs more efficiently to pinpoint the cause. What would be the optimal approach for NexaCorp to monitor and analyze its Linux system logs to detect and prevent unauthorized changes?
Answer : C
For NexaCorp to effectively monitor and analyze system logs, implementing a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system is the optimal approach:
SIEM Overview: SIEM systems collect, normalize, and analyze log data from various sources in real-time.
Benefits:
Centralization: Aggregates logs from all systems into a single platform.
Correlation: Identifies patterns and correlates events from different sources to detect anomalies.
Implementation Steps:
Select a SIEM Solution: Choose a suitable SIEM tool (e.g., Splunk, ELK Stack, QRadar).
Integration: Configure the SIEM to collect logs from all relevant systems.
Alerting and Reporting: Set up alerts for suspicious activities and generate periodic reports.
SIEM Basics: Link
Implementing SIEM: Link
A renowned research institute with a high-security wireless network recently encountered an advanced cyber attack. The attack was not detected by traditional security measures and resulted in significant data exfiltration. The wireless network was equipped with WPA3 encryption, MAC address filtering, and had disabled SSID broadcasting. Intriguingly. the attack occurred without any noticeable disruption or changes in network performance. After an exhaustive forensic analysis, the cybersecurity team pinpointed the attack method. Which of the following wireless network-specific attacks was most likely used?
Answer : B
Definition of Evil Twin Attack:
An Evil Twin Attack involves setting up a rogue access point that mimics a legitimate Wi-Fi network. Unsuspecting users connect to this rogue AP, allowing the attacker to intercept and capture network traffic.
Bypassing Security Measures:
Even with WPA3 encryption, MAC address filtering, and disabled SSID broadcasting, an Evil Twin can trick users into connecting by mimicking the legitimate network's SSID and signal strength.
Stealth and Detection:
The attack can be performed without noticeable disruption to the network, as the rogue AP simply relays traffic to the legitimate network, making it hard to detect through traditional measures.
Forensic Analysis:
Forensic analysis revealing the method indicates that sophisticated techniques were used to capture and exfiltrate data without triggering security alarms.
Given the described security environment and the nature of the attack, an Evil Twin Attack is the most likely method used.
Ashton is working as a security specialist in SoftEight Tech. He was instructed by the management to strengthen the Internet access policy. For this purpose, he implemented a type of Internet access policy that forbids everything and imposes strict restrictions on all company computers, whether it is system or network usage.
Identify the type of Internet access policy implemented by Ashton in the above scenario.
Answer : A
The correct answer is A, as it identifies the type of Internet access policy implemented by Ashton in the above scenario. An Internet access policy is a set of rules and guidelines that defines how an organization's employees or members can use the Internet and what types of websites or services they can access. There are different types of Internet access policies, such as:
Paranoid policy: This type of policy forbids everything and imposes strict restrictions on all company computers, whether it is system or network usage. This policy is suitable for organizations that deal with highly sensitive or classified information and have a high level of security and compliance requirements.
Prudent policy: This type of policy allows some things and blocks others and imposes moderate restrictions on company computers, depending on the role and responsibility of the user. This policy is suitable for organizations that deal with confidential or proprietary information and have a medium level of security and compliance requirements.
Permissive policy: This type of policy allows most things and blocks few and imposes minimal restrictions on company computers, as long as the user does not violate any laws or regulations. This policy is suitable for organizations that deal with public or general information and have a low level of security and compliance requirements.
Promiscuous policy: This type of policy allows everything and blocks nothing and imposes no restrictions on company computers, regardless of the user's role or responsibility. This policy is suitable for organizations that have no security or compliance requirements and trust their employees or members to use the Internet responsibly.
In the above scenario, Ashton implemented a paranoid policy that forbids everything and imposes strict restrictions on all company computers, whether it is system or network usage. Option B is incorrect, as it does not identify the type of Internet access policy implemented by Ashton in the above scenario. A prudent policy allows some things and blocks others and imposes moderate restrictions on company computers, depending on the role and responsibility of the user. In the above scenario, Ashton did not implement a prudent policy, but a paranoid policy. Option C is incorrect, as it does not identify the type of Internet access policy implemented by Ashton in the above scenario. A permissive policy allows most things and blocks few and imposes minimal restrictions on company computers, as long as the user does not violate any laws or regulations. In the above scenario, Ashton did not implement a permissive policy, but a paranoid policy. Option D is incorrect, as it does not identify the type of Internet access policy implemented by Ashton in the above scenario. A promiscuous policy allows everything and blocks nothing and imposes no restrictions on company computers, regardless of the user's role or responsibility. In the above scenario, Ashton did not implement a promiscuous policy, but a paranoid policy.
You've been called in as a computer forensics investigator to handle a case involving a missing company laptop from the accounting department, which contained sensitive financial dat
a. The company suspects a potential data breach and wants to recover any evidence from the missing device. What is your MOST important initial action regarding the digital evidence?
Answer : D
In handling a case involving a missing laptop with sensitive financial data, the most important initial action regarding digital evidence is:
Securing the Scene:
Prevent Contamination: Secure the location where the laptop was last seen to prevent any further tampering or contamination of potential evidence.
Preservation: Ensure that any physical evidence related to the incident is preserved for further investigation.
Subsequent Steps:
Investigation: After securing the scene, proceed with interviewing personnel, reporting the incident to law enforcement, and analyzing the laptop (if found) without turning it on to avoid altering any evidence.
Guidelines for handling digital evidence: NIST Digital Evidence
Best practices in digital forensics: SANS Institute