200-201 Security Concepts Practice Test 3 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Which TWO of the following are examples of malware that rely on user interaction to spread? (Select two.)

Accepted Answer

Trojan. A virus requires user action (e.g., opening an infected file) to execute and spread. A Trojan also relies on user deception to install. Worms spread without user interaction.

Answer

Rootkit

Answer

Worm

Answer

Ransomware

Question 2

Which element of the CIA triad ensures that data cannot be modified by unauthorized parties?

Accepted Answer

Integrity. Integrity protects data from unauthorized alteration. Confidentiality prevents disclosure, availability ensures access.

Answer

Availability

Answer

Non-repudiation

Answer

Confidentiality

Question 3

A security analyst discovers that an employee's computer is infected with malware that encrypts files and demands payment. What type of malware is this?

Accepted Answer

Ransomware. Ransomware encrypts files and demands a ransom for decryption.

Answer

Spyware

Answer

Worm

Answer

Rootkit

Question 4

A network analyst notices a high volume of traffic from a single external IP address to multiple internal hosts on port 443. The traffic includes incomplete TCP handshakes. Which type of reconnaissance is being performed?

Accepted Answer

Active reconnaissance via port scanning. Active reconnaissance involves direct interaction with the target, such as port scanning, which generates traffic. Passive recon uses public data.

Answer

Social engineering attack

Answer

Denial of Service attack

Answer

Passive reconnaissance using WHOIS

Question 5

What is the primary difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption?

Accepted Answer

Symmetric uses a single shared key; asymmetric uses a key pair. Symmetric uses one shared key; asymmetric uses a public-private key pair.

Answer

Asymmetric encryption is used only for hashing

Answer

Symmetric uses two keys, asymmetric uses one

Answer

Symmetric is slower than asymmetric

Question 6

A company's security policy requires that sensitive data be encrypted at rest using AES-256. Which type of encryption does AES-256 represent?

Accepted Answer

Symmetric encryption. AES is a symmetric encryption algorithm, meaning the same key is used for encryption and decryption.

Answer

Hashing algorithm

Answer

Digital signature

Answer

Asymmetric encryption

Question 7

During a security assessment, an analyst uses the Shodan search engine to find exposed industrial control systems. Which phase of the attack lifecycle does this activity represent?

Accepted Answer

Reconnaissance. Reconnaissance involves gathering information about targets. Shodan is a passive reconnaissance tool that indexes device information without direct interaction.

Answer

Command and control

Answer

Delivery

Answer

Exploitation

Question 8

An organization needs to ensure that a document has not been altered and to verify the sender's identity. Which combination of cryptographic techniques should be used?

Accepted Answer

Digital signature and hashing. Hashing ensures integrity (detects changes), and digital signatures (asymmetric) provide authentication and non-repudiation.

Answer

Digital signature and symmetric encryption

Answer

Symmetric encryption and hashing

Answer

Asymmetric encryption and hashing

Question 9

Which security concept describes the potential for a threat to exploit a vulnerability, and is often expressed as a combination of likelihood and impact?

Accepted Answer

Risk. Risk is the probability and potential damage from a threat exploiting a vulnerability.

Answer

Exploit

Answer

Threat

Answer

Vulnerability

Question 10

An attacker sends an email that appears to come from the company's IT department, asking the recipient to click a link and reset their password due to a security breach. Which type of social engineering is this?

Accepted Answer

Phishing. B is correct because the attack uses email as the delivery vector to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link and divulging credentials. This matches the definition of phishing, which is a broad social engineering technique that employs deceptive electronic communications (typically email) to steal sensitive information. The email impersonates the IT department to create a false sense of urgency, a hallmark of phishing campaigns.

Answer

Vishing

Answer

Pretexting

Answer

Spear phishing

Question 11

Which compliance framework is specifically designed to protect the privacy and security of electronic health information in the United States?

Accepted Answer

HIPAA. HIPAA governs protected health information (PHI) in the US.

Answer

GDPR

Answer

ISO 27001

Answer

PCI DSS

Question 12

A security engineer discovers that an attacker has inserted fake entries into a DNS resolver's cache, redirecting users to a malicious website. Which attack has occurred?

Accepted Answer

DNS poisoning. DNS poisoning, also known as DNS cache poisoning, occurs when an attacker inserts forged DNS resource records into a resolver's cache. This causes the resolver to return a malicious IP address for a legitimate domain, redirecting users to an attacker-controlled site without their knowledge.

Answer

DDoS

Answer

Man-in-the-middle

Answer

ARP spoofing

Question 13

In a PKI, what is the role of a Certificate Authority (CA)?

Accepted Answer

Issues and validates digital certificates. A CA issues, revokes, and manages digital certificates, establishing trust in the public key's ownership.

Answer

Generates private keys for users

Answer

Provides symmetric keys for session encryption

Answer

Encrypts data for secure transmission

Question 14

A security analyst is reviewing network logs and identifies several failed login attempts followed by a successful login from an unusual geographic location. Which TWO security concepts are most directly related to this scenario? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Exploit. The failed attempts indicate an active attempt to exploit a vulnerability (threat), and the unusual location suggests unauthorized access (exploitation).

Answer

Non-repudiation

Answer

Risk

Answer

Vulnerability

Question 15

A company is implementing a new security policy to protect customer payment information. Which TWO compliance frameworks are most relevant to this requirement? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

GDPR. PCI DSS applies to payment card data; GDPR applies to personal data of EU residents, which may include payment information.

Answer

HIPAA

Answer

ISO 27001

Answer

NIST Cybersecurity Framework