FORTINET-NSE123 Practice Questions 1 — 50 Questions

Question 1

Which TWO of the following indicators are commonly associated with a potential phishing email? (Choose two)

Accepted Answer

Generic greetings like 'Dear Customer' instead of the recipient's actual name. Phishing emails frequently employ artificial urgency to prompt rash actions and often feature sender addresses with subtle domain spoofing or misspellings.

Answer

A standard newsletter sent via an officially approved corporate marketing platform with working unsubscribe links

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Content written with perfect grammar, standard company formatting, and no sense of urgency

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An email digitally signed with a valid corporate PKI certificate issued by the internal IT department

Question 2

Which THREE of the following practices help protect end-user devices (endpoints) from malware and compromise? (Choose three)

Accepted Answer

Exercising caution when clicking links or downloading files from untrusted sources. Endpoint protection, keeping software updated, and avoiding unverified links or downloads are vital practices for endpoint security.

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Downloading cracked software and keygens from peer-to-peer file-sharing networks

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Disabling all firewall rules and network logging to maximize system performance

Question 3

An enterprise security team implements Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) across all employee accounts. Which combination of authentication factors represents the strongest implementation of MFA?

Accepted Answer

A password, a push notification sent to a physical mobile device, and a biometric thumbprint scan.. Strong MFA combines three distinct authentication factors: something you know, something you have, and something you are.

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A smart card and a hardware security token.

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A biometric fingerprint scan and a facial recognition scan.

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A password and a PIN memorized by the user.

Question 4

Which TWO of the following measures contribute effectively to a robust 'Defense in Depth' security strategy for an enterprise? (Choose two)

Accepted Answer

Implementing network segmentation to restrict lateral movement between departments. Defense in depth relies on layering independent security controls, such as network segmentation and multi-factor authentication, so that if one control fails, another provides protection.

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Relying entirely on a single powerful perimeter firewall with no internal security controls

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Eliminating all system logs and monitoring to maximize user privacy

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Disabling all endpoint antivirus solutions to improve computer processing speed

Question 5

Which THREE security principles are foundational components of the classic Information Security Triad (CIA Triad)? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Availability, ensuring authorized users have reliable access to information and resources when needed.. The CIA Triad consists of Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.

Answer

Compliance, ensuring all regional government tax laws are strictly obeyed.

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Cost-efficiency, ensuring security budgets remain minimal relative to operational revenue.

Question 6

An employee receives a phone call from an individual claiming to be from the IT department, asking for their network password to resolve an urgent system ticket. The caller sounds professional and urgent. What best describes this type of attack?

Accepted Answer

Vishing (Voice Phishing). Vishing (voice phishing) uses telephone communication to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential information.

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Drive-by download

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Denial of service

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Phishing via email

Question 7

A remote employee connects to an unsecured public Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop and accesses internal corporate resources without utilizing a VPN. Which foundational security principle is primarily compromised in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

Confidentiality, because data in transit can be intercepted by third parties.. Confidentiality is compromised because data transmitted over an unsecured network in plaintext can be intercepted via packet sniffing.

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Availability, because public networks are prone to high latency and packet loss.

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Non-repudiation, because transactions cannot be cryptographically verified.

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Integrity, because unauthorized users can modify corporate files in transit.

Question 8

Which TWO of the following actions should an end user take if they suspect their corporate credentials have been compromised? (Choose two)

Accepted Answer

Immediately notify the internal IT security or helpdesk team. Promptly reporting the incident to IT security and changing the password immediately are critical steps to mitigate unauthorized access.

Answer

Delete all files on the computer to erase evidence of the compromise

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Post about the incident on public social media channels to warn friends

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Keep the incident secret to avoid getting in trouble with management

Question 9

A cybersecurity analyst is investigating a security breach where an attacker bypassed perimeter defenses by sending a weaponized PDF attachment directly to a high-ranking executive's personal email account used on a corporate laptop. What specific type of targeted attack does this represent?

Accepted Answer

Whaling attack. Whaling is a form of spear phishing specifically directed at high-profile targets like executives or senior management.

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Mass spam campaign

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MAC spoofing attack

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Structured query language injection

Question 10

An employee notices their workstation acting sluggish, and several desktop files have had their extensions changed to an unfamiliar format accompanied by a ransom text file. What type of attack has occurred?

Accepted Answer

Ransomware infection. Ransomware encrypts user or system files and demands payment for the decryption key.

Answer

DDoS attack

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Man-in-the-middle interception

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SQL injection

Question 11

An organization implements a policy requiring all software installations on corporate endpoints to be approved and pushed centrally by the IT department, preventing users from installing unverified applications. Which security principle is being enforced?

Accepted Answer

Controlled application execution (Whitelisting). Application whitelisting or controlled application execution ensures that only pre-approved, trusted software can run on endpoints.

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Network boundary defense

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Asymmetric encryption key management

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Principle of fail-secure

Question 12

An employee notices their computer screen locked with a message demanding cryptocurrency payment to restore encrypted files. What type of malware has infected the workstation?

Accepted Answer

Ransomware that encrypts critical files and demands payment for access.. Ransomware encrypts user files and demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key.

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A rootkit that grants administrative privileges to remote attackers.

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Adware that automatically displays unwanted promotional banners.

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Spyware that covertly records keystrokes and captures screenshots.

Question 13

Which THREE practices represent fundamental cybersecurity hygiene for end users to protect corporate endpoints? (Choose three)

Accepted Answer

Promptly installing operating system and application security patches.. Keeping software updated, avoiding unverified downloads, and locking screens are foundational hygiene steps.

Answer

Storing master credentials in a plain-text document on the desktop for quick reference.

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Disabling endpoint antivirus agents to maximize system performance during video calls.

Question 14

A user reports that their workstation is running unusually slow and sending out large amounts of encrypted traffic to an unknown external IP. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The host is infected with malware and participating in a botnet.. These symptoms are consistent with a botnet infection where the host is part of a command-and-control network.

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The user installed a legitimate browser extension.

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The user's local firewall is performing a full system scan.

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The system is performing a routine background update.

Question 15

An organization wants to ensure that no single administrator has the unchecked authority to approve and deploy high-risk firewall rule changes into production. Which security governance mechanism should be implemented?

Accepted Answer

Separation of duties. Separation of duties ensures that critical tasks require authorization from multiple distinct individuals to prevent misuse or error.

Answer

Mandatory access control labeling

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Single sign-on federation

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Role-based access auditing

Question 16

An end user is browsing the internet and encounters a pop-up warning stating that their computer is infected with multiple viruses, prompting them to call a toll-free number immediately for technical support. What is the most accurate classification of this threat?

Accepted Answer

A tech support scam. Tech support scams use fear and false urgency via deceptive alerts to trick users into paying for unnecessary services or granting remote access to their machines.

Answer

A SQL injection exploit

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A distributed denial-of-service attack

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A legitimate endpoint telemetry notification

Question 17

An attacker calls the corporate helpdesk posing as a stressed executive traveling abroad, claiming they are locked out of their account and urgently need their password reset without going through standard verification protocols. This attack relies primarily on exploiting which vulnerability?

Accepted Answer

Human psychology and helpfulness. Social engineering exploits human psychology, such as helpfulness, fear, or authority, rather than technical software flaws.

Answer

Misconfigured firewall security policies

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Cryptographic weak implementation

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Unpatched operating system kernel bugs

Question 18

Which TWO characteristics describe effective password management principles? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Using a password manager to generate and store complex, unique passwords securely.. Effective password management relies on using password managers to generate long, unique passphrases or passwords for every account.

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Changing passwords every single week regardless of whether any compromise indicators exist.

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Writing down primary administrator passwords on sticky notes attached to computer monitors.

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Reusing the same strong password across all personal and professional accounts for convenience.

Question 19

An attacker intercepts legitimate communication between two parties and alters the message content while impersonating each party to the other. What type of cyber attack has occurred?

Accepted Answer

A man-in-the-middle attack intercepting and modifying transit data.. An attack where an adversary positions themselves between two endpoints to monitor or alter traffic is a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack.

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A distributed denial-of-service attack flooding servers.

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A zero-day exploit leveraging unpatched software code.

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A brute-force attack guessing login credentials.

Question 20

An end user receives an email from an external domain with a display name mimicking the company CEO, asking for an urgent wire transfer. What is the most accurate primary classification of this threat?

Accepted Answer

A targeted spear-phishing attack designed for financial fraud.. This scenario describes Business Email Compromise (BEC) and spear phishing, where attackers impersonate executives to induce financial fraud.

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A brute-force credential stuffing attack.

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An advanced persistent threat using zero-day malware.

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A standard denial-of-service attack.