SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Test 4 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A company wants to make sure only approved administrators can view and rotate a shared encryption secret used by several applications. What is the best way to manage that secret?

Accepted Answer

Use a centralized secrets vault or key management system. A centralized secrets vault or key management system (KMS) like HashiCorp Vault or AWS KMS provides role-based access control (RBAC), audit logging, and automatic rotation of secrets. This ensures only approved administrators can view and rotate the shared encryption secret, while applications retrieve it via secure APIs without exposing it in code or files.

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Store it in a shared spreadsheet

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Put it directly in application source code

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Email the secret only to trusted administrators

Question 2

A help desk receives an email from an employee asking to urgently reset MFA because they are traveling and locked out. The sender address matches the employee's name but uses a slightly different domain. What is the best action for the help desk agent?

Accepted Answer

Use a separate, known-good contact method to verify the request before making any change.. The email's domain mismatch is a classic indicator of a phishing or social engineering attempt. The help desk must verify the request through a separate, known-good communication channel (e.g., a phone call to the employee's official number or an in-person verification) before resetting MFA, as MFA reset bypasses a critical authentication control. This aligns with the principle of out-of-band verification to prevent unauthorized account takeover.

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Reset MFA immediately because the request appears to come from the employee.

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Reply to the email and ask the employee to confirm the request in writing.

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Forward the message to everyone in IT so another technician can decide what to do.

Question 3

A company suspects the master encryption key used by a cloud storage service may have been exposed. The data must remain protected if someone later obtains a copy of the old key. What is the best next step?

Accepted Answer

Rotate the key and re-encrypt or rewrap the protected data under the new key.. Key rotation is the correct response because it invalidates the old master encryption key by generating a new one and re-encrypting or rewrapping the protected data under the new key. This ensures that even if an attacker later obtains a copy of the old key, the data remains protected because it is no longer encrypted with that key. In cloud storage services like AWS KMS or Azure Key Vault, this process is typically automated and does not require re-uploading the data.

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Delete the stored files so the exposed key can no longer be used.

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Change every user's password because that will also invalidate the exposed encryption key.

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Increase file compression so the data becomes harder to read.

Question 4

During an incident, a server administrator needs elevated access to production logs for exactly two hours after manager approval. The organization does not want standing privileged accounts. Which solution is the best fit?

Accepted Answer

Use just-in-time privileged access through a privileged access management workflow.. Just-in-time (JIT) privileged access through a Privileged Access Management (PAM) workflow is the best fit because it grants the administrator elevated permissions for exactly two hours, then automatically revokes them. This aligns with the requirement for time-limited access without maintaining standing privileged accounts, reducing the attack surface and ensuring compliance with the principle of least privilege.

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Add the administrator to a permanent domain admin group so access is always available.

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Create a shared administrator account for the incident team and change the password afterward.

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Grant access by sending the administrator a VPN profile with broader network reach.

Question 5

Based on the exhibit, which document type should be updated to make the approval and retention requirements mandatory across the organization?

Accepted Answer

Policy, because it sets mandatory rules that apply organization-wide.. A policy document is the correct choice because it establishes mandatory rules that apply organization-wide, making approval and retention requirements enforceable across all departments. Unlike guidelines or procedures, policies are authoritative and require compliance, which is essential for standardizing security controls like data retention periods.

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Guideline, because it provides flexible advice without requiring enforcement.

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Procedure, because it lists the exact steps the help desk follows.

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Architecture diagram, because it shows where documents are stored.

Question 6

Based on the exhibit, which improvement best addresses the biggest cryptographic risk?

TLS inventory:
- edge-vpn01 and edge-vpn02 present the same certificate and private key
- private key file stored in a shared SMB folder
- admins copy the key manually during maintenance
- compromise of either gateway would expose the file path to the same share

Accepted Answer

Place the private key in an HSM or cloud key vault and issue unique keys or certificates per gateway.. The biggest cryptographic risk is the shared private key stored in an SMB share, which violates the principle of least privilege and creates a single point of compromise. Using a Hardware Security Module (HSM) or cloud key vault ensures the private key is never exposed in plaintext, and issuing unique keys per gateway eliminates the risk that compromising one gateway exposes the key for all others. This directly addresses the core issue of key confidentiality and isolation.

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Increase the certificate expiration to five years to reduce renewal work.

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Keep copying the same key everywhere so failover is easier to manage.

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Disable certificate validation to avoid user-facing outages.

Question 7

Based on the exhibit, what is the best fix so role changes take effect promptly without waiting for token expiration?

Accepted Answer

Perform authorization checks against current directory data on each privileged request.. Performing authorization checks against current directory data (e.g., via LDAP or a policy decision point) on each privileged request ensures that role changes are enforced immediately, regardless of JWT token lifetime. This decouples authentication (token validity) from authorization (current role membership), allowing dynamic updates without waiting for token expiration or reauthentication.

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Increase the token lifetime so users reauthenticate less often during the workday.

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Store the JWT in a browser cookie so it refreshes automatically when roles change.

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Disable MFA and rely only on the role claim inside the token.

Question 8

Which two actions are examples of accounting in AAA? Select two.

Accepted Answer

Recording successful logons in a security log. Accounting in AAA involves recording user activities, such as successful logons, in a security log. This provides an audit trail for monitoring and compliance. Option C is correct because tracking which files a user opened during a session is a form of accounting that logs resource access for accountability and usage analysis.

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Checking a username and password before access

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Granting access to the finance folder

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Requiring a fingerprint and a password

Question 9

Which action is the best example of accounting in AAA?

Accepted Answer

The system records the username, timestamp, and files opened during the session.. Accounting in AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting) focuses on tracking user activities and resource usage. Option B correctly describes this by specifying the recording of username, timestamp, and files accessed, which are typical audit log entries used for monitoring and compliance.

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The system checks a password and a one-time code before allowing access.

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The system grants access to the finance folder after the user is approved.

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The system forces the user to change their password after 90 days.

Question 10

A development team needs a centralized service to store, rotate, and control access to encryption keys for applications. Which solution best fits?

Accepted Answer

Key management service, because it centralizes key storage and rotation controls.. A key management service (KMS) centralizes the lifecycle of cryptographic keys, including secure storage, automated rotation, and fine-grained access control via IAM policies. This directly meets the requirement for a centralized service to store, rotate, and control access to encryption keys for applications, as KMS is purpose-built for these tasks.

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Port forwarding rule, because it allows applications to reach the encryption system.

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Load balancer, because it distributes encryption requests across servers.

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Web application firewall, because it protects the keys from injection attacks.

Question 11

A security team configures the SIEM to alert when a user account has several failed logins followed by a successful login from a new location. What type of control is this?

Accepted Answer

Detective control, because it identifies suspicious activity after the event has started.. This is a detective control because the SIEM is configured to monitor and analyze log data after events have occurred, specifically identifying a pattern of several failed logins followed by a successful login from a new location. The alert does not prevent or block the login; it only notifies the security team of potentially suspicious activity that has already taken place, allowing them to investigate further.

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Preventive control, because it blocks the login attempt before it occurs.

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Corrective control, because it automatically fixes the account after the login succeeds.

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Deterrent control, because it discourages attackers from trying to sign in.

Question 12

A manager wants files on a stolen laptop to remain unreadable even if the drive is removed and connected to another computer. Which control should be implemented?

Accepted Answer

Full-disk encryption. Full-disk encryption (FDE) encrypts the entire storage volume, including the operating system, applications, and all user data. When the drive is removed and connected to another computer, the encrypted data remains inaccessible without the correct decryption key or passphrase, ensuring files stay unreadable. This directly addresses the manager's requirement for data confidentiality even after physical theft.

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File compression

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Packet filtering

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Digital signing

Question 13

Which two documents are typically mandatory and organization-wide rather than optional guidance? Select two.

Accepted Answer

Security policy. Security policies are mandatory, high-level documents that define management's intent and direction for security, establishing rules that all employees must follow. They are organization-wide and enforceable, unlike guidelines which are optional. Standards are also mandatory and specify uniform technical controls or configurations (e.g., requiring AES-256 encryption) that must be implemented across the organization to comply with the security policy.

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Guideline

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Personal preference note

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Architecture diagram

Question 14

Based on the exhibit, which additional control best reduces the risk of tailgating at the entrance while preserving normal employee flow?

Accepted Answer

Install a mantrap or anti-passback turnstile that admits one person per badge authorization.. A mantrap or anti-passback turnstile enforces one-person-per-badge authorization, physically preventing tailgating by only allowing a single individual to pass per valid credential. This preserves normal employee flow because authorized users can enter quickly without manual intervention, unlike guards or awareness campaigns that rely on human compliance.

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Post a security guard at the entrance during business hours.

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Add more CCTV cameras in the lobby and at the parking lot entrance.

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Send quarterly emails reminding employees not to hold doors open.

Question 15

Based on the exhibit, which awareness control best addresses the observed failure pattern?

Accepted Answer

Run targeted vishing exercises and teach a callback verification procedure.. The exhibit shows a pattern where users are falling for phone-based social engineering (vishing), not email or general phishing. Option B directly addresses this by running targeted vishing exercises to simulate the real threat and teaching a callback verification procedure, which is a specific technical control to verify the identity of callers before taking action. This is the most effective awareness control because it trains users to recognize and respond to the exact attack vector observed.

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Replace the phone-call simulation with longer monthly policy newsletters.

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Disable MFA so users are not asked for one-time codes.

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Tell users to ignore all requests from anyone outside the company.