CS0-003 Vulnerability Management Practice Question
A security team is deploying a new web application and wants to ensure it follows secure configuration practices. Which THREE of the following are recommended configuration settings according to CIS benchmarks for web servers? (Select THREE.)
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Disable directory listing
Disabling directory listing, removing default accounts, and enforcing HTTPS are common secure configuration practices recommended by CIS benchmarks.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Disable directory listing
Why this is correct
Disabling directory listing on the web server prevents attackers from enumerating filenames and directory structure when no index file exists. Without this setting, requesting a directory returns a browsable list of all assets, exposing configuration backups, source code, or sensitive data. It is a core hardening step that reduces reconnaissance surface.
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Use HTTP instead of HTTPS
Why it's wrong here
Using HTTP transmits all data, including session cookies, credentials, and application payloads, in cleartext, allowing interception via man-in-the-middle attacks. The correct control is to enforce HTTPS with valid TLS certificates and HSTS to protect confidentiality and integrity. Thus, switching to HTTP weakens security rather than hardening it.
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Enforce HTTPS
Why this is correct
Enforcing HTTPS via TLS encryption protects data in transit from eavesdropping and tampering, and it authenticates the server to clients. It also prevents session hijacking through cookie theft on unencrypted connections. Modern web applications should enforce HTTPS end-to-end, including redirects and subresources.
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Enable automatic directory browsing
Why it's wrong here
Enabling automatic directory browsing is a misconfiguration that grants anonymous users a cached, clickable list of every file and subdirectory in exposed web folders. This allows attackers to quickly locate high-value targets like .env files, database dumps, or source archives without guessing URLs. It is therefore explicitly counter to the secure practice of disabling directory listing.
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Remove default accounts
Why this is correct
Default accounts often ship with known credentials and high privileges, giving attackers a straightforward path into the application or its underlying platform. Removing or at least renaming and changing credentials for all default accounts eliminates this trivial vector. This is part of an identity and access management baseline for secure deployment.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CS0-004 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CS0-004 exam.