CND Network Defense Management Practice Question
A CND engineer is preparing for an external PCI-DSS v4.0 compliance audit for the cardholder data environment (CDE). To satisfy Requirement 11.3 regarding penetration testing, how frequently must external network penetration testing be conducted according to the standard?
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
✓
At least every 6 months and after any significant infrastructure modification
PCI-DSS v4.0 Requirement 11.3.1 mandates that external penetration testing be performed at least once every 6 months and after any significant infrastructure change.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Every 30 days continuously across all internal subnets
Why it's wrong here
Internal vulnerability scans are monthly, but external pen tests are semi-annual.
- ✗
Annually following the completion of the fiscal budget review
Why it's wrong here
Annual frequency is insufficient for PCI-DSS external pen testing requirements.
- ✓
At least every 6 months and after any significant infrastructure modification
Why this is correct
PCI-DSS mandates semi-annual external penetration testing for the CDE.
- ✗
Only upon the initial deployment of the cardholder data environment
Why it's wrong here
Ongoing recurring testing is mandatory under PCI-DSS.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This CND practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 CND exam.