ISC SSCP Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

ISC SSCP Online Questions & Answers

• Question 671:

  Which of the following media is MOST resistant to EMI interference?

  A. microwave
  B. fiber optic
  C. twisted pair
  D. coaxial cable
  B. fiber optic

  ---

  A fiber optic cable is a physical medium that is capable of conducting modulated light trasmission. Fiber optic cable carries signals as light waves, thus creating higher trasmission speeds and greater distances due to less attenuation. This

  type of cabling is more difficult to tap than other cabling and is most resistant to interference, especially EMI. Source: KRUTZ, Ronald L. and VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide:

  Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, John Wiley and Sons, 2001, Chapter 3:

  Telecommunications and Network Security (page 103).

• Question 672:

  Because ordinary cable introduces a toxic hazard in the event of fire, special cabling is required in a separate area provided for air circulation for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (sometimes referred to as HVAC) and typically provided

  in the space between the structural ceiling and a drop-down ceiling.

  This area is referred to as the:

  A. smoke boundry area
  B. fire detection area
  C. Plenum area
  D. Intergen area
  C. Plenum area

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  In building construction, a plenum (pronounced PLEH-nuhm, from Latin meaning full) is a separate space provided for air circulation for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (sometimes referred to as HVAC) and typically provided in the space between the structural ceiling and a drop-down ceiling. A plenum may also be under a raised floor. In buildings with computer installations, the plenum space is often used to house connecting communication cables. Because ordinary cable introduces a toxic hazard in the event of fire, special plenum cabling is required in plenum areas.

  Source: http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid80_gci213716,00.html

• Question 673:

  Packet Filtering Firewalls examines both the source and destination address of the:

  A. incoming and outgoing data packets
  B. outgoing data packets only
  C. Incoming Data packets only
  D. user data packet
  A. incoming and outgoing data packets

  ---

  Packeting filtering firewalls are devices that enforce administrative security policies by filtering incoming traffic as well as outgoing traffic based on rules that can include the source and/or destination addresses.

  "Outgoing data packets" is incorrect. Firewalls filter incoming as well as outgoing traffic. This is sometimes called Egress and Ingress filtering.

  "Incoming data packets only" is incorrect. (see previous explantion)

  "User data packet" is incorrect. A packet filtering firewall does not typicallly look into the data portion of the packet.

  References

  CBK, p. 464

  AIO3, pp. 482 - 484

• Question 674:

  An Architecture where there are more than two execution domains or privilege levels is called:

  A. Ring Architecture.
  B. Ring Layering
  C. Network Environment.
  D. Security Models
  A. Ring Architecture.

  ---

  In computer science, hierarchical protection domains, often called protection rings, are a mechanism to protect data and functionality from faults (fault tolerance) and malicious behavior (computer security). This approach is diametrically opposite to that of capability-based security.

  Computer operating systems provide different levels of access to resources. A protection ring is one of two or more hierarchical levels or layers of privilege within the architecture of a computer system. This is generally hardware-enforced by some CPU architectures that provide different CPU modes at the hardware or microcode level. Rings are arranged in a hierarchy from most privileged (most trusted, usually numbered zero) to least privileged (least trusted, usually with the highest ring number). On most operating systems, Ring 0 is the level with the most privileges and interacts most directly with the physical hardware such as the CPU and memory.

  Special gates between rings are provided to allow an outer ring to access an inner ring's resources in a predefined manner, as opposed to allowing arbitrary usage. Correctly gating access between rings can improve security by preventing programs from one ring or privilege level from misusing resources intended for programs in another. For example, spyware running as a user program in Ring 3 should be prevented from turning on a web camera without informing the user, since hardware access should be a Ring 1 function reserved for device drivers. Programs such as web browsers running in higher numbered rings must request access to the network, a resource restricted to a lower numbered ring.

  Ring Architecture

  

  All of the other answers are incorrect because they are detractors.

  References:

  OIG CBK Security Architecture and Models (page 311)

  and

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_%28computer_security%29

• Question 675:

  A circuit level proxy is ___________________ when compared to an application level proxy.

  A. lower in processing overhead.
  B. more difficult to maintain.
  C. more secure.
  D. slower.
  A. lower in processing overhead.

  ---

  Since the circuit level proxy does not anayze the application content of the packet in making its decisions, it has lower overhead than an application level proxy. "More difficult to maintain" is incorrect. Circuit level proxies are typicall easier to

  configure and simpler to maintain that an application level proxy.

  "More secure" is incorrect. A circuit level proxy is not necessarily more secure than an application layer proxy.

  "Slower" is incorrect. Because it is lower in overhead, a circuit level proxy is typically faster than an application level proxy.

  References:

  CBK,pp. 466 - 467

  AIO3, pp.488 - 490

• Question 676:

  Which of the following phases of a system development life-cycle is most concerned with establishing a good security policy as the foundation for design?

  A. Development/acquisition
  B. Implementation
  C. Initiation
  D. Maintenance
  C. Initiation

  ---

  A security policy is an important document to develop while designing an information system. The security policy begins with the organization's basic commitment to information security formulated as a general policy statement.

  The policy is then applied to all aspects of the system design or security solution. The policy identifies security goals (e.g., confidentiality, integrity, availability, accountability, and assurance) the system should support, and these goals guide the procedures, standards and controls used in the IT security architecture design. The policy also should require definition of critical assets, the perceived threat, and security- related roles and responsibilities.

  Source: STONEBURNER, Gary and al, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), NIST Special Publication 800-27, Engineering Principles for Information Technology Security (A Baseline for Achieving Security), June 2001 (page 6).

• Question 677:

  Upon which of the following ISO/OSI layers does network address translation operate?

  A. Transport layer
  B. Session layer
  C. Data link layer
  D. Network layer
  D. Network layer

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  Network address translation (NAT) is concerned with IP address translation between two networks and operates at the network layer (layer 3). Source: HARRIS, Shon, All-In-One CISSP Certification Exam Guide, McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2002, Chapter

  3: Telecommunications and Network Security (page 440).

• Question 678:

  Which of the following is an advantage that UDP has over TCP?

  A. UDP is connection-oriented whereas TCP is not.
  B. UDP is more reliable than TCP.
  C. UDP is faster than TCP.
  D. UDP makes a better effort to deliver packets.
  C. UDP is faster than TCP.

  ---

  UDP is a scaled-down version of TCP. It is used like TCP, but only offers a "best effort" delivery. It is connectionless, does not offer error correction, does not sequence the packet segments, and less reliable than TCP but because of its lower overhead, it provides a faster transmission than TCP.

  Source: KRUTZ, Ronald L. and VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, John Wiley and Sons, 2001, Chapter 3: Telecommunications and Network Security (page 86).

• Question 679:

  Which of the following services is NOT provided by the digital signature standard (DSS)?

  A. Encryption
  B. Integrity
  C. Digital signature
  D. Authentication
  A. Encryption

  ---

  DSS provides Integrity, digital signature and Authentication, but does not provide Encryption.

  Source: KRUTZ, Ronald L. and VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, John Wiley and Sons, 2001, Chapter 4: Cryptography (page 160).

• Question 680:

  Which of the following would be the best reason for separating the test and development environments?

  A. To restrict access to systems under test.
  B. To control the stability of the test environment.
  C. To segregate user and development staff.
  D. To secure access to systems under development.
  B. To control the stability of the test environment.

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  The test environment must be controlled and stable in order to ensure that development projects are tested in a realistic environment which, as far as possible, mirrors the live environment.

  Reference(s) used for this question:

  Information Systems Audit and Control Association, Certified Information Systems Auditor 2002 review manual, chapter 6: Business Application System Development, Acquisition, Implementation and Maintenance (page 309).