Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking Accreditations Flashcards

What is the purpose of a firewall in network security?

Answer: To monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on security rules

A firewall is a network security device, either hardware or software, that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic. It operates based on predefined security rules to permit or deny specific data packets. Its primary purpose is to establish a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks, like the internet, protecting against unauthorized access and malicious attacks.

Which of the following is a common tool used for penetration testing?

Answer: All of the above

All the listed tools are commonly used in penetration testing, which involves simulating cyberattacks to find vulnerabilities. Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer for inspecting traffic, Nmap is a network scanner for discovering hosts and services, and Kali Linux is a specialized operating system pre-loaded with numerous penetration testing and ethical hacking tools. Together, they provide a comprehensive toolkit for security assessments.

Which attack type involves sending a large number of requests to overwhelm a server and make it unavailable to legitimate users?

Answer: Denial of Service (DoS)

A Denial of Service (DoS) attack aims to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users by overwhelming it with a flood of traffic or requests. This prevents legitimate users from accessing services, effectively 'denying service.' A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a more powerful variant, using multiple compromised computer systems to launch the attack.

What is the purpose of encryption in cybersecurity?

Answer: To ensure that data remains confidential during transmission

The primary purpose of encryption in cybersecurity is to ensure that data remains confidential and unreadable to unauthorized parties, especially during transmission or storage. By converting data into a coded format, encryption protects sensitive information from being intercepted and understood by attackers. Only individuals with the correct decryption key can access the original, readable data.

What is an example of social engineering in cybersecurity?

Answer: An attacker tricking an individual into revealing sensitive information

Social engineering is a manipulation technique that exploits human psychology to trick individuals into performing actions or divulging confidential information. An attacker might impersonate a trusted entity, use urgency, or create a sense of fear to persuade a victim. Unlike technical attacks, social engineering preys on human trust and vulnerability rather than software or system flaws.