CodeHS Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking Accreditations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of malware disguises itself as legitimate software to trick users into installing it?
- Worm
- Ransomware
- Trojan horse (Correct answer)
- Adware
Correct answer: Trojan horse
A Trojan horse masquerades as legitimate or useful software to deceive users into executing it, enabling unauthorized access or damage.
Question 2: What does 'privilege escalation' mean in the context of a cyberattack?
- Increasing firewall permissions for a user
- Gaining higher-level access rights than originally granted (Correct answer)
- Removing a user's account privileges
- Encrypting admin credentials
Correct answer: Gaining higher-level access rights than originally granted
Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker exploits a flaw to gain elevated permissions beyond what was initially authorized.
Question 3: Which phase of the ethical hacking methodology involves gathering information about a target without direct interaction?
- Active reconnaissance
- Passive reconnaissance (Correct answer)
- Exploitation
- Post-exploitation
Correct answer: Passive reconnaissance
Passive reconnaissance collects information about a target using public sources without directly interacting with or alerting the target system.
Question 4: What is the primary function of an Intrusion Detection System (IDS)?
- Encrypt network traffic
- Block all incoming connections
- Monitor network traffic and alert on suspicious activity (Correct answer)
- Manage user passwords
Correct answer: Monitor network traffic and alert on suspicious activity
An IDS monitors network or system activity and generates alerts when it detects potentially malicious behavior or policy violations.
Question 5: Which cryptographic concept ensures that a sender cannot deny having sent a message?
- Encryption
- Hashing
- Non-repudiation (Correct answer)
- Authentication
Correct answer: Non-repudiation
Non-repudiation ensures that a party cannot deny the authenticity of their signature or sending a message, often enforced via digital signatures.
Question 6: In a CodeHS cybersecurity context, what is 'cross-site scripting' (XSS)?
- Copying scripts between two servers
- Injecting malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users (Correct answer)
- Using CSS to style a phishing page
- Transferring files across different websites
Correct answer: Injecting malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users
XSS attacks inject malicious client-side scripts into web pages, which execute in the browsers of other users who visit those pages.
Question 7: What is the purpose of multi-factor authentication (MFA)?
- Speed up the login process
- Require multiple passwords for the same account
- Add additional verification layers beyond just a password (Correct answer)
- Enable passwordless login
Correct answer: Add additional verification layers beyond just a password
MFA requires users to provide two or more verification factors, significantly reducing the risk of account compromise even if a password is stolen.
CodeHS Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking Accreditations 3
Which type of malware disguises itself as legitimate software to trick users into installing it?