ITF+ Security Principles Flashcards
6 cards from real COMPTIA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 ITF+ Security Principles flashcards as text
A financial services company performs a daily process that verifies its transaction logs to ensure no records have been illicitly modified or deleted. Which principle of the CIA triad is this practice primarily designed to uphold?
Answer: Integrity
Integrity, within the CIA triad, ensures that data is accurate and trustworthy, and has not been tampered with by unauthorized persons. Verifying transaction logs is a direct measure to confirm data integrity.
A user logs into their corporate portal by first entering a password. They are then required to approve a push notification sent to their company-issued smartphone. This process is an example of which security concept?
Answer: Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enhances security by requiring two or more distinct verification methods. This scenario uses 'something you know' (the password) and 'something you have' (the smartphone), which is a classic implementation of MFA.
An employee receives an urgent email that appears to be from the IT department, stating that their account has been compromised and they must click a link immediately to reset their password. The link leads to a convincing but fake login page. This is a common example of what type of attack?
Answer: Phishing
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack that uses fraudulent emails or messages to trick victims into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials. The use of urgency and a deceptive link are hallmark tactics of a phishing attack.
What is the primary function of data encryption?
Answer: To make data unreadable to unauthorized individuals.
Encryption is the process of converting readable data (plaintext) into an unreadable format (ciphertext) using a code or key. Its main purpose is to protect the confidentiality of data by ensuring that only authorized parties with the correct key can decrypt and read it.
A company wants to increase the security of its server room to prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining physical access to the equipment. Which of the following is a physical security control?
Answer: Requiring a key card to unlock the server room door.
Physical security controls are measures designed to physically protect assets from unauthorized access or environmental threats. A key card access system is a direct method of controlling physical entry to a restricted space like a server room.
Which of the following represents the strongest password according to common security best practices?
Answer: MyP3t#isAwe$ome
A strong password is long (typically 12+ characters), complex (using uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols), and unpredictable. 'MyP3t#isAwe$ome' is the best option because it is long and uses all four character types, making it difficult to guess or crack.