CompTIA Security Fundamentals 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of malware disguises itself as legitimate software but performs malicious actions when executed?
- Worm
- Trojan horse (Correct answer)
- Rootkit
- Adware
Correct answer: Trojan horse
A Trojan horse masquerades as legitimate or useful software while secretly executing malicious functions.
Question 2: What is the function of an Intrusion Detection System (IDS)?
- Block all unauthorized network traffic
- Monitor and alert on suspicious activity or policy violations (Correct answer)
- Encrypt network communications
- Manage user access permissions
Correct answer: Monitor and alert on suspicious activity or policy violations
An IDS monitors network traffic or system activity for suspicious behavior and generates alerts without actively blocking traffic.
Question 3: An employee plugs in a USB drive found in the parking lot. This is an example of which social engineering technique?
- Tailgating
- Baiting (Correct answer)
- Pretexting
- Watering hole attack
Correct answer: Baiting
Baiting lures victims by exploiting curiosity, often using physical media like USB drives left in conspicuous locations.
Question 4: Which access control model assigns permissions based on job roles within an organization?
- Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
- Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) (Correct answer)
- Rule-Based Access Control
Correct answer: Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
RBAC grants permissions based on predefined organizational roles rather than individual user identities.
Question 5: What is a zero-day vulnerability?
- A vulnerability that has been patched within zero days
- A flaw that is unknown to the vendor and has no available patch (Correct answer)
- A vulnerability that causes zero downtime
- A bug introduced on the first day of software development
Correct answer: A flaw that is unknown to the vendor and has no available patch
A zero-day vulnerability is an unknown security flaw that vendors have had zero days to address, leaving systems exposed.
Question 6: Which security concept ensures that users only have access to the resources they need to perform their job?
- Separation of duties
- Least privilege (Correct answer)
- Defense in depth
- Need to know
Correct answer: Least privilege
The principle of least privilege restricts user access rights to only what is necessary for their specific job functions.
Question 7: What type of encryption uses the same key for both encrypting and decrypting data?
- Asymmetric encryption
- Hashing
- Symmetric encryption (Correct answer)
- Public key encryption
Correct answer: Symmetric encryption
Symmetric encryption uses a single shared key for both encryption and decryption, making key distribution a critical challenge.
CompTIA Security Fundamentals 3
Which type of malware disguises itself as legitimate software but performs malicious actions when executed?