Mixed Deck — All CSCU Topics Flashcards

What is the key difference between incremental and differential backups?

Answer: Incremental backups only save changes since the last backup of any type, while differential backups save all changes since the last full backup

Incremental backups capture only changes since the last backup (full or incremental), using less storage but requiring more steps to restore. Differential backups capture all changes since the last full backup, using more storage but enabling faster restoration.

Which of the following is a method to secure your wireless network?

Answer: Using WPA3 encryption

WPA3 encryption is the latest and most secure method for protecting wireless networks.

What should you do immediately if you suspect your password has been compromised?

Answer: Change the password on that account and any account sharing that password

You should change the compromised password and every account using the same one before attackers can exploit the access.

What is a zero-day vulnerability?

Answer: A previously unknown software vulnerability that is exploited by attackers before the vendor has developed a patch

A zero-day vulnerability is an unknown software flaw that attackers discover and exploit before the software vendor is aware of it or has released a fix, leaving zero days for users to protect themselves.

How can data broker websites contribute to identity theft risks?

Answer: They aggregate and sell personal information that criminals can use to build profiles for identity theft

Data brokers collect and sell personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, relatives, and financial details, which identity thieves can use to answer security questions or impersonate victims.

What is a secure method for disposing of sensitive documents?

Answer: Shredding them

Shredding sensitive documents ensures that they cannot be reconstructed and read by unauthorized individuals.

What is credential stuffing and how does it relate to identity theft?

Answer: Using stolen username/password combinations from one data breach to gain access to accounts on other services where users reused the same credentials

Credential stuffing exploits the common habit of password reuse by automatically testing username/password pairs leaked from one breach against many other websites and services.

You receive an unsolicited email with a generic greeting like 'Dear Customer' that urges you to click a link to 'verify your account details immediately' due to a security alert. This is a common tactic used in which type of attack?

Answer: A phishing attack

Phishing attacks often use social engineering tactics such as a sense of urgency, generic greetings, and requests to verify account information by clicking a malicious link. The goal is to trick the recipient into divulging sensitive credentials or personal data on a fake website.

Which of the following is an example of two-factor authentication (2FA)?

Answer: Using a fingerprint scan and entering a PIN

Two-factor authentication requires two different methods of verification, such as a fingerprint and a PIN.

What is a security incident response plan?

Answer: A documented set of procedures for detecting, containing, eradicating, and recovering from security incidents

An incident response plan provides structured procedures for handling security breaches and attacks through defined phases: preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned.

Why is it important to encrypt backup data?

Answer: Encryption protects backup data from unauthorized access if the backup media is lost or stolen

Encrypting backups ensures that even if backup media is physically stolen or accessed by unauthorized individuals, the data remains unreadable without the encryption key.

What role does a sandbox play in malware analysis?

Answer: It provides an isolated virtual environment where suspicious code can be safely executed and observed without risking the host system

A sandbox is a controlled, isolated environment where potentially malicious software can be safely executed and its behavior observed without any risk to the actual system or network.

What is heuristic-based malware detection?

Answer: Detection that analyzes code behavior and structure to identify potentially malicious programs even without a known signature

Heuristic analysis examines the behavior patterns and code characteristics of programs to detect potentially malicious software, even if it hasn't been previously identified and cataloged.

What is the purpose of a security audit?

Answer: To systematically evaluate an organization's security posture, identify vulnerabilities, and verify compliance with security policies and standards

A security audit systematically examines an organization's information systems, policies, and practices to identify vulnerabilities, verify compliance, and recommend improvements.

What does the shared responsibility model in cloud computing define?

Answer: The division of security obligations between the cloud provider and the customer

The shared responsibility model clarifies which security tasks the cloud provider handles (such as physical security and infrastructure) and which the customer must manage (such as data encryption and access controls).

What does 'device hardening' mean in the context of physical security?

Answer: Configuring a device to reduce its attack surface by disabling unused features and ports

Device hardening involves disabling unused ports, services, and features to minimize the ways an attacker could gain access to a system.

What precaution should be taken when sending sensitive information via email?

Answer: Use end-to-end encryption or send sensitive data through a secure file-sharing platform instead

Sensitive information should be protected with end-to-end encryption or shared through a secure platform, as standard email provides limited security for confidential data.

A user uploads a folder of photos to a cloud storage service. To share a single photo with a friend, they right-click the entire folder and set its permissions to 'Public'. What is the MOST significant security risk of this action?

Answer: All photos in the folder are now potentially exposed to anyone on the internet.

Setting permissions at the folder level often applies those permissions to all items within it. Making a folder public exposes all of its contents, not just the single intended file, to anyone who can find the link. This type of misconfiguration is a leading cause of data breaches in the cloud.

To maintain effectiveness against new and evolving threats, what is the MOST critical routine maintenance task for any antivirus software?

Answer: Regularly updating the virus definition files.

Antivirus software relies heavily on its virus definition files (or signature database) to identify known malware. New malware is created daily, so it is crucial to update these definitions regularly to ensure the software can recognize and protect against the latest threats.

What is the purpose of a fraud alert on your credit report?

Answer: It notifies creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before approving new credit applications

A fraud alert flags your credit report to warn creditors that they should verify the applicant's identity through additional steps before opening new credit accounts.