Securing Network Connections Flashcards

What is a zero-trust network architecture?

Answer: A security model that requires verification for every user and device attempting to access any resource, regardless of their network location

Zero-trust assumes no user, device, or network is inherently trusted and requires continuous verification and least-privilege access for every access request, whether from inside or outside the network.

What is an evil twin Wi-Fi attack?

Answer: Setting up a rogue access point that mimics a legitimate Wi-Fi network to intercept users' traffic

An evil twin attack creates a fraudulent Wi-Fi access point with the same name as a legitimate network, tricking users into connecting and routing all their traffic through the attacker's device.

What is the purpose of a network intrusion detection system (NIDS)?

Answer: To monitor network traffic in real time for suspicious activity and potential security threats

A NIDS passively monitors network traffic, analyzing packets for signatures of known attacks, anomalous behavior, and protocol violations to detect and alert on potential security breaches.

What security risk does an open DNS resolver pose?

Answer: It can be exploited for DNS amplification attacks and may allow DNS cache poisoning

Open DNS resolvers—which accept queries from any source—can be abused for DNS amplification DDoS attacks and may be vulnerable to cache poisoning if not properly secured.

What is port scanning and why is it a security concern?

Answer: A reconnaissance technique where attackers probe network ports to discover running services and potential vulnerabilities

Port scanning probes a system's network ports to identify open ports and running services, providing attackers with information about potential vulnerabilities to exploit.

What is HTTPS and why is it important for securing web communications?

Answer: HTTP secured with TLS encryption that protects data integrity and confidentiality between the browser and web server

HTTPS (HTTP Secure) uses TLS encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of data exchanged between a web browser and server, preventing eavesdropping and tampering.