DIS Network Security & Protocols 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which protocol encrypts data in transit between a DICOM imaging device and a PACS server?
- TLS (Transport Layer Security) (Correct answer)
- FTP
- SNMP v1
- Telnet
Correct answer: TLS (Transport Layer Security)
TLS encrypts data in transit, protecting DICOM transmissions between imaging devices and PACS servers from interception.
Question 2: A radiology department notices unauthorized devices connecting to their imaging VLAN. Which network control method would BEST prevent this?
- Implementing 802.1X port-based authentication (Correct answer)
- Increasing firewall log verbosity
- Using WPA2-Personal on the wireless network
- Disabling SNMP on switches
Correct answer: Implementing 802.1X port-based authentication
802.1X port-based authentication requires devices to authenticate before gaining network access, preventing unauthorized connections.
Question 3: What is the primary security risk of using DICOM's default port 104 without additional controls?
- It operates over unencrypted connections, exposing PHI in transit (Correct answer)
- It conflicts with HTTP on port 80
- It cannot support large image files
- It is not compatible with IPv6
Correct answer: It operates over unencrypted connections, exposing PHI in transit
Standard DICOM port 104 does not enforce encryption, meaning patient data transmitted over it is readable if intercepted.
Question 4: Which type of attack intercepts communication between a CT scanner and PACS to alter transmitted images?
- Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack (Correct answer)
- Denial of Service (DoS) attack
- SQL injection
- Phishing attack
Correct answer: Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack
A MitM attack positions the attacker between two communicating systems, enabling interception and potential alteration of DICOM data.
Question 5: A hospital's imaging network uses SNMPv1 for device monitoring. What is the main security concern with this configuration?
- SNMPv1 uses community strings transmitted in plaintext (Correct answer)
- SNMPv1 cannot monitor imaging devices
- SNMPv1 is incompatible with TCP/IP networks
- SNMPv1 generates excessive network traffic
Correct answer: SNMPv1 uses community strings transmitted in plaintext
SNMPv1 sends community strings (essentially passwords) in plaintext, making them easily captured by network sniffers.
Question 6: Which network segmentation strategy BEST protects medical imaging devices from ransomware spreading across a hospital network?
- Placing imaging devices on an isolated VLAN with strict firewall rules (Correct answer)
- Using the same flat network as general office workstations
- Assigning static IP addresses to all imaging devices
- Enabling DHCP snooping on core switches
Correct answer: Placing imaging devices on an isolated VLAN with strict firewall rules
Isolating imaging devices on a dedicated VLAN with firewall restrictions limits lateral movement of ransomware from other network segments.
Question 7: What does the acronym DICOM TLS refer to in the context of medical imaging security?
- A standard for encrypting DICOM communications using Transport Layer Security (Correct answer)
- A type of image compression algorithm
- A digital imaging metadata format
- A network switch configuration protocol
Correct answer: A standard for encrypting DICOM communications using Transport Layer Security
DICOM TLS (defined in DICOM PS 3.15) specifies how TLS is applied to DICOM network communications to provide encryption and authentication.
DIS Network Security & Protocols 2
Which protocol encrypts data in transit between a DICOM imaging device and a PACS server?