FREE COBRA System Monitoring and Maintenance Questions and Answers
Your organization’s security policy requires that PII data-in-transit must be encrypted. Which of the following protocols would BEST meet this requirement?
You can use Secure Shell (SSH) to encrypt Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data when transmitting it over the network (data-in-transit). Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) uses SSH to encrypt File Transfer Protocol (FTP) traffic. FTP, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) transmit data in cleartext unless they are combined with an encryption protocol.
A network technician incorrectly wired the switch connections in your organization’s network. It effectively disabled the switch as though it was a victim of a denial-of-service attack. Which of the following should be done to prevent this situation in the future?
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Rapid STP (RSTP) both prevent switching loop problems. It’s rare for a wiring error to take down a switch. However, if two ports on a switch are connected to each other, it creates a switching loop and effectively disables the switch. An intrusion detection system (IDS) will not prevent a switching loop. Layer 2 switches are susceptible to this problem. Administrators use Simple Network Management Protocol version 3 (SNMPv3) to manage and monitor devices, but it doesn’t prevent switching loops.
You manage a Linux computer used for security within your network. You plan to use it to inspect and handle network-based traffic using iptables. Which of the following network devices can this replace?
Iptables include settings used by the Linux Kernel firewall and can be used to replace a firewall. While it’s possible to implement iptables on a wireless access point (assuming it is Linux-based), iptables still function as a firewall, not a wireless access point. A Layer 2 switch routes traffic based on the destination media access control (MAC) address, but iptables focus on IP addresses. A network bridge connects multiple networks together.
Lisa is enabling NTP on some servers within the DMZ. Which of the following use cases is she MOST likely supporting this action?
The Network Time Protocol (NTP) provides time synchronization services, so enabling NTP on servers would meet this use case. The Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) delivers audio and video over IP networks and Secure RTP (SRTP) provides encryption, message authentication, and integrity for RTP. Protocols such as Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Post Office Protocol v3 (POP3), and Internet Message Access Protocol version 4 (IMAP4) are used for email. Encrypting data isn’t relevant to time synchronization services provided by NTP.
Management within your organization wants to ensure that switches are not susceptible to switching loop problems. Which of the following protocols is the BEST choice to meet this need?
Rapid STP (RSTP) prevents switching loop problems and should be enabled on the switches to meet this need. A flood guard on a switch helps prevent a media access control (MAC) flood attack. Simple Network Management Protocol version 3 (SNMPv3) is used to manage and monitor network devices. The Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP) provides encryption, message authentication, and integrity for video and voice data.
Marge needs to collect network device configuration information and network statistics from devices on the network. She wants to protect the confidentiality of credentials used to connect to these devices. Which of the following protocols would BEST meet this need?
Simple Network Management Protocol version 3 (SNMPv3) is a secure protocol that can monitor and collect information from network devices. It includes strong authentication mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of credentials. None of the other protocols listed are used to monitor network devices. Secure Shell (SSH) provides a secure method of connecting to devices but does not monitor them. File Transfer Protocol Secure (FTPS) is useful for encrypting large files in transit, using Transport Layer Security (TLS). TLS is commonly used to secure transmissions but doesn’t include methods to monitor devices.
You need to implement antispoofing on a border router. Which one of the following choices will BEST meet this goal?
You would create rules to block all incoming traffic from private IP addresses. The border router is between the internal network and the Internet and any traffic coming from the Internet with a private IP address is a spoofed source IP address. All outgoing traffic will typically use a private IP address, so you shouldn’t block this outgoing traffic. A flood guard on a switch protects against media access control (MAC) flood attacks and is unrelated to this question. A web application firewall protects a web application and is unrelated to antispoofing.
You need to implement antispoofing on a border router. Which one of the following choices will BEST meet this goal?
You would create rules to block all incoming traffic from private IP addresses. The border router is between the internal network and the Internet and any traffic coming from the Internet with a private IP address is a spoofed source IP address. All outgoing traffic will typically use a private IP address, so you shouldn’t block this outgoing traffic. A flood guard on a switch protects against media access control (MAC) flood attacks and is unrelated to this question. A web application firewall protects a web application and is unrelated to antispoofing.
Developers recently configured a new service on ServerA. ServerA is in a DMZ and accessed by internal users and via the Internet. Network administrators modified firewall rules to access the service. Testing shows the service works when accessed from internal systems. However, it does not work when accessed from the Internet. Which of the following is MOST likely configured incorrectly?
The most likely problem of the available choices is that an access control list (ACL) is configured incorrectly. The server is in a demilitarized zone (DMZ) and the most likely problem is an incorrectly configured ACL on the border firewall. The service is operating when accessed from internal clients, so it isn’t likely that it is the problem. Also, the server works for internal systems indicating it is working correctly. There isn’t any indication a virtual local area network (VLAN) is in use.
Your organization wants to increase security for VoIP and video teleconferencing applications used within the network. Which of the following protocols will BEST support this goal?
The Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP) provides encryption, message authentication, and integrity for Voice over Internet Protocol(VoIP), video teleconferencing, and other streaming media applications. None of the other answers are directly related to VoIP or video teleconferencing. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) transfers email. The Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol is used to encrypt data-in-transit but isn’t the best choice for streaming media. Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) is a secure implementation of FTP to transfer files.
Your organization hosts a web server and wants to increase its security. You need to separate all web-facing traffic from internal network traffic. Which of the following provides the BEST solution?
A demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a buffered zone between a private network and the Internet, and it will separate the web server’s web-facing traffic from the internal network. You can use a virtual local area network (VLAN) to group computers together based on job function or some other administrative need, but it is created on switches in the internal network. A firewall does provide protection for the web server, but doesn’t necessarily separate the web-facing traffic from the internal network. A web application firewall (WAF) protects a web server from incoming attacks, but it does not necessarily separate Internet and internal network traffic.