ICT Cybersecurity Threats and Mitigation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An attacker intercepts and alters communication between two parties without their knowledge. What type of attack is this?
- Replay attack
- Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack (Correct answer)
- Denial of Service attack
- Eavesdropping attack
Correct answer: Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack
A Man-in-the-Middle attack occurs when an attacker secretly intercepts and potentially alters communications between two parties who believe they are communicating directly.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes a botnet?
- A network of security cameras monitored by AI
- A collection of compromised computers controlled remotely by an attacker (Correct answer)
- A group of ethical hackers working together
- Automated software testing tools running in parallel
Correct answer: A collection of compromised computers controlled remotely by an attacker
A botnet is a network of malware-infected computers (bots) that an attacker controls remotely, often used for DDoS attacks, spam campaigns, or credential stuffing.
Question 3: What security technique involves sending fake credentials to attacker infrastructure to detect and slow down credential-stuffing attacks?
- Honeypot deployment
- Credential canaries / honey credentials (Correct answer)
- Multi-factor authentication
- Rate limiting
Correct answer: Credential canaries / honey credentials
Honey credentials (credential canaries) are fake login pairs seeded into data sets; when an attacker uses them, the defender receives an alert that stolen credentials are being used.
Question 4: A threat actor gains physical access to an office by following an authorized employee through a secured door. This is called what?
- Social engineering
- Tailgating (piggybacking) (Correct answer)
- Dumpster diving
- Shoulder surfing
Correct answer: Tailgating (piggybacking)
Tailgating (or piggybacking) is a physical security attack where an unauthorized person follows an authorized individual through a secured entry point.
Question 5: Which encryption protocol replaced the vulnerable WEP standard for securing Wi-Fi networks?
- WPA3 replaced WEP directly
- WPA/WPA2 replaced WEP (Correct answer)
- SSL replaced WEP
- HTTPS replaced WEP
Correct answer: WPA/WPA2 replaced WEP
WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and later WPA2 replaced the easily crackable WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) protocol; WPA3 is the current strongest standard.
Question 6: What is the main risk of using the same password across multiple websites?
- Passwords become easier to guess over time
- A breach on one site exposes all accounts using that password (credential stuffing) (Correct answer)
- Passwords are stored in plaintext by default
- Account lockouts occur more frequently
Correct answer: A breach on one site exposes all accounts using that password (credential stuffing)
Credential stuffing attacks use credentials stolen from one breached site to automatically test access on other sites, exploiting password reuse.
Question 7: Which security concept ensures that no single person has complete control over a critical system or process?
- Least privilege
- Separation of duties (Correct answer)
- Need-to-know
- Role-based access control
Correct answer: Separation of duties
Separation of duties requires that critical tasks be divided among multiple people, reducing the risk of fraud, error, or insider threats from a single individual.
ICT Cybersecurity Threats and Mitigation 3
An attacker intercepts and alters communication between two parties without their knowledge.
What type of attack is this?