Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 Exam Professional Standards & Competencies 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An administrator discovers unauthorized software installed on a Windows Server 2012 R2 production server. According to incident response best practices, what should be done FIRST?
- Immediately reformat the server to eliminate the threat
- Document the discovery, isolate the server, and follow the incident response plan (Correct answer)
- Send an email to all users warning them of the breach
- Delete the unauthorized software and resume normal operations without reporting
Correct answer: Document the discovery, isolate the server, and follow the incident response plan
Incident response best practices require documenting the incident, containing the threat by isolating the affected system, and following the organization's formal incident response plan.
Question 2: A Windows Server 2012 administrator needs to ensure role separation in the data center. Which built-in Windows Server 2012 feature enforces this by limiting what tasks each administrator can perform?
- Workgroups
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) via Active Directory delegation (Correct answer)
- HomeGroup
- Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
Correct answer: Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) via Active Directory delegation
Active Directory delegation allows organizations to grant specific administrative permissions to specific users or groups, enforcing role separation without granting full Domain Admin rights.
Question 3: Which Windows Server 2012 R2 feature should an administrator use to prevent unauthorized applications from running on a server, supporting application whitelisting?
- Windows Defender
- AppLocker (Correct answer)
- BitLocker
- Windows Firewall
Correct answer: AppLocker
AppLocker allows administrators to define rules specifying which applications are allowed to run, implementing application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized software execution.
Question 4: An administrator is tasked with reducing the number of open inbound ports on a Windows Server 2012 R2 server per a security hardening standard. Which tool should be used?
- Disk Defragmenter
- Windows Firewall with Advanced Security (Correct answer)
- System Configuration (msconfig)
- Event Viewer
Correct answer: Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
Windows Firewall with Advanced Security allows administrators to create granular inbound and outbound rules to block unnecessary ports and restrict network access.
Question 5: According to Microsoft best practices, what should an administrator do before applying a cumulative update to a production Windows Server 2012 R2 domain controller?
- Apply the update directly during business hours for maximum staff availability
- Test the update in a non-production environment and take a system state backup (Correct answer)
- Disable antivirus before patching and re-enable afterward
- Apply the update to all domain controllers simultaneously to maintain consistency
Correct answer: Test the update in a non-production environment and take a system state backup
Best practices require testing updates in a non-production environment and performing a system state backup before applying changes to production domain controllers.
Question 6: A Windows Server 2012 administrator needs to maintain accurate asset inventory for licensing compliance. Which built-in capability can report installed roles, features, and software?
- Server Manager's All Servers view and PowerShell Get-WindowsFeature (Correct answer)
- Notepad manual logging
- Task Manager processes list
- Control Panel's Display settings
Correct answer: Server Manager's All Servers view and PowerShell Get-WindowsFeature
Server Manager provides a centralized view of installed roles and features across managed servers, and Get-WindowsFeature cmdlet can programmatically enumerate installed components for inventory purposes.
Question 7: Which Windows Server 2012 R2 feature provides a structured mechanism for administrators to request and receive temporary elevated permissions, reducing standing privilege risks?
- Fast User Switching
- Privileged Access Workstation (PAW) combined with Just-In-Time (JIT) administration concepts (Correct answer)
- Guest account activation
- Auto-elevated service accounts
Correct answer: Privileged Access Workstation (PAW) combined with Just-In-Time (JIT) administration concepts
Privileged Access Workstations combined with JIT administration reduce the window of exposure by granting elevated access only when needed and revoking it afterward, minimizing standing privilege risks.
Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 Exam Professional Standards & Competencies 4
An administrator discovers unauthorized software installed on a Windows Server 2012 R2 production server.
According to incident response best practices, what should be done FIRST?