SE Network Security 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the role of a DMZ (demilitarized zone) in network security architecture?
- Store internal databases
- Host publicly accessible services isolated from the internal network (Correct answer)
- Provide wireless access
- Perform intrusion prevention
Correct answer: Host publicly accessible services isolated from the internal network
A DMZ places externally accessible servers (web, mail, DNS) in a buffer zone between the internet and the trusted internal network.
Question 2: Which technique splits outbound traffic so that only traffic destined for the VPN tunnel is encrypted, while other traffic goes directly to the internet?
- Full-tunnel VPN
- Split tunneling (Correct answer)
- SSL inspection
- Traffic shaping
Correct answer: Split tunneling
Split tunneling allows selective routing so corporate traffic uses the VPN while internet traffic bypasses it.
Question 3: An attacker sends thousands of SYN packets to a server without completing the TCP handshake. What type of attack is this?
- UDP flood
- Smurf attack
- SYN flood (DoS) (Correct answer)
- Ping of Death
Correct answer: SYN flood (DoS)
A SYN flood exhausts server resources by filling the connection table with half-open TCP connections.
Question 4: Which DNS security extension adds digital signatures to DNS records to prevent cache poisoning?
- DNSSEC (Correct answer)
- DNS over HTTPS (DoH)
- DNS over TLS (DoT)
- DMARC
Correct answer: DNSSEC
DNSSEC uses cryptographic signatures on DNS records to allow resolvers to verify data authenticity.
Question 5: What is the primary security benefit of using 802.1X port-based authentication on a network switch?
- Encrypts all switch traffic
- Prevents physical cable tapping
- Authenticates devices before granting network access (Correct answer)
- Blocks VLAN hopping attacks
Correct answer: Authenticates devices before granting network access
802.1X requires devices to authenticate via an authentication server (e.g., RADIUS) before the switch port is opened.
Question 6: Which type of network attack allows an attacker to gain access to traffic on a different VLAN by sending double-tagged 802.1Q frames?
- MAC flooding
- VLAN hopping (Correct answer)
- Spanning tree attack
- DHCP spoofing
Correct answer: VLAN hopping
VLAN hopping exploits default trunk port behavior to send frames to a VLAN the attacker should not have access to.
SE Network Security 2
What is the role of a DMZ (demilitarized zone) in network security architecture?