SSCP Certification SSCP Malicious Code Countermeasures 3

Question 1

Which type of malware is specifically designed to encrypt a victim's files and demand payment for the decryption key?

Accepted Answer

Ransomware

Answer

Ransomware encrypts victim data and withholds the decryption key until a ransom is paid, making data inaccessible until either payment is made or backups are restored.

Question 2

A security analyst observes that malware on a compromised host is communicating with an external IP on port 443 using HTTPS. What technique is MOST likely being used?

Accepted Answer

Command-and-control over encrypted web traffic

Answer

Using port 443 with HTTPS allows malware to blend command-and-control traffic with normal web traffic, making it harder for network monitoring tools to detect or block.

Question 3

Which scanning technique improves detection of malware that hides within compressed or packed executables?

Accepted Answer

Heuristic or emulation-based scanning

Answer

Heuristic and emulation-based scanners unpack or emulate compressed executables to analyze their behavior, allowing detection of malware that signature scanners would miss in packed form.

Question 4

What is the PRIMARY security benefit of maintaining offline, air-gapped backups in the context of ransomware defense?

Accepted Answer

They ensure data can be restored without paying the ransom

Answer

Offline backups that ransomware cannot reach allow an organization to restore encrypted data without paying the attacker, making the attack far less impactful.

Question 5

A metamorphic virus differs from a polymorphic virus in that a metamorphic virus:

Accepted Answer

Completely rewrites its own code with each infection

Answer

Metamorphic viruses rewrite their entire code structure — including logic and instructions — with each generation, making them far harder to detect than polymorphic viruses that only change their decryption stub.

SSCP Certification Practice Test

SSCP Certification Practice Test

SSCP Certification SSCP Malicious Code Countermeasures 3